Bank of Maldives (BML) has donated food packages to children in vulnerable families.

The country’s national bank revealed that they collaborated with Advocating the Rights of Children (ARC Maldives) to donate food packages to children in vulnerable families.

This was done to mark the World Humanitarian Day, celebrated on August 19.

BML revealed that the donation will support more than 100 vulnerable families across the congested capital of Maldives, Malé City.

BML expressed gratitude to ARC Maldives for supporting the initiative, via a Twitter post.

The bank revealed that they recognize the collective effort of those who aid in supporting, giving and recovering at times they are affected themselves.  

The bank donated MVR 100,000 under the ARC AID Program which provided basic food assistance to the vulnerable children, as well as their families, in 2021 as well . According to the national bank, the donation helped fund food supply and essentials to over 150 children of 70 vulnerable families spanning the capital.

Further, the company also donated MVR 200,000 to ARC AID Programme during 2020 as well where assistance was provided for vulnerable children during the Covid-19 pandemic. The funds were used to support over 587 children in 300 vulnerable families across 14 islands in 2020.

BML is currently conducting a number of schemes under its ‘Community Fund’ initiatives as well.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic began sweeping across the Maldives on 7 March 2020, the government began implementing stringent measures such as a lockdown, extended curfew periods and other measures that saw subsequent repercussions on socio-economic growth and the lifestyles of the people which in turn had far-reaching impacts on the lives of children.

As such many families had faced difficulties due to pay cuts and layoffs, with those who were more severely affected having relocated from the capital region to islands as well.

With an aim to ease some of the daily struggled faced by these vulnerable families and their children, the ARC AID Programme covered food supply for vulnerable families, ranging from rice, flour, lentils, milk powder, tuna cans, eggs as well as assorted cans of vegetables.