HSBC’s USD25 million donation fund continues to make a real difference to COVID-19 recovery efforts around the world, including in Asia-Pacific.

The bank has committed hundreds of thousands of dollars to local projects across the region.

Matthew Lobner, Head of International and Head of Strategy and Planning for Asia-Pacific, HSBC, said: “It’s the contributions directly into the relief effort on the ground that can sometimes make the biggest difference, in the quickest time, to the communities we serve.

“Working in conjunction with experienced charity partners, we are helping to deliver a range of support measures across the region.”

Here are some of the initiatives the bank is helping to fund in the region.

Indonesia

HSBC’s USD575,000 donation is helping to fund:

• Protective gear: supplies including masks and gloves for medical workers across 35 hospitals
• Food security: efforts to support small businesses and farmers
• Education: raising awareness of hygiene and social distancing
• Community support: relief for vulnerable communities, including food packages and household essentials distributed in 11 cities

Sumit Dutta, President Director and CEO of PT Bank HSBC Indonesia said: “We need to stand with the local community to help limit the spread of the virus and we want to ease the related economic hardships.”

Vietnam

HSBC has donated USD130,000 to three projects that support and build resilience among vulnerable groups and communities. The funding is being channelled to:

• Children with disabilities: meals, play materials and healthcare are being provided for 800 children with disabilities and 300 carers and parents, as well as 100 young people without work
• 400 homeless individuals or families
• Projects providing clean water access to three rural hospitals to reduce the spread of disease

Tim Evans, CEO of HSBC Vietnam, said: “We hope that our donation can make a difference to those least fortunate in the communities in which we operate.”

Bangladesh

HSBC has donated more than USD94,000, including employees’ contributions, to relief efforts in the country. This support includes:

• Protective gear: HSBC has partnered with the charity WaterAid to provide 5,000 masks and 1,250 sets of other personal protective equipment (PPE) including goggles, gloves, gowns and shoe covers, as well as training in their use, to healthcare workers in Chattogram and Dhaka
• Food packs: working with a local partner, HSBC is supplying emergency food and hygiene packs to 5,000 vulnerable families of daily wage earners who are now without incomes

The bank has also recently launched a campaign called Joy of Giving, in partnership with organisations including the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society. The initiative aims to support 100,000 people across the country who have been affected by the pandemic.

Md. Mahbub ur Rahman, CEO of HSBC Bangladesh, said: “We are proud to be able to make a difference by supporting vulnerable communities and front-line healthcare workers.”

“We are proud to be able to make a difference”

Thailand

HSBC’s contribution of USD90,000 is funding supplies to three COVID-19-designated public hospitals and emergency relief kits to hundreds of low-income families. This support includes:

• Protective gear: 11,000 face masks and 1,850 PPE sets for two hospitals in Bangkok and one in southern Songkhla Province
• Medical equipment: five disposable bronchoscope devices, one broncho videoscope and one lung X-ray device to examine patients with infected lungs
• Relief kits: 700 emergency relief kits, containing food essentials, fabric masks and basic medicines, for about 4,000 people in slum areas in Bangkok and central Samut Songkhram Province. These families rely on daily wages and have lost their jobs due to COVID-19

Volunteers from HSBC helped pack 5,000 fabric masks, donated additional items to the relief kits and distributed them.

Kelvin Tan, CEO of HSBC Thailand, said: “We are committed to do whatever we can to help both the medical workers, whose bravery is extraordinary, and vulnerable communities who are struggling hard to survive due to the economic situation.”

Philippines

HSBC has donated USD47,000 to International Care Ministries, which will fund meal packs for 5,400 people, as well as education on COVID-19 and emergency medical support in isolated communities.

The bank also contributed USD11,000 to Upskills+ Foundation to help more than 600 families who lost their homes in a fire and were stranded during quarantine in Metro Manila. The donation helped provide these families with a week’s worth of basic necessities such as drinking water, rice and canned goods.

Sri Lanka

HSBC has donated USD39,000 to assist vulnerable people being supported by two local charities.

One is World Vision Lanka’s ‘Every rupee you give is doubled’ initiative, in which the charity matches contributions. This has helped to provide food packs to more than 2,500 vulnerable families, who are mostly daily wage earners currently unable to work.

HSBC has also collaborated with Asia-Pacific Alliance for Disaster Management Sri Lanka, helping to provide:

• Maternity support: an adjustable bed and other equipment for a COVID-19 care facility for pregnant women and infants
• Protective gear: 1,000 face masks and bottles of hand sanitiser and disinfectant for front-line workers operating in a locked-down village in northern Sri Lanka

Mark Prothero, CEO of HSBC Sri Lanka and Maldives, said: “We are committed to understanding the challenges and responding to those most vulnerable segments of the community who are struggling in the current environment.”