“Ride for Sight” raising funds for Seeing is Believing programme.
Standard Chartered Bank flagged off its 300-km “Ride for Sight” challenge on May 16 to raise funds for Seeing is Believing (SiB), the bank’s global charitable initiative to tackle avoidable blindness and visual impairment by improving access to affordable and quality eye care. This is part of a series of activities launched by the bank in its footprint markets to celebrate the 15th anniversary of SiB.
The start at the historic site of Nghenh Luong Dinh saw 27 Standard Chartered staff from Vietnam and across Asean and South Asia, supported by a crew of Vietnamese colleagues, set off to cycle from Hue through Lang Co to Hai Van Pass and then Hoi An before finishing at Da Nang on May 18. The three-day challenge seeks to raise at least $60,000 for the programme, including the bank’s matching funds. Riders will also support eye doctors at the Da Nang Eye Hospital in providing eye screening services for students at Nguyen Hue Secondary School in Da Nang on May 19.
“Standard Chartered’s brand promise is ‘Here for Good’ and we never settle for good enough in anything we do, including serving our clients and supporting communities,” said Nirukt Sapru, CEO Vietnam and Asean & South Asia Cluster Markets at Standard Chartered.
“The challenge our colleagues are undertaking is a vivid demonstration of that, which furthers our non-stop efforts to help tackle issues that may hinder sustainable social and economic development. This is important because we believe that the long-term success of our business depends on the health and prosperity of the communities in which we operate.”
SiB is a collaborative effort between Standard Chartered Bank, the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, and leading international eye health organisations. Since its inception in 2003, it has resulted in 163.5 million medical interventions, eye examinations, and eye health education and training programmes, trained 294,500 health workers in eye health, implemented 167 projects in 37 countries, and dispensed 1.1 million pairs of spectacles and low vision devices.
In Vietnam, Standard Chartered Bank has been actively working with partners to promote and support sight-restoration and eye-care programmes. Local SiB projects have provided eye screening services to more than 2.5 million Vietnamese, conducted more than 47,400 eye surgeries, and presented over 34,600 pairs of spectacles to people in need.
Three projects with $2.4 million in funding are currently being implemented in Vietnam, aimed at reaching more than 2.2 million people. They include the “Improving Vision to Empower Female Factory Workers in Vietnam” project in Da Nang and Quang Nam, the “Vietnam Child Eye Care” project in Hai Duong, Da Nang and Tien Giang, and “Sight for Children and Elderly People in the Mekong Delta”, conducted in Can Tho and Ca Mau.
http://vneconomictimes.com/article/society/riders-set-off-in-standard-chartered-bike-challenge
