Yoma Bank Provided Humanitarian Support to Local Communities and Quarantine Centers in Hlaing Thar Yar as Part of the “We Care” CSR Initiative

Myanmar, Yangon – 06 November, 2020 – As part of the new “We Care” Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program, Yoma Bank donated care packages consisting of medical, healthcare and food supplies to Daing Su and Nyaung villages in Hlaing Thar Yar Township.

In conjunction with Yoma Strategic Holdings and Step-in Step-up, a non-profit association based in Yangon, the donation was targeted specifically to alleviate the impacts of COVID-19 in socioeconomic areas through resource supplementation. The donation yielded direct benefits to over 11,000 individuals, most of whom are hand-to-mouth workers.

As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves into an unprecedented public health challenge, the consequences have been devastating on both macro and microeconomic scale. This has led individuals and families with significant financial burden. The most majority of the working class in the area are employed on a day-by-day basis typically in factory or other manual labor-intensive industries. The recent shut down of factories have severely affected their financial capabilities.

To support those in need, we distributed care packages, which included rice, non-perishable and canned foods, sanitizing agents and medical equipment. The donation will help vulnerable communities with basic daily needs that will ignite positive impact on their livelihood of the communities we serve. As the number of COVID-19 suspected and positive patients increase, most of the quarantine centers need supports from the community and other organizations. In addition, the Bank directly donated medical equipment and supplies to two quarantine centers located in Daing Su and Nyaung villages.

Mr. Dean Cleland, CEO of Yoma Bank said, “We are pleased to help our community, especially through unprecedented times like these. We have taken action to support those who are highly affected by this pandemic, especially daily wagers for their day-to-day necessities and livelihood. Through our “We Care” CSR Initiatives, Yoma Bank is committed to contributing to the communities to the best of our ability. Therefore, we are grateful to have donated required medical equipment to two of the three quarantine centers in Hlaing Thar Yar township, where Yoma Bank also operates.”

Jackie Appel, Founder and Head of Step-in Step-up said, “There is so much that we don’t know about Covid-19. What we do know is that the loss of jobs due to closure of business has been devastating to people with no safety nets and it will be here for longer than expected or hoped. Alleviating hunger for the people today is most important and we thank Yoma Bank, Yoma Strategic Holdings and individual donors for their support. Step-in Step-up will continue to raise funds and accept donations to continue to feed the hungry.”

The Bank is committed to uplifting the current standards by implementing positive impact initiatives such as financial inclusions, women empowerment, community development and environmental awareness.

Yoma Bank is accelerating its CSR initiatives this year and aiming to positively impact the community to build a better Myanmar together with its communities. In July 2020, Yoma Bank also donated 6,000 design your-own masks and school supplies for under-resourced students in Daing Su and Nyang Villages in Hlaing Thar Yar Township to support healthy and safe back to school preparation amid COVID-19.