Standard Chartered supports Smile Foundation with 25,000 N95 face masks

In support of South Africa's response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Standard Chartered has donated 25,000 N95 face masks to the Smile Foundation to help ensure the health and safety of frontline and healthcare workers. Worth around R4m, the masks will go to hospitals in the four provinces most impacted by Covid-19, namely the Western Cape, Gauteng, the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

17 Jul 2020

L-R: Daniel Harrisberg, co-founder, CoronaCare; Marc Lubner, co-founder and executive chairperson, Smile Foundation; Kweku Bedu-Addo, CEO South Africa and Southern Africa, Standard Chartered; Hedley Lewis CEO, Smile Foundation

“We recognise that communities in South Africa and around the world need all the support that can be garnered to fight this pandemic. We also acknowledge the impressive effort and sacrifice that healthcare professionals have put into the fight against the coronavirus so far and will continue to do into the future,” says Kweku Bedu-Addo, CEO Standard Chartered South Africa and Southern Africa.

Various organisations are facing challenges surrounding the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect healthcare workers who are on the forefront fighting the pandemic.

L-R: Marc Lubner, co-founder and executive chairperson, Smile Foundation; Kweku Bedu-Addo, CEO South Africa and Southern Africa, Standard Chartered

Smile Foundation CEO Hedley Lewis says, “We are honoured to partner with Standard Chartered Bank to protect and support the medical heroes and heroines on the frontline. With immense gratitude, we thank them on behalf of all of the doctors, nurses and medical personnel who are supporting South Africans while risking their own lives to overcome this pandemic. This collaboration is a true private/public partnership made possible because of the CoronaCare Cause, which is fundraising to support the vulnerable in our communities.”