HSBC Kita on Disaster Relief

Flood as resulted from heavy rain on February 2 until 5 has made it the worst flood since 2002. It has deluged various residential areas, several business districts and paralyzed the capital city of Jakarta and surrounding cities in Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi.

To help the people affected by floods, HSBC Kita organizes HSBC Kita Flood Relief Programme, which calls for actions to donate food, drinks and medicines, which are greatly needed by the victims. Our assistance will be channeled through several points, such as POSKO TNI AL KODAMAR, Kelapa Gading, Dana Kemanusiaan Kompas (DKK) and South Jakarta Mayor Office.

1st donation dropping
On February 10, 2007, more than 50 volunteers, including HSBC Indonesia Staff, former CEO, Richard McHowat and wife, Ute McHowat as well as public figure Rima Melati handed over the donation to flood victims at West Kelapa Gading area.

More than 50 volunteers, including former CEO Richard McHowat and wife, Ute McHowat as well as public figure Rima Melati handed over the donation to flood victims at West Kelapa Gading area . In response to the severe floods in Jakarta this past week, HSBC Kita is urged on to helping those in need at such a time of crisis. Through 'HSBC Kita Flood Relief Programme', all HSBC's staffs contributed in providing various donations, e.g. food, drinks, medicines, clothes, etc.

2nd donation dropping
By February 20, 2007 we have collected more than 44 cartons of instant noodle, 30 cartons of mineral water, 22 cartons of biscuits/crackers, 13 cartons of milk and baby foods, 9 cartons of soap and detergent, 6 cartons of sanitary napkins, generic medicines, cleaning equipments, 50 KG of rice, and more than 1,000 pieces of clothes, with total amount gathered through HSBC Kita Flood Relief Programme account have reached IDR 25,539,000.

HSBC through General Public Affairs and Human Resources have done another donation dropping. The First was done on February 19, 2007 to Dana Kemanusian KOMPAS (DKK) at their POSKO Banjir at Jl. Abdul Muis No. 48, Tanah Abang, which latter on will be distributed to several areas across Jakarta. The second dropping was done with coordination with WALIKOTA Jakarta Selatan, through Dinas Tenaga Kerja dan Transmigrasi Jakarta Selatan.

A House for Tembi

Eleven years ago Tembi was the picture of a typical Javanese village. Located in the heart of the Bantul regency, 8.5 km from the centre of Yogyakarta, it, like many of its neighbours, was inhabited by simple, charming people, deriving small but insufficient incomes from agricultural pursuits.

With unpaved streets, houses in dire need of repair, and families struggling to obtain day-to-day basics or provide education for the young, it seemed there were few assets which could ensure any degree of improvement in the living standards of those who lived there.

What Warwick Purser saw, however, was the village's incredible creative ability and skilled craftmanship. Throughout Indonesia the business of handcrafted products provides employment for hundreds of thousands of people, with Yogyakarta, Java's cultural capital, often acknowledged as the "centre" of the industry. Purser recognized an incredible opportunity for a business enterprise and a rural community to work together for their mutual benefit, and established his company, Out Of Asia. By revitalizing and properly utilizing the villagers inherent skills and amazing materials, the inhabitants of Tembi began to experience full-time employment opportunities and consequently improvements in their standard of living.

In a period of five years Tembi changed from a somewhat derelict village with few job opportunities, to a bustling centre of handicraft production. Workshops are a hive of activity, where beautiful local materials are worked with skilled hands into goods to be exported around the globe. The advantages gleaned from these activities are palpable everywhere; from newly paved roads and restored houses, to a clinic, library, fitness centre and children’s playground.

Out of Asia now employs over 1,000 of Tembi’s inhabitants as day-rate workers, whilst a foundation funded by the company provides education for 140 children, and assistance with daily living needs is afforded to almost 40 families unable to support themselves.

Out Of Asia in turn grew to become one of South East Asia’s largest exporters of handcrafted products, employing almost 10,000 Indonesian craftspeople, designing and producing merchandise for well-known retailers worldwide, including Target, Macys, Habitat, Crate & Barrel, Harrods and Marks & Spencer.

Tembi has shared its success and knowledge with others outside of its own community. A centre designed to train craftspeople from disaster stricken areas such as Aceh and Nias was established in 2005 with the aim of getting up workshops in Sumatra to create much needed employment and use local skills and materials. Tembi was soon to become the location for an international design centre , to be developed in conjunction with Goldsmith’s London University. With the intention to provide a venue for international design experts to impart their skills and knowledge to young local talent, it was hoped to broaden and improve on the standard of Indonesia’s handicraft trade. The Indonesian Government has recognized Tembi as a role model for rural community development in the country, and prominent magazines such as TIME have profiled the village and its work.

Aceh Disaster Relief

The effects of the tsunami disaster that devastated Aceh in December 2004 have been catastrophic. In the immediate aftermath of the tidal waves, HSBC was one of the first banks to respond, pledging US$1 million to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies through the Hong Kong Bank Foundation. Following this, HSBC set aside an additional US$1 million to match staff donations across the world towards relief and reconstruction in the countries immediately affected by the tsunamis.

HSBC staff around the world took an active role in helping the rehabilitation effort, and donated everything from money, clothes and food to medicine. HSBC also donated 6 ships to transports aid to Ach’s secluded area and to Aceh’s fishing community.

HSBC Indonesia and its staff have been actively involved in helping the devastated community of Aceh rebuild their lives, through various relief projects centred mainly around education and health.

With the support from the Minister of Marine Affairs & Fisheries as well as the Minister of Health. HSBC Indonesia donated USD 500,000 towards the building of a Medical Care Clinic for tsunami victims in Calang, a fishing community struggling to rebuild its shattered infrastructure, that saw its population decimated from 14,000 to just 3,000 following the disaster. former CEO of HSBC Indonesia Richard McHowat said, “The clinic is an absolutely essential facility. Before it opened, the town was almost completely deserted and there was only basic tented healthcare available for the local people.”

The mobile clinic was already tending to up to 100 patients a day after opening; complete with generator and water purifier, the new clinic is air conditioned and has an emergency room, laboratory, dispensary, and accommodation for up to 12 staff. In addition to aiding in the construction of the clinic, HSBC also provided a three months supply of medicine, and oraganised for the training of nurses prior to the handing over of the clinic to the Ministry of Health. Ibu Siti Fadilah Supari, Indonesia’s Minister of Health said, “This must set the standard for future clinics in that we need to build in remote parts of Indonesia. I am grateful to HSBC for taking the risk to build something of this quality, and put it in one of the most inaccessible places in Aceh.

HSBC Kita also organised longer-term reconstruction projects, such as the Staff Volunteer Program. HSBC employees, with involvement from The Save Aceh Foundation, helped to reconstruct a local school, and rebuild an elementary school facility in Lamprit, Banda Aceh.