Here for Good

With the intention of empowering disadvantaged young women in the country, we launched the next iteration of Goal, the Goal Accelerator, a three-year employability project, dubbed ‘Sashreeka’ in collaboration with SERVE, the local implementing partner and Women Win, a global multi-dimensional women’s fund.

Funded by a USD600,000 donation from the Standard Chartered Foundation, the ‘Sashreeka’ project aims to benefit 450 young women, aged 18-35 years, from low socio-economic backgrounds living in the Colombo, Gampaha, and Kalutara districts. The initiative is designed to be inclusive, with 10% of the total target being young women who are differently abled. Click here to read more.

We successfully empowered 15,000 young women and girls from underserved communities in Sri Lanka.

The transformative Goal Girl Empowerment Project is part of Futuremakers by Standard Chartered (Futuremakers), the Bank’s global initiative to tackle inequality by promoting economic inclusion for disadvantaged young people across its markets, including those affected by COVID-19

Launched in 2017 with funding from the Standard Chartered Foundation the programme was delivered by Women Win and SERVE, a Sri Lankan social work-based NGO. Goal was designed for adolescent girls aged 12 – 18 years from disadvantaged communities with the aim of harnessing the power of sports and life-skills education to tackle gender inequity and promote economic inclusion. Click here to read more.

We collaborated with global multi-dimensional women’s fund, Women Win, through their NGO partner in Sri Lanka, SERVE, to launch ‘Shaktheen’ – a women empowerment programme aimed to revive the livelihoods of working women in Sri Lanka. A donation of $209,158 from the Standard Chartered Foundation funded the programme over a 24-month period and directly benefited 500 women who operate in the informal sector to overcome the strains caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Click here to read more.

We entered into a two-year partnership with SOS Children’s Villages Sri Lanka upon identifying the urgent need to reskill the youth of the country, especially amidst the challenges posed by the global pandemic. 350 youth from vulnerable backgrounds were reskilled through the initiative, empowering them to face the future with relevant skills, whilst eliminating the possibility of these youngsters being exposed to socio-economic challenges.

Over the 2-year partnership, SOS Children’s Villages Sri Lanka received a sum of USD 290,445 from the Standard Chartered Foundation which was utilised to strengthen employability and entrepreneurial skills of the youth. Click here to learn more.

Driving tangible community impact, we actively encourage our employees to prioritise volunteering and social engagement. The Bank promotes a culture of care by providing three days of paid volunteering leave per year and opportunities for employees to engage in volunteer activities of their choice. We deliver community programmes aimed at tackling inequality, supporting young people, and encouraging entrepreneurship. Employees are eligible to utilise up to three days as Employee Volunteering Leave, allowing colleagues to participate in volunteering at any capacity to empower the lives of various beneficiary groups. This year, we are proud to mark 20 years of Employee Volunteering at Standard Chartered. For two decades, colleagues across our markets have stepped forward with time, skills, passion and commitment to support communities where it matters most.

Standard Chartered Sri Lanka has consistently risen to the occasion in support of the nation during times of crisis, translating its purpose of being Here for good into tangible action across public health emergencies, economic hardship, and natural disaster relief.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bank demonstrated decisive and multifaceted support for Sri Lanka’s response and recovery. We contributed USD 500,000 (approx. LKR 92.5 million) to support emergency relief and partner with the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society on public health activities, including infection control, awareness campaigns, and procurement of around 13,000 test kits to improve national testing capacity.  In parallel, the Bank facilitated financing of USD 1 billion COVID commitment by extending working capital and loans to local manufacturers; for example, to support MAS Intimates and Brandix in producing surgical masks.

We also successfully financed the import of 4 million COVID-19 vaccine doses for the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation by facilitating a trade loan to the Bank of Ceylon and People’s Bank. The Bank also donated essential medical equipment worth over USD 116,500 (approximately LKR 23.6 million) to the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS) as a continuation of our commitment to support Sri Lanka’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

As Sri Lanka navigated the economic crisis, we maintained a supportive role for clients and communities with tailored relief and financial measures, helping businesses adapt and access capital when global and local conditions were most challenging. Our financing programmes focused on working capital and continuity for exporters and essential goods producers contributed to enabling ongoing economic activity during a period of contraction and uncertainty.

In late 2025, when Cyclone Ditwah struck Sri Lanka with unprecedented force triggering widespread flooding and infrastructure damage, affecting millions of people and overwhelming communities nationwide we once again stood with the country. In the immediate aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, our colleagues came together with remarkable speed, volunteering their time and energy to pack and distribute dry rations, medicines, and essential supplies to affected families and prepare meals at community kitchens.

Across these pivotal moments such as COVID-19, the economic downturn, and Cyclone Ditwah Standard Chartered Sri Lanka’s actions reflect an ongoing commitment to meaningful relief, resilience, and recovery, aligned to its purpose and partnerships across civil society, communities, clients, and national institutions.