Addressing social issues may not be the strength for any financial institution, but what the South Korean-invested Shinhan Bank has been doing lately may promp ones to have a second thought. Just visit the bank’s website, and one will see that right after the overall introduction comes the page on the bank’s social programs, with scores of activities benefiting the community. It is no wonder social programs conducted by the bank are so diverse and far-reaching.
Environmental protection, education and support for the poor
In response to a call from the Prime Minister to plant one billion trees in the 2021-2025 period, Shinhan Bank Vietnam has decided to choose environment as its focus for community activities this year with a target to plant 1,200 trees. By October, the bank had planted nearly 1,100 trees.
In addition, the bank has held the Green Day on the last Wednesday of every month. On the day, Shinhan employees will clean the neighborhoods around its headquarters as well as 30 branches and trasanction offices.
Aware of sufferings endured by the people due to climate change, the bank has sought to ease their difficulties. In June last year, Shinhan provided clean water and food to more than 1,500 households in the Mekong Delta provinces of Long An, Tien Giang and Ben Tre affected by salinity droughts.
And in November last year, seeing huge lossess triggered by the historic floods and landslides in the Central Region, the bank cooperated with the Radio and Television Station of Quang Binh Province to hand over gift sets worth over VND500 million, donated by leaders and employees of Shinhan Bank, to residents in Le Thuy and Quang Ninh districts.
In its corporate social responsibility programs, support for students has also been given strong attention.
Considering the education development as a core value, Shinhan Bank has made considerable contributions to the sector in many localities in Vietnam by building schools, providing teaching tools and giving scholarships and bicycles to students.
The bank last year cooperated with the National Fund for Vietnamese Children to present neccesities and notebooks valued at VND100 million to 200 students in Thua Thien-Hue Province; blankets worth VND50 million to 100 children in Quang Binh Province; and necessities and backpacks worth VND150 million to 300 children in Danang City.
Most recently, the bank presented 219 bicycles worth VND380 million to poor students in HCMC’s Hoc Mon District, Dong Nai Province and Bac Ninh Province, strengthening their motivation in learning and shortening the journey to gain knowledge. After six years conducting this activity, the bank has given more than 800 bicycles to students.
Other activities benefiting the community include blood donation, regular cooking events at charity facilities to feed the underprivileged, and gifts for the poor and children on the occasions of the Full Moon Festival or Lunar New Year among others.
Donations to the fight against Covid-19
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the bank’s CSR activities have been strengthened.
Aware that the timely vaccine supply for the community is critical as the pandemic has been raging in all cities and provinces across the country, Shinhan Bank Vietnam has early this year donated VND6 billion to the national Covid-19 vaccine fund. Shinhan Bank wanted to join forces with the Vietnamese Government to increase funding for the purchase of Covid-19 vaccines with an aim to defeat the pandemic soon and stabilize the people’s livelihood, said a representative of the bank.
Earlier, in response to the call from the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee, in March last year, the bank also donated VND5 billion to support the fight against the pandemic.
In addition, with the spirit of “mutual affection, mutual love”, Shinhan supported 100 children affected by the pandemic in Hai Duong Province in March this year and 1,400 meals within seven days in June to residents in HCMC’s Go Vap District and Thanh Loc Ward, District 12, which were the largest pandemic hotspots in the city at the beginning of the fourth Covid-19 wave.
In addition, the bank presented over 300 gift sets and medical supplies, including medical face masks, gloves, protective suits and hand sanitizer, to medical workers and military officers in duty at quarantine facilities in Lang Son and Can Tho. Through these gift sets, Shinhan wanted to encourage the frontline forces in the tough fight.
Furthermore, to share the difficulties with farmers and agricultural export firms, in February last year, Shinhan Bank purchased more than 16.5 tons of watermelons and gave them to more than 3,300 employees at all branches and transaction offices of the bank.
As a financial institution, Shinhan Bank of course would not skip supporting its customers and partners. Since the beginning of the pandemic, it has deployed solutions to support and accompany enterprises and individuals affected by the impact of Covid-19 through incentive interest rates and transaction fee exemptions or reductions.
“Shinhan Bank’s mission is to bring about a better world through its financial power. The CSR spirit is integrated in its policies to reach this lofty mission,” said a leader of Shinhan Bank.
