BNP Paribas in Switzerland supportive to face Covid-19 crisis
These last few weeks, the bank has put in place a series of solidarity actions in favour of people in precarious situations, of youth suffering from digital divide, of hospitals and medical staff, as well as of the local small businesses.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the BNP Paribas Group as a whole has mobilized to contribute in helping the people and institutions the most affected and exposed to this sanitary crisis. This global emergency plan represents a total amount of more than 50 million euros, structured locally – in many of the countries where the Group is present – around concrete and local actions focused on three main targets: hospitals, fragile populations and youth.
We also endeavor to support our most isolated beneficiaries through regular phone calls, and to help our most precarious or needy with food or rent.”
Benjamin Lachat
Donations made by employees
Donations made by employees, and largely completed by a corporate donation from the bank, enabled to support the Red Cross entities in Geneva, Zurich and Lugano up to more than 60’000 CHF. Since the beginning of the sanitary crisis, the Red Cross reorganized its activities to help people who are the most isolated and “at risk” during the epidemic, as well as those in precarious situations
« Loyal to its local mission of helping people in need, the Geneva Red Cross has reorganized its activities since the beginning of the pandemic in Switzerland. We have started a service destined to support people who are at risk and confined at home by offering various services like delivering groceries or walking their pets. We also endeavor to support our most isolated beneficiaries through regular phone calls, and to help our most precarious or needy with food or rent. Such actions are possible thanks to our hundreds of volunteers and the support of our generous patrons, whom we thank deeply».
Benjamin Lachat, Fundraising officer, Geneva Red Cross
Financing two 3D printers
A corporate donation to the Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève (HUG) to finance two high-tech professional 3D printers, which will allow the production at high speed many and with great autonomy of different pieces meant to complement medical equipment, especially for medical staff protection and patients.
« These new printers help to support all current and future productions of the 3D print center at Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève. For the time being, fabricating the clip that upholds the elastic of masks significantly improves the comfort of the HUG teams and their patients. These two printers double the production capacity of these clips. In a second phase, they will contribute to innovations and research within the HUG by, for example, creating prototypes or anatomical models. »
Stéphane Hertig, Print Center Manager, Surgery department, HUG
Reduce the digital division
A corporate donation to the YOJOA –Youth Job Accelerator association, working in favour of the professional integration of young refugees in Geneva, to buy twenty laptops for the programme’s young beneficiaries who cannot follow their online courses.
« Quarantine measures have highlighted social inequalities regarding education in Geneva.
Young migrants are a part of the population which was isolated by this crisis because they do not have decent digital tools to access the online classes provided by public education.
The support of BNP Paribas has been essential to equip the Foyer de l’Etoile with laptops so that young migrants may take their courses and continue on their way to apprenticeship and employment»
Emmanuelle Werner, Director, YOJOA
Skill-based support
Our employees support SMEs in Geneva
Skills-based support from volunteer employees to help the small businesses in Geneva that are partners of réalise (an institution otherwise supported by the BNP Paribas Swiss Foundation for its “Opportunity” programme, aiming to promote equal opportunities for tomorrow’s jobs).
“Thanks to our values to engage and accompany change, our two companies have united their strengths in a solidarity plan dedicated to Geneva’s’ SMBs by offering réalise the expertise of BNP Paribas in Switzerland’s employees! After COVID-19, a world that changes through a transition to a sustainable economy!“
Cécile Marguerat, Public relations and Communication manager, Réalise
A hackathon to adapt and face post Covid-19 challenges
Skills-based support to the Canton of Geneva new “Crisis and resilience innovation Fund”, which seeks to collectively develop disruptive projects in response to the current and future economic challenges. The bank’s employees will thus have the opportunity to participate in the Geneva Resilience Hack, from June 12 to 14th.
