'People of Purpose', Bank DBS Indonesia's employee activity to expand social impact through 48,000 hours of volunteerism | Bahasa
Indonesia.03 Feb 2025.3 min read
Indonesia, 03 Feb 2025 - As a purpose-driven bank, Bank DBS Indonesia maintains the commitment to creating a positive impact that goes beyond the scope of banking. Bank DBS Indonesia’s employee volunteer movement, People of Purpose (PoP), is part of the effort to fulfill the commitment. People of Purpose is a routine programme participated by all Bank DBS Indonesia employees to realise the commitment to creating an impact on society and the environment. In 2024, the PoP programme successfully recorded more than 48,700 volunteer hours across all Bank DBS Indonesia’s business units, exceeding the target of 33,000 hours and an increase of 85 percent compared to the previous year.
Bank DBS Indonesia has three sustainability pillars, namely Responsible Banking that supports sustainability through financial services; Responsible Business Practices that prioritises environmentally friendly and inclusive business operations; and Impact Beyond Banking that focuses on social contributions beyond banking services. The People of Purpose initiative is a manifestation of the third pillar (Impact Beyond Banking).
Head of Group Strategic Marketing & Communications at PT Bank DBS Indonesia Mona Monika said, “The People of Purpose (PoP) programme is a tangible manifestation of Bank DBS Indonesia's commitment to creating a sustainable positive impact, in line with our vision to be the ‘Best Bank for a Better World’. We believe that the spirit of volunteering must be based on a strong culture — from the leadership team to all employees in the organisation. Through this initiative, we seek to inspire every employee, igniting a passion within them to play an active role and contribute to environmental conservation, acceleration in education, and community empowerment. We hope that every action taken under PoP can bring real benefits to society.”
People of Purpose (PoP) activities are realised with DBS Foundation that focuses on providing essential needs, fostering inclusion, and preserving the environment. Together with 20 external partners, Bank DBS Indonesia employees have successfully engaged in (or carried out) various activities, including:
1. Providing essential needs: distributing 53,000 food packages to vulnerable individuals
Through the Food Rescue Warrior programme, 266,046 kg of surplus food that were still fit for consumption were rescued and processed into 668,245 nutritious food packages. These packages were then distributed to 53,000 vulnerable individuals in the Greater Jakarta area to ensure that they received healthy and nutritious meals. This initiative not only directly addressed people’s need for food but also contributed to a sustainable food system through food waste reduction.
In the field of education, Bank DBS Indonesia employees played a role by donating stationery to elementary and junior high school children in rural areas of Indonesia through Yayasan Tangan Pengharapan to provide them with access to better educational facilities.
2. Fostering inclusion through financial and digital literacy workshops for more than 5,000 beneficiaries
In addition to the problems of waste, climate crisis, and carbon emissions, Indonesia also still faces major challenges in improving financial and digital literacy. The results of the 2024 National Survey on Financial Literacy and Inclusion (SNLIK) show that Indonesia’s financial literacy index was 65.43 percent and the financial inclusion index was 75.02 percent. Meanwhile, in the digital aspect, a survey conducted by the Director General of Informatics Applications (Aptika) shows that the Indonesian Digital Society Index (IMDI) score increased from 37.80 in 2022 to 43.18 in 2023 and 43.34 in 2024.
Financial literacy education plays an important role for all groups, including elementary school students. Bank DBS Indonesia employees contributed by teaching students at SD Negeri Pakulonan Barat I, Tangerang, and SD Negeri Belandingan, Kintamani, Bali, about basic financial management principles such as saving money. Meanwhile, the Kedai Belajar programme is designed to give social entrepreneurs, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) knowledge about the financial aspects of business, including cash flow management and financial reporting.
All of these activities involved the active participation of 120 Bank DBS Indonesia employees, with the aim of creating more inclusive economic opportunities. In addition, programmes such as DBS Bersiap, DBS Berpijar, and Coding Camp Powered by DBS Foundation provide opportunities for people with disabilities to attend workshops and soft skills mentoring to develop the skills and character traits needed in the world of work. For example, Bank DBS Indonesia employees provided materials on financial and digital literacy, as well as shared soft skills such as communication, administration, and reporting—skills that are essential in a professional environment. Participants were also provided with knowledge of personal data protection measures in financial transactions.
3. Contributing to environmental conservation by planting trees and supporting textile upcycling
Throughout 2024, Bank DBS Indonesia planted more than 10,950 trees of various species, including mangroves, kirai, various tropical fruits, and trembesi, in several locations such as the Nusantara Capital City (IKN), Cisadane River, Ciliwung River, Taman Ketapang Urban Aquaculture Banten, Mangrove Ecotourism Center PIK, and the Halaman Tujuh garden managed by Kebun Kumara. As part of the environmental conservation efforts, employees also participated in an urban gardening programme with Kebun Kumara to support farming practices in urban environments.
In addition, Bank DBS Indonesia employees also played an active role in the clean-up actions in the Sudirman Car Free Day (CFD) area, Cisadane River, and Ciliwung River, which managed to collect a total of 272 kg of waste. Employees also received textile upcycling training from EcoTouch to create added value in the textile industry. These contributions demonstrate Bank DBS Indonesia's passion for encouraging employees to build a spirit of support for social and environmental sustainability.
In 2025, Bank DBS Indonesia aims to continue this People of Purpose volunteer movement with a target of 16 hours of volunteering per individual through various programmes. This is part of DBS Bank Pte Ltd's (DBS Bank) commitment to mobilising the bank's 36,000 employees across all countries where DBS Bank operates and dedicating more than 1.5 million volunteer hours to help vulnerable communities over the next 10 years. In addition, DBS Bank plans to set aside up to SGD1 billion over the next 10 years to fund various social programmes to improve the quality of life and well-being of vulnerable communities in Asia, including Indonesia.
Through these ongoing efforts, Bank DBS Indonesia continues to fulfill its mission to drive positive change and make a meaningful impact on the Indonesian society.
For more information about People of Purpose, visit Instagram @dbsbankid and @dbsfoundationid.
Bank DBS Indonesia has three sustainability pillars, namely Responsible Banking that supports sustainability through financial services; Responsible Business Practices that prioritises environmentally friendly and inclusive business operations; and Impact Beyond Banking that focuses on social contributions beyond banking services. The People of Purpose initiative is a manifestation of the third pillar (Impact Beyond Banking).
Head of Group Strategic Marketing & Communications at PT Bank DBS Indonesia Mona Monika said, “The People of Purpose (PoP) programme is a tangible manifestation of Bank DBS Indonesia's commitment to creating a sustainable positive impact, in line with our vision to be the ‘Best Bank for a Better World’. We believe that the spirit of volunteering must be based on a strong culture — from the leadership team to all employees in the organisation. Through this initiative, we seek to inspire every employee, igniting a passion within them to play an active role and contribute to environmental conservation, acceleration in education, and community empowerment. We hope that every action taken under PoP can bring real benefits to society.”
People of Purpose (PoP) activities are realised with DBS Foundation that focuses on providing essential needs, fostering inclusion, and preserving the environment. Together with 20 external partners, Bank DBS Indonesia employees have successfully engaged in (or carried out) various activities, including:
1. Providing essential needs: distributing 53,000 food packages to vulnerable individuals
Through the Food Rescue Warrior programme, 266,046 kg of surplus food that were still fit for consumption were rescued and processed into 668,245 nutritious food packages. These packages were then distributed to 53,000 vulnerable individuals in the Greater Jakarta area to ensure that they received healthy and nutritious meals. This initiative not only directly addressed people’s need for food but also contributed to a sustainable food system through food waste reduction.
In the field of education, Bank DBS Indonesia employees played a role by donating stationery to elementary and junior high school children in rural areas of Indonesia through Yayasan Tangan Pengharapan to provide them with access to better educational facilities.
2. Fostering inclusion through financial and digital literacy workshops for more than 5,000 beneficiaries
In addition to the problems of waste, climate crisis, and carbon emissions, Indonesia also still faces major challenges in improving financial and digital literacy. The results of the 2024 National Survey on Financial Literacy and Inclusion (SNLIK) show that Indonesia’s financial literacy index was 65.43 percent and the financial inclusion index was 75.02 percent. Meanwhile, in the digital aspect, a survey conducted by the Director General of Informatics Applications (Aptika) shows that the Indonesian Digital Society Index (IMDI) score increased from 37.80 in 2022 to 43.18 in 2023 and 43.34 in 2024.
Financial literacy education plays an important role for all groups, including elementary school students. Bank DBS Indonesia employees contributed by teaching students at SD Negeri Pakulonan Barat I, Tangerang, and SD Negeri Belandingan, Kintamani, Bali, about basic financial management principles such as saving money. Meanwhile, the Kedai Belajar programme is designed to give social entrepreneurs, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) knowledge about the financial aspects of business, including cash flow management and financial reporting.
All of these activities involved the active participation of 120 Bank DBS Indonesia employees, with the aim of creating more inclusive economic opportunities. In addition, programmes such as DBS Bersiap, DBS Berpijar, and Coding Camp Powered by DBS Foundation provide opportunities for people with disabilities to attend workshops and soft skills mentoring to develop the skills and character traits needed in the world of work. For example, Bank DBS Indonesia employees provided materials on financial and digital literacy, as well as shared soft skills such as communication, administration, and reporting—skills that are essential in a professional environment. Participants were also provided with knowledge of personal data protection measures in financial transactions.
3. Contributing to environmental conservation by planting trees and supporting textile upcycling
Throughout 2024, Bank DBS Indonesia planted more than 10,950 trees of various species, including mangroves, kirai, various tropical fruits, and trembesi, in several locations such as the Nusantara Capital City (IKN), Cisadane River, Ciliwung River, Taman Ketapang Urban Aquaculture Banten, Mangrove Ecotourism Center PIK, and the Halaman Tujuh garden managed by Kebun Kumara. As part of the environmental conservation efforts, employees also participated in an urban gardening programme with Kebun Kumara to support farming practices in urban environments.
In addition, Bank DBS Indonesia employees also played an active role in the clean-up actions in the Sudirman Car Free Day (CFD) area, Cisadane River, and Ciliwung River, which managed to collect a total of 272 kg of waste. Employees also received textile upcycling training from EcoTouch to create added value in the textile industry. These contributions demonstrate Bank DBS Indonesia's passion for encouraging employees to build a spirit of support for social and environmental sustainability.
In 2025, Bank DBS Indonesia aims to continue this People of Purpose volunteer movement with a target of 16 hours of volunteering per individual through various programmes. This is part of DBS Bank Pte Ltd's (DBS Bank) commitment to mobilising the bank's 36,000 employees across all countries where DBS Bank operates and dedicating more than 1.5 million volunteer hours to help vulnerable communities over the next 10 years. In addition, DBS Bank plans to set aside up to SGD1 billion over the next 10 years to fund various social programmes to improve the quality of life and well-being of vulnerable communities in Asia, including Indonesia.
Through these ongoing efforts, Bank DBS Indonesia continues to fulfill its mission to drive positive change and make a meaningful impact on the Indonesian society.
For more information about People of Purpose, visit Instagram @dbsbankid and @dbsfoundationid.
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