FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JAKARTA , 19 July 2011 – In commemorating Indonesia’s National Children’s Day, Standard Chartered Bank Indonesia encouraged 60 drop out school and underprivileged children under the care of Yayasan Cinta Anak Bangsa (YCAB) to learn making batik dan pottery at Indonesian Textile Museum. As part of the Bank’s sustainability programme in community development, the activity conducted today was focused on empowering young generation from underprivileged family background with skill workshop.
By having collaboration with Yayasan Cinta Anak Bangsa and Textile Museum, around 60 children with the age ranging from 13 to 17 years old learnt to make batik and pottery, accompanied by a number of the Bank’s staff as volunteers. Batik is one of many Indonesian traditional textiles preserved as national heritage. Thus, these young fellows together with the staff learnt to get to know batik cloth and other traditional textile in a closer look as well as the making of batik as one of our nation’s cultural value.
Tom Aaker, CEO Standard Chartered Bank said, “Every year we celebrate National Children’s Day by conducting various events. And this year, we collaborate with Yayasan Cinta Anak Bangsa that embrace these underprivileged children and facilitate them with skills and knowledge. Both Standard Chartered and YCAB share the common mission, that is to build a better nation. And today, we start from the smallest scale by providing these future generation with practical skills in hoping that they would improve their creativity and grow independently.”
In his speech, Tom Aaker also stated that according to data from the United Nations, in the coming decade, there would be over one billion young women and men that seek for jobs. More than half will be in developing Asia. Therefore, it is critical to establish a partnership with the government, private sector, NGOs as well as the community to ensure that these young people will get a job, at whatever their level of education. The education in this case does not necessarily have to be in the formal system, but it is also important to pay attention on the non formal education that emphasize creativity and skill aspects.
”We are very pleased to have the collaboration with Standard Chartered Bank in commemorating Indonesia’s National Children’s Day. In parallel with this year’s theme ’Anak Indonesia, Sehat, Kreatif, dan Berahlak Mulia’, this kind of activity would help them improve their level of creativity,” said Founder and CEO Yayasan Cinta Anak Bangsa Veronica Colondam. She also added, ”Batik and pottery have a promising potential market. Thus, by providing these practical skills could help to boost home industry batik and pottery that in the long run would provide better economy income for them.” Having the tagline ”Enabling Youth, Developing Independence” positions YCAB as the organization that focused on youth development with the objective of making self-reliant Indonesian young generation through its three pillars: Healthy Lifestyle Promotion (HELP), House of Learning and Development (HOLD) dan Hands-on Operation for Entrepreneurship (HOPE).
Standard Chartered Bank and YCAB would carry on in doing similar activities to provide these young people with skills as their added values. Aside from making batik and pottery, they would be trained to make jewelries and accessories as well as equip them with English and microfinance workshops. By having these skills, they could use their creativity in making something useful to be the source of income.
For the next activities, the children would always be accompanied by Standard Chartered staff as part of the Bank’s volunteering programme. The programme demonstrates Standard Chartered Bank’s commitment ‘Here for good’ with long term mission to positively contribute to the community where the Bank operates.
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For further information please contact:
Sonitha Poernomo
Country Head of Corporate Affairs
Standard Chartered Bank
Tel: 021- 57999000 Fax: 021-5719625
CorporateAffairs_Indonesia@sc.com
Standard Chartered – leading the way in Asia, Africa and the Middle East
Standard Chartered PLC is a leading international bank, listed on the London, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China and Mumbai stock exchanges. It has operated for over 150 years in some of the world’s most dynamic markets and earns more than 90 per cent of its income and profits in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. This geographic focus and commitment to developing deep relationships with clients and customers has driven the Bank’s growth in recent years.
With 1,700 offices in 70 markets, Standard Chartered offers exciting and challenging international career opportunities for more than 80,000 staff. It is committed to building a sustainable business over the long term and is trusted worldwide for upholding high standards of corporate governance, social responsibility, environmental protection and employee diversity. The Bank’s heritage and values are expressed in its brand promise, ‘Here for good’.
As one of the oldest banks in Indonesia, Standard Chartered Bank has 148 years of operations dating back to 1863. With 26 branch offices in eight major cities in Indonesia including Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang, Surabaya, Denpasar, Medan, Palembang and Makassar and a network of over 23,000 shared ATMs, making the Bank as one of the international bank with widest geographical footprints in Indonesia. Standard Chartered also invested some shares in Permata Bank.
For more information on Standard Chartered, please visit www.standardchartered.co.id
About Yayasan Cinta Anak Bangsa
Yayasan Cinta Anak Bangsa is an independent non-profit organization in Indonesia that was established in August 1999 and became a global organization in 2011 through YCAB Foundation. YCAB Foundation is headquartered in New York and is registered as a non-profit organizations that already have the facility of tax reductions (tax deductions) through section 501 (c) (3).
YCAB Foundation aims to establish independence in adolescents with a comprehensive development approach through the Healthy Lifestyle Promotion (HELP), House of Learning and Development (HOLD), and Hands-on Operation for Entrepreneurship (HOPE).
For more information, please visit www.ycabfoundation.org
Linda Chalid
Development and Communications Division
YCAB Foundation
Tel: +62 21 5835 5000
Fax: +62 21 5835 5001