People displaced within their country's borders as a result of armed conflict created by a violent separatist organization form part of the affected civilian population scattered here and there where they are compelled to travel long distances….. often on foot, seeking safe refuge away from the fighting….where families are dispersed, children losing contact with parents in the chaos of flight, elderly relatives too weak to undertake such an arduous journey left behind to fend for themselves and all most at the mercy of elements. Internally Displaced Persons (IDP's) as such need to be protected, even by this Bank under the mandate assigned to it by the people … who love them passionately for what they stand for in their lives.
Taking stock of IDP valuables for safe
custody at the Peoples Bank Mobile Unit. |
Q: How did Peoples Bank get involved in this benevolent task of bringing back peace and prosperity for a once proud and peace loving folk in the North and East…?
A: We at Peoples Bank found that we need to be more involved in these peoples lives when we used to help them find FREE medical attention and assistance from Peoples Bank Head Office in Colombo through ICRC - using our service centers in Northern Province said P V Pathirana, GM/CEO of Peoples Bank to the media.
The Doctors treating IDP's said that instead of making complex arrangements in bringing seriously ill patients to Colombo for urgent medical treatment by Peoples Bank, the much needed medical attention could be provided by these doctors if Peoples Bank could provide them with basic medicines like panadol and medical equipment as thermometers and bandage, which we supplied generously in ample quantities. The doctors also made us aware of an acute shortage of new clothes, bottled water, food, dry rations, kitchen utensils and kerosene oil stoves to prepare food by IDP's and decided that this was the hour of reckoning for us to care for those in need said N. Vasantha Kumar, Senior Deputy General Manager, Treasury.
Q: So this was the beginning of this mammoth human suffering alleviation programme by the Peoples bank..?
A: Yes and the bank on evaluating information from our branches in the conflict zone and with the details provided by doctors - we at first formulated a plan to collect "what was needed." The kitchen utensils we purchased from reputed dealers went through a stringent quality test at the Medical Research Institute at Borella as we had to assure ourselves that the "care" we provided didn't harm them in any way but made their lives more comfortable. New sarongs, shirts, sarees and frocks in boxes were bought from recognized garment industries that were certified as hygienic by the Ceylon Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research (CISIR) now known as Industrial Technology Institute (ITI), continued the CEO.
A thoughtful gesture - Furniture for the relief coordinating office being handed over to coordinating officers - Brig. Galgamuwa and the Polonnaruwa GA by Mr. P.V. Pathirana - CEO/GM of People's Bank and the team. |
Q: What was the next step of this unique Corporate Social Responsibility Programme of the Peoples Bank..?
A: The next step was to formulate an Action Committee by our Chairman Mr. W. Karunajeewa comprised of the GM/CEO of Peoples bank, Head of Marketing & Public Affairs, Senior Deputy General Manager (Treasury and Investment), Zonal Assistant General Manager (Western I) President of the Ceylon Bank Employees Union (PB Branch) and Representatives from PB Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Ratnapura, Kalutara, Kurunegala and from the Peoples Bank Officers Association to distribute Peoples Bank Donation to the IDP's in Wanni.
Q: Once the Action Committee was formulated - what happened next…?
A: Peoples Bank Aid that included thousands of specially packed Gift Bags each consisting of 01 saucepan set, 03 plates, 02 cups, 02 tablespoons, 01, children's milk bottle and 02 teats, 01 bottle of balm, 03 tooth brushes, 02 cakes of soap, 01 packet of Lakspray, 01 packet of sanitary towels, 01 tube of toothpaste, one 5 liter plastic bottle with another huge consignment of Jeewani and Paracetamol tablets were loaded into a convoy of 6 Lorries that let for Medawachchiya recently with us closely following the convoy, added the CEO.
Q: Where and how did you disburse the donation..?
A: When we arrived at the Chettikulam transitional relief village we were warmly welcomed by Brigadier Galgamuwa and the Polonnaruwa GA as Coordinating Officer of the Camp who thanked us profusely for stepping forward as a state bank … setting an example for like minded institutions to relieve the suffering of those in the Chettikulam relief village as a "Token of Love." The Brigadier and the GA were simply amazed … seeing furniture being unloaded from the lorries for the Relief Coordinating Office, a thoughtful gesture by the bank - to make life easy … even for supportive staff, emphasized the CEO.
Q: Other than corporal property what else did you distribute in the relief village ?
A: All of us personally visited each and every tent and served some hygienically and nutritiously prepared food to each man, woman, child, elderly, the sick and the feeble. We saw tears of gratitude seeping down their sad and lonely faces at the display of Love and Care they longed for so much, coming from our staff… serving them gently.
Q: What else did you do for them other than showering your love and care for them with food and donations…?
A: After speaking to them we felt that they were keen on having Peoples Bank close to them as some kind of benevolent guardian, so we immediately put up a make-shift Mobile Unit under a Veera Tree and we found to our utter surprise, a few volunteers coming forward to lend a hand in its operations from amongst the IDP's. These of course, were some loyal customers who had become IDP's due to a twist of fate.
Women specially having darkened gold necklaces around their necks with two thousand rupee notes crumpled and on the verge of disintegration due to prolonged contamination with water…cried in agony wanting a safe haven for their only worldly possession that could become strength once they were able to return home.
Q: How did you help them in safe keeping their valuables…?
A: We at once put their minds at ease with a Safe Custodian Service especially for IDP's. We first weighed their gold necklaces, rings or gold in any other form in their presence and issued them with a receipt for the gold in safe custody with the Peoples Bank. In addition we are contemplating in opening more new service centers in conflict areas to benefit the IDP's.
Q: Other than these short term relief measures, what other projects do you have in mind for the IDP's…?
A: We have plans for a medium term project of providing shelter for a considerable number of IDP's at an investment of 25 million by way of transitional houses. In the long term we plan to make them proud and prosperous again as they were famed of in the yester years. The land is rich in soil with perennial irrigation supported by a string of ancient tanks and with PB's support peoples will rise again …re-start their lives and take their place in the main stream as prosperous paddy farmers, onion and chillie cultivators, fruit growers and dairy farmers.
Q: How could you transform their lives..?
A: Simply by enriching their lives with our might and means (Loans as Extended Credit Scheme and Cultivation Loans). The Extended Credit Scheme helps the farmer with an adequate supply of money for living until harvest and the cultivation loan helps him in having cash for land preparation, irrigation, high-yielding seeds, fertilizer, chemicals and harvesting said the CEO concluding the interview.
Another unique service according to T K Ananda Rajah, Assistant General Manager - Northern Zone is the provision of foreign exchange to IDP's from loved ones abroad from Western Union Money Transfer through Peoples Bank. We visit IDP Camps in the North every day to find out how we could help them keep anxiety at bay, he says.
|
E-mail