Absa Bank has announced that they will contribute Ksh. 50 Million in the fight against Corona Virus. This is at a time when the virus has taken a toll on people’s lives not to mention the global economy.
A total of Ksh. 20 Million of the amount will be chanelled towards the Covid-19 Emergency Response Fund. This will go towards the acquisition of Personal Protective Equipment and other additional support for the health workers.
The remainder of Ksh. 30 Million will be directly invested in various initiatives specifically designed to help individuals and businesses get through the pandemic. This includes a psychosocial support programme through which the bank will provide a mental wellness care center for Covid-19 patients, health workers and care givers. This is due to the fact that there are increasing cases of psychological distress which is impacting the mental well being of affected Kenyans, This programme is expected to offer counselling services which will be available 24/7.
At the same time, the bank will be rolling out business resilience training and mentorship programmes for SMEs to help them survive this period. This will be implemented in partnership with various organisations and individuals and coordinated through the Covid-19 Emergency Response Fund.
The bank also announced that it has created a dedicated line of funding for businesses involved in the manufacturing of health equipment or offering products and services directly linked to the fight against the pandemic.
Absa Managing Director, Jeremy Awori, had this to say, “Kenyans are a resilient people, always finding ways to overcome challenges and we have no doubt that, though the current situation seems difficult, we shall prevail. As an organization that is committed to being a force of good, we shall continue to explore more opportunities to join hands with fellow Kenyans in order to surmount the Covid- 19 pandemic.”