UkrSibbank Supports Charity Initiative of International Charity Foundation Likar.Infund: Reasonable Charity. Playgrounds for Ukrainian Orphanages

On the eve of Christmas season UkrSibbank BNP Paribas Group made a present to children by starting the construction of new playgrounds in eight orphanages. Supporting Likar.Infund initiative the bank does not simply make a short-lived New Year present of sweets or toys but gives the little ones the joy that will last for years.

“As the New Year is nearing each of us gets a lot of pleasant things to take care of: preparing presents for friends and relatives, buying a Christmas tree, seeing about our children enjoying the holiday as they are so anxious to open their presents on New Year's Eve. However, there are always some people who need our care and help more than our friends and relatives. And these are children first of all,” shared L³l³ya Zubàryevà, Director of Product Advertising and Brand Promotion Service of UkrSibbank BNP Paribas Group. “UkrSibbank BNP Paribas Group is the bank of positive changes. The bank will go on making children’s eyes shine with joy hoping that other sponsors will join the charity campaign as a smile of a child makes the world change for the better”.

“This year Likar.Infund International Charity Foundation launched Reasonable Charity initiative aiming at collecting funds for the construction of out-doors playgrounds at Ukrainian regional orphanages as well as improving the mechanism of raising sponsor investments by means of reallocation of corporate entertainment budgets for addressing acute social problems at the time of economic instability. This is a way to raise social responsibility of corporates,” added Olena Kostyukova, the President of Likar.Infund. “We know little of these children and business often shows its readiness to spend funds to buy sweets and stationery as New Year presents. These are onetime expenses which, in fact, do not prove the business to be socially responsible and use systematic problem tackling approach”.

“UkrSibbank was the first to join the initiative and we are glad that this spring more than 600 inmates of orphanages will get such a present and play outdoors charging with positive emotions and receiving care they are so desperate for. We hope that more benefactors will follow our lead and join in as we still have at least 8 orphanages to provide with new playgrounds,” said Larysa Slyunchenko, coordinator of the initiative and Managing Director of Likar.Infund.

Darya Nepochatova, project manager of Ukrainian Benefactors Forum, spoke on her view of the problem and development prospects of the initiative – “In September 2007 seven Russian companies launched Charity Instead of Branded Presents campaign announcing their decision to direct their budgets for charity. As a result, during the first three months more than 90 companies took up the initiative. More than 2 million dollars were raised to fund 70 charitable projects in Russia. Since then the initiative has been constantly developing and breaking its own records in terms of volumes of the assistance provided”.

The Ukrainian Benefactors Forum does appreciate that this kind of initiative has reached our country and that there is already the first swallow – UkrSibbank to have reallocated a part of its branded presents budget to Likar.Infund in order to refurbish playgrounds at orphanages.

Reference:

JSC “UkrSibbank” (www.ukrsibbank.com) was registered on June 18, 1990. The Bank has a full NBU license on banking No. 75 of December 24, 2001. As of 01.11.2009: net assets – UAH 47.7 bln, capital – UAH 7.2 bln, loan and investment portfolio makes up UAH 39.4 bln, corporate customers’ funds – UAH 6.5 bln, individuals’ funds – UAH 9.2 bln. Regional network currently amounts to more than 800 branches and outlets throughout Ukraine. 81.42% of shares of JSCIB “UkrSibbank” are held by BNP Paribas.

About BNP Paribas

BNP Paribas (www.bnpparibas.com) is one of the 6 strongest banks in the world according to Standard & Poor's*. With a presence in 85 countries and more than 205,000 employees, 165,200 of which in Europe, BNP Paribas is a global-scale European leader in financial services. It holds key positions in its three activities: Retail banking, Investment Solutions and Corporate & Investment Banking. The Group benefits from its four domestic markets: Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg. BNP Paribas also has a significant presence in the United States and strong positions in Asia and the emerging markets.

Likar.Infund initiative coordinator

Larysa Slyunchenko, Managing Director

0672099756 chief@likarinfund.org

About the foundation:

Since 2002 Likar.Infund voluntary team has been engaged in providing social and medical aid to children from vulnerable segments of the population. Our foundation is a union of parents wishing to help children at orphanages and abandoned infants at hospitals, provide target assistance to sick children whose parents cannot afford the treatment. Another important activity of the foundation involves educational promotion of healthy lifestyle, protection and exercise of civil rights in healthcare in cooperation with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. The foundation operates nationwide covering 33 orphanages and 14 hospitals nursing abandoned children.