HSBC supports relief efforts for communities in need

Communities across Sri Lanka have been battling bad weather and an unprecedented increase in the spreading of dengue this year. With the objective of supportinglocal communities and bringingthem some relief, HSBC, partnered with the Sarvodaya Movement and the Asia Pacific Alliance for Disaster Management respectively, to help control the dengue epidemic and identify flood/landslide affected schools which are in dire need of assistance.

With HSBC’s support, the Sarvodaya Movement has already stated to mobilise their district staff and volunteer groups in order to implement the dengue preventives. These interventions are being ramified in to different measures and approaches. The activities include community awareness drives, cleaning of drainage systems, canals and wells, introducing toxin-free biological controllers like fish varieties that feed on mosquito larvae and plants that repel dengue mosquitos, provision of equipment and manpower to clean dengue breeding grounds and more. 

According to the Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry of Health, 127,741 dengue infected cases have been reported so far in 2017. Approximately 43% of the dengue fever cases were reported from the Western Province, The most affected area, with the highest number of reported cases,was Colombo District (18,186 cases). Moreover this number is likely to escalate given the prevalent weather conditions. 

“We need to take necessary action before the outbreak of dengue intensifies once more. It’s a grave public health concern and an issue that needs serious measures of control. Whilst supporting the immediate needs bycarrying out preventive measures we also have to look at solutions that work in the long term. As a corporate entity that has been part of this country for the last 125 years, we believe inproviding sustainable solutions to overcome issues faced by communities across the country and transforming their lives for the better,” commented Mark Prothero, CEO, HSBC Sri Lanka and Maldives. 

HSBC also joined hands with the Asia Pacific Alliance for Disaster Management (A-PAD)to assist school children from areas worst affected by floods and landslides that devastated the country at the start of the southwestern monsoon season. With the support of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Disaster Management, seven schools in Ratnapura and Matara districts were identified. 

Given the poverty that is evident in the areas and the added financial constraints forced upon the communities due to the loss of property and livelihood through floods, it was beyond the parents or the schools to provide supplementary study material and daily school needs. Under the relief project HSBC provided the schools with educational equipment ranging from musical instruments to sporting equipment to library books;and the students were given school kits with their essential school items. The provisions reached over 15,000 direct and indirect beneficiaries. 

A token ceremony of distributing school equipment and educational essentials were held at the Dehigaspa Dudley Senanayake Vidyalaya in Pitabaddara where eight out of 11 school buildings were completely flooded and inaccessible with the common facilities such as the library,science and computer labs, music and home science roomsgoing completely under waterand irrevocably damaged. 500 of the 1,500 students in the schoolwere severely affected by the floods.

The Principal of Dehigaspa Dudley Senanayake Vidyalaya shared his sentiments on A-PAD and HSBC stepping forward to help the children get back to school, “In my opinion, at this given moment and given the current circumstances, the contribution we received today is primary to ensure these children do not suffer any further consequences. The school has children sitting for the Year 5 Scholarship examination, Ordinary Level and Advanced Level examinations this year. We have no power to reschedule these. Therefore, right now, the crying need is to reopen the school, provide the facilities and essential items to get the children and teachers back into their routine schoolwork. Thankfully, that is what we received today. The contribution you made today doesn’t just enhance their education but also uplifts their spirits by providing them the assurance that they are not alone.”