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Sustainability

The Bank’s Sustainability approach to business ensures that it delivers benefits through its Economic, Environmental, Governance and Social contributions to the communities where staff live and work.

We believe that by running our operations well, standing by our clients and customers and investing in the communities where we operate, we can be a powerful force for good.

The Bank’s economic contribution to the economy of Sierra Leone has been the culmination of significant support in key sectors in the country such as trade.

Seeing is Believing (SiB)

Seeing is Believing (SiB) is our global programme to tackle avoidable blindness and visual impairment. The Bank joined the world to celebrate World Sight Day in October 2017, in partnership with our eye care consortium partners. Activities of the celebration included; a two-day free eye screening at the main branch & Head Office, for over 100 clients and staff.

  • Meanwhile, our Seeing is Believing USD1million Phase 5 Type 1 project is on-going in Sierra Leone. This project continues to be implemented by our eye care consortium partners, Sightsavers International, Helen Keller International & Christofel Blinden Mission (CBM). This project seeks to improve the overall eye health care and is dubbed “Comprehensive Eye Care in Sierra Leone”. Our US$1Million project will contribute to the reduction in avoidable blindness and vision impairment, targeting over 2.3million of the 6.5million people over the four year project duration 2012 – 2016.

The partners continued with the project objectives in 2016 which should have been the final year to end the 4 year duration. However due to the ban on project activities during the Ebola period, the partners requested an extension of the project life span to ensure 2.3million of the Sierra Leone population were impacted. Subsequently, an extension was granted to August 2017, followed by an additional funding to the implementing partners who will continue with implementation until H1 2018.

Launch of the Second Edition of Sierra Leone: An Investor’s Guide

The second edition of Sierra Leone: An Investor’s Guide was launched at a cocktail ceremony, following the first ever Commercial Law Summit held in Sierra Leone, to map out commercial law reforms to promote business growth and the country’s ongoing economic development. The guide, created by Herbert Smith Freehills, Standard Chartered Bank and Prudential, aims to improve investor confidence in Sierra Leone following the Ebola crisis by presenting an independent, private sector perspective on the country’s investment landscape‎.

For the first time, the guide will be made available online in the form of a mobile-responsive microsite, increasing ease of access for those who are interested in deploying capital in West Africa. Herbert McLeod, Chairman of the Board, delivered a statement on behalf of the Bank, at the event which received maximum media leverage. The launch of the microsite of the Sierra Leone: An Investor’s Guide continues to reinforce our ‘Here for good’ brand promise in Sierra Leone.

Queen’s Baton 2018 XXI Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast City- Australia

The Bank participated in Sierra Leone’s hosting of the Queen’s Baton Relay 2018, in March 2017 and the Executive Committee (EXCO) team members represented the Bank to host the baton at our Lightfoot Boston Street main branch and Head Quarter. As the greatest tradition of the Commonwealth Games, the Queen’s Baton Relay symbolizes the harmony and shared ideals of the Commonwealth of National and provides a unique opportunity for the entire Commonwealth to share the excitement of the XXI Commonwealth Games in 2018 in Australia.

SCB Sierra Leone was been identified as one of the esteemed institutions to host the baton in Sierra Leone. Idrissa Kamara, Chief Executive Officer delivered a statement on behalf of the Bank, whilst the EXCO members held a relay at the foyer of the bank, with the baton.

Positive Living (Our Support to fight HIV/AIDS

Over 30,000 people have benefited on HIV/AIDS Education, through our ‘Positive Living’ training platform including customer’s staff, SCB staff and students, since 2009.

The Bank sponsored the annual fund raising dinner of the Business Coalition Against AIDS in Sierra Leone (BCAASL) whilst also joining the nation to celebrate World AIDS Day on 1st December 2016. The Makeni Branch staff represented the Bank at the National celebrations held in Makeni, whilst a cross-section of the HIV Champions team of the Bank educated about 150 HIV positive children – People Living with the Virus (PLwV) on the Bank’s Living with HIV education tools in Freetown. This event was organised by the National Aids Secretariat Children’s Response Programme. Standard Chartered Bank Sierra Leone also joined the world to celebrate World AIDS Day in December 2017

Ebola

To reinforce our commitment of being a force-for-good; for the progress of this country and for our commitment to the people of Sierra Leone through good and tough times, Standard Chartered Bank donated the sum of GBP20k (SLL150million) to the government in 2014 to help in the fight against Ebola, in early January 2015.

The Bank has also sponsored the production and airing of the Standard Chartered Ebola Radio Soap Opera Series 1 & 2, produced by Premier Media Group as further support to complement the Government’s effort in the fight against Ebola, by embedding key messages of Ebola on 48 Radio Stations Nationwide January – June 2015.

Standard Chartered Bank Sierra Leone also provided a $50million working capital facility under a risk sharing arrangement with CDC Group PLC (a UK Group Agency) for corporate names in Sierra Leone that were adversely impacted by the Ebola epidemic. The facility was for a tenor of 12 months. US$12.9million was drawn on the facility and targeted clients fully paid down on the exposure. On the back of this, the Bank also launched a second phase of the facility, of US$60million credit to clients. Exchange control approval was received from the Central Bank for US$32million and disbursement has effected.

Employee Volunteering

Our sustainability as a business is closely intertwined with the health and prosperity of the communities where we operate. Through employee volunteering and community programmes, we work with partners to deliver initiatives that promote positive social and economic outcomes for people in our markets.

We actively encourage our staff to volunteer their time and core skills to benefit their local communities. Each staff member is entitled to three days of paid volunteering leave per year.

In October 2016, staff of the Bank volunteered in the Freetown community, under our Seeing is Believing platform, on a free eye screening programme, whilst also joining the 20km’ Walk for Life’, to raise awareness on Breast Cancer.

On the 6th May, 2017, over 30 staff of the Bank volunteered where Property Led EV to ‘Follow the Sun’ by weeding the 500 trees planted in 2015, at the National Forest Reserve Charlotte.

Standard Chartered Sierra Leone staff also volunteered in the free eye screening for walk-in-clients in celebration of World Sight Day in October 2017.

Diversity & Inclusion

International Women’s Day Celebration

The Bank joined the world to celebrate International Women’s Day 2017 on the theme #BeBoldforChange and organised a pan-bank event sponsored by Global Banking in partnership with the Diversity & Inclusion Council.

Key highlights of the Day included;

Wear Pink Day – All staff across all branches wore pink/a touch of pink

  • Breast cancer screening for over 80 ladies of the Bank and female walk-in clients/ vendors

Global Banking Video

Women in Leadership awarded to 3 female staff of Global Banking Sierra Leone

  • Guest speaker Presentation by the President of the Sierra Leone 50/50 Gender Group
  • Entertainment by the SCB Female Choir
  • Pan-Bank Sensitization on Breast Cancer

Head Global Banking Ibrahim J. Bah welcomed guest to the event and aired Global Banking key messages on gender empowerment and pledge.

The successful event was highly interactive and received maximum electronic media leverage (Star TV) climaxing with a hot seat activity regarding sound bites interviewing of our 3 female Global Banking awardees Victoria Amara, Sydnella Bob-Williams and Thelma Godwin) on sharing best practice of successes with other female and male staff.

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