Community

Standard Bank Group considers it a business imperative to support and help uplift the communities in which it operates. Its approach to corporate social investment includes involving employees of the group in activities.

As a member of Standard Bank Group, the people of Standard Bank in Mauritius proactively identify opportunities arising from key social needs when formulating our corporate social investment programmes, rather than just react to requests from charitable causes.

In Mauritius, we endeavour to establish long term partnerships with the most appropriate set of partners so that solutions can be co-created and the capabilities of these partners can be leveraged in implementing the development project.

With an aim to play a part in the broader community Standard Bank has also supported a number of events in the course of 2010 including the one of the leading golf tournaments on the island, The Standard Bank Mauritius Open.

Education of children with special needs

Our main drive is contributing towards the education of children with special needs. So far, we have started a number of projects that ensure our contribution makes a meaningful and sustainable difference to society.

The choice of projects was guided by the need to match resources available with the requirements of the identified target group.

Helping in the education of handicapped children.

We have worked in close collaboration with APEIM during the last months of 2010. The NGO is one of the most active in the education of disabled children in Mauritius and to date provides services to nearly 700 children. We have kicked off our programme with two projects.

Renovation of the St Luc School

The school is located in the Bigara, Curepipe area and provides for the education of 35 mentally handicapped children. During a site visit, members of our CSR committee noticed the deprived condition of the class rooms and amenities which have been completed in January 2011.  

Adapted furniture for the handicapped

APEIM runs 10 schools around the island. These establishments have been set up with limited funds and as a result are not always adequately equipped. The furniture for example is not appropriate for children in wheelchair. The bank has helped APEIM acquire new specially designed furniture. The 10 schools of APEIM will be fully equipped early 2011 thanks to the Standard Bank (Mauritius) CSR Programme.

Helping those who help themselves

The United Skilled Workers Cooperative Society Limited is a NGO with its head office right in the centre of Rose Hill. It groups about 70 families of handicapped individuals. Members of the cooperative used to earn a living on sub-contracts obtained from large textile firms when the industry was at its peak in Mauritius.

Now these families find themselves living off basic government pension for the disabled. Life is difficult for them as they find it very challenging to get even basic jobs as housekeepers in Mauritian households. When they met us at the Standard Bank, representatives of the NGO displayed exemplary simplicity and modesty and told us that whatever they get ‘they share and eat as a family.

Standard Bank funded them to offer a ‘corbeille menagere’ (grocery) to the member families during their end of year get together. The bank has already given 25 children of the NGO school supplies.