StanChart's 'Seeing is Believing' reaches fundraising milestone of $ 75m

KATHMANDU, Oct 10:

Standard Chartered Bank has said that its ´Seeing is Believing´ program has reached a fundraising milestone of US$ 75 million. The bank targets to raise $100 million by 2020 under this program which aims to bring affordable eye-care in areas of high need.

Under the program, the bank is funding two big projects in Nepal. "As the first big project in Nepal, Eastern Region Eye Care Program (EREC-P) has received a financial support of $1 million (approximately Rs 95 million) under the initiative for construction of Biratnagar Eye Hospital. The project was successfully completed in 2013," the bank said in a statement on Friday.

Likewise, a Memorandum of Understanding has been exchanged between the Standard Chartered Bank and Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology (TIO) to fund a major expansion project of TIO. The project aims to reduce avoidable blindness by developing a surgical facility in rural and semi-urban areas. “Started in 2003 as a staff-driven initiative, Seeing is Believing has grown to an international campaign which has supported 96 eye health projects in 26 countries worldwide. While we are delighted with progress so far, avoidable blindness is still an under-acknowledged health issue, and it will not be eliminated without the support of many. Corporations and individuals, donors and volunteers - today, on World Sight Day,” the statement quoted David Fein, Chairman of Seeing is Believing and Group General Counsel of Standard Chartered, as saying on the occasion of World Sight Day.

Source: Republica