The New Nation - Internet Edition

BUSINESS REPORT

The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) Limited recently donated US$100,000 (Taka 69 lakh) to SOS Children's Village in Bangladesh for helping the unprivileged children. This is the largest donation made by the HSBC Group in Bangladesh in the aid of providing education to the unprivileged children.

SOS Children's Village is a non-governmental social development organisation that has been working to meet the needs and protect the interests and rights of children for 59 years.

A total of 2,313 beneficiaries in the areas Rajshahi, Chittagong, Bogra and Khulna will be benefited through the SOS programme.

HSBC made this contribution under their Future First initiative. Future First is HSBC's global 5-year programme (2007-2012) for helping street children, children in need of care and orphans in countries where children are a major part of the country's population.

As part of the programme, HSBC will collaborate with local charitable organisations to positively intervene in the lives of children and to deliver a lasting and positive beneficial

impact. The aim of Future First is to support projects that make efforts to mainstream a maximum number of children through imparting education and life skills so that these children become productive assets in society.

HSBC Bangladesh has been working with various organizations in Bangladesh as part of its culture to give something back to the community, in which it operates in the areas of children's education, helping the disabled or needy, protecting and conserving the environment and promoting the local culture.

HSBC's initiatives in this regard have included both monetary and non-monetary support to various organizations and through HSBC's own initiatives including School of Hope, SEID Trust, The Book Group, Gulshan Literacy Programme, HSBC Environment Champions, HSBC Young Entrepreneur Awards and many others.