About 50 school bags were donated by Bred Bank to the organisers of Vanuatu’s Wan Voes Kivhan Festival for distribution to children affected by TC Harold in April.
The bank also sponsored the first ever digital fundraiser concert of its kind to raise funds for victims of the cyclone which caused widespread devastation especially in the northern islands of the country.
Bred Bank’s Head of Business Banking, Santos Vatoko said, “It is an honor to have sponsored and be part of this successful event knowing that the 50 school bags we have donated will help keep the children positive and optimistic about learning.”
“In these difficult times, as the children and their families are recovering from the aftermath of TC Harold, we want to be able to put a smile on their face as soon as the kids receive their school bags and at the same time we want the bags to remind them that hope and full recovery is nearby so the children can look forward to going back to school again,” Mr Vatoko added.
The TC Harold community initiative organised by the musicians of Vanuatu Wan Voes Kivhan, the Malvatumauri Council of Chiefs and the Port Vila Youth Council was a great success.
The festival raised over 1.5 million vatu and collected three full shipping containers of donated goods by citizens of Port Vila and rural Efate through events held in May.
The events included a wheel barrow push, 3 kamion or pick up transport push, Kivhan music concert, and Kivhan food package fundraisers happening over the weekend and last week.
The three containers consisted of donated house hold materials, bags of clothes, water containers, buckets, shelter kits, gardening tools such as wheel barrows.
The items were handed over to the National Disaster Management Office for distribution to communities in Pentecost, Santo and Malo.
Photo supplied Caption: Bred Bank executives hand over school bags to a Wan VoesKivhan festival, committee member