Standard Chartered Invests N38m for Safe Return to School

By Ahmed Rahma

Not less than N38 million is being invested to ensure that children in public schools learn under a safe environment at a time the world is battling the COVID-19 pandemic.

The fund is coming from Standard Chartered Bank (Nigeria) and is used to procure hygiene packs, face mask, hand sanitizers and carry out health awareness communications under its recently launched Safe Return to School Initiative.

The scheme is aimed at preventing students from contracting the virus and to help them return to school safely.

The initiative was launched on November 30, 2020, in response to the identified health and hygiene needs in some public schools where the bank currently runs life development intervention programs including Goal for young girls in Lagos.

The Head of Corporate Affairs, Brand and Marketing of Standard Chartered Bank of Nigeria, Dayo Aderugbo, while speaking on the launch of the second edition, stated that, “It is with great pleasure that we launch the Safe Return to School Initiative (SRTSI) today.”

“We are investing over NGN 38,000,000 in hygiene packs, face mask, sanitisers, health awareness communications including safe distancing floor markers and hand wash points across some of the various locations where we currently run the Goal program.

“For over 10 years, the Goal program in Nigeria has combined sports with life, vocational and financial skills training to empower girls with the resources they need to be integral economic leaders in their families and communities.

“We are optimistic about the impact this initiative will have in ensuring fewer exposures of the COVID19 virus to the students, their teachers and by extension their families especially those in the rural communities.

“This initiative builds on the Bank’s track record of supporting adolescent girls, employable youths and women through various financing and capacity building initiative and serves as one of the ways we remain here for good in our communities,” he said.

“Enhancing positive sustained behaviour change right down to the community level is the key to winning the fight against COVID19,” Executive Secretary of Youth Empowerment Foundation (YEF), Iwalola Akin-Jimoh, added.

He said a safe return to school can only be guaranteed when all recommended protocols by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) are adhered to.