Community Investment (CI) activities should build on the Bank’s two CI priorities of health and education with youth as a cross- cutting theme. Through our health initiatives we seek to promote healthy and economically active communities. Under education, we seek to promote economic opportunity and financial inclusion. As and when required, we provide emergency response assistance to the countries where we operate.
Contributing to sustainable economic growth:
- SCB Côte D’Ivoire supports the Government and the country economy by investing in securities (T-Bills and Bonds).
- The Bank is involved in the financing of the soft commodity sector (coffee, cocoa, palm oil and cotton); and committed to provide financing to other strategic sectors of the economy such as telecoms, mining; and the energy sector including oil fields.
Moreover, our franchise focuses on providing knowledge and freedom to build a better future. Thus, in regards to Financial Literacy:
- In 2013, 4 young girls aged 15-18 benefited from a vocational traineeship on nail beauty, were set as role models to their younger sisters and brothers living in the orphanage and were assisted to develop an income generating activity.
- Standard Chartered Bank Côte d’Ivoire is a key partner of the Ministry of Health and HIV/aids in Côte D’Ivoire through the National Program on Preventing Onchocaercosis (ex National Programme for the prevention of blindness). Through the project of “Scaling up prevention of blindness” in partnership with NGO Christian Blind Mission, the Bank will implement her “Seeing is Believing” program for four years, in 4 geographic regions nationwide. The project will run for 4 years at a total cost of US$1.2million, involving 6 eye care services leading partners.
Being a responsible company: this theme focuses on how we operate our daily business, and to build relationships with our clients and customers; how we manage both our direct and indirect impact on the environment; and how we influence and empower our people and our suppliers to be Here for good.
Governance: Practicing high standards of corporate governance, underpinned by the right culture and behaviour. This is enabled by our strong sustainability management structure and risk management framework.
- Creating a working environment that attracts the right talents, embraces diversity, promotes inclusion and continually offers opportunities for our employees to develop personally and professionally is part of our Brand objectives.
- In 2013, the Bank has awarded 40 staffs for their loyalty after 5 to10 year’s service.
- In 2013, our Bank committed to creating a junior talent Pool in collaboration with the European Chamber of Commerce, on boarding 10 young students for an on the job training.
- We continuously stay focused on the importance of diversity and inclusion with 50% of our employees from 8 different nationalities and 40% of our senior managers being female staff.
Environment: Achievement of business ambitions while minimizing our footprint and direct impact on the environment through the continuous strengthening of key environmental measurements and waste reduction programmes.
- In 2013, our internal paper consumption initiative led by the Bank’s Technology & Operations Department resulted in a 9% decrease.
- 20 children aged 7 to 12 were trained in a friendly environment to become green soldiers and ambassadors towards their peers in underprivileged schools (training of trainers). The parcel belonging to the Botanical Garden of Bingerville and used for their training has been maintained for 2 consecutive years by the Bank.
Investing in communities: Demonstration of our commitment to the local communities through both our employees’ time contribution and the group’s strategic investment efforts.
Employee Volunteering: Empowering our staff to share their time, skills and experiences with the local communities where-ever we operate.
- For the third consecutive year, our staff has committed to donate blood to support the National Blood Center needs, in a social post-crisis period. This annual volunteered engagement form our staff has been recognized by the Banking Association which has proposed to showcase it as a Best Practice Sharing Experience, among the Banking and Financial Institutions community.
As a Group, as business divisions, as teams and as individuals, we can all make a tangible contribution to the delivery of our corporate responsibility for sustainable development.
