Standard Chartered donates K180,000 to Save the Children’s  Covid-19 Emergency Response

15 July 2020 – Lusaka, Zambia - Standard Chartered announced today that it has donated K180,000 towards Save the Children in Zambia’s Covid-19 Emergency response.

 The funds will go towards Save the Children’s focus on efforts to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on vulnerable children in our communities. This includes the provision of:

• Handwashing soap
• Alcohol Based Hand Sanitizer
• Face masks
• Child friendly Information, Education and Communication materials
• 200 litres foot operated handwashing buckets.

 Speaking at the official hand-over event, Standard Chartered Bank CEO, Herman Kasekende, said, “Standard Chartered Bank Zambia is delighted to support Save the Children’s Covid-19 Emergency response efforts. These include supporting distance learning for vulnerable children, developing child-friendly Covid-19 messages, and training child protection workers to identify and support those vulnerable children who have been affected by the pandemic. This will go a long way to ensure that our children do not fall into further vulnerabilities during these challenging times.

 Mr. Kasekende added, “That is why as a Bank, we are donating K180,000 to support the critical work that Save the Children is doing. With over 114 years of operating in Zambia, we remain firmly committed to support the communities where we operate. We are Here for our communities, Here for good.”

 Commenting on the donation, Save the Children Country Director, Jo Musonda, said "The impacts of school closures extend beyond interference in education – they also carry other risks to marginalised children. While we know that the private sector has many demands on them, it is critical that they do not draw back from their corporate social responsibility now. We can see right in front of us that if we ignore the Covid-19 threats facing children in one part of the country, it will quickly lead to more cases. We must support schools and communities with weaker prevention measures and stand with the poorest and most marginalised communities who do not have the means to support and protect themselves from the impact of this outbreak. The private sector must emulate Standard Chartered Bank in supporting communities to fight off this deadly pandemic, with particular support for schools in rural areas that have less capacity to manage the outbreak, so that the impact on highly vulnerable children and their families is minimised as much as possible. The support we are receiving today will target schools we are currently supporting in partnership with the Ministry of General Education in Sioma and Shangombo districts of the Western province of Zambia.”

Mrs Musonda, added,“The support from Standard Chartered Bank Zambia will go a long way in ensuring that the children who have returned to school will have adequate personal protection and prevention measures and learn in a safe school environment. If hygiene and sanitation needs of children are not urgently met in schools, the result will be increased risk of infection from Covid-19 and related respiratory diseases and death. Regardless of who we are and where we come from Covid-19 does not discriminate. The phrase “we are in this together” has never had more meaning and we thank Standard Chartered Bank Zambia for showing that they are in this with us and the children in Zambia. We all need to play our part to tackle the biggest crisis we’ve seen in decades.”

 --- ENDS ---