For the fourth consecutive year, ars86care foundation and Credit Suisse organized a volunteering event that provided an opportunity for staff from Credit Suisse offices in Jakarta and Singapore to work directly with their philanthropy partner. On 5 December, 2015, the volunteers, led by Helman Sitohang, Member of the Executive Board and Chief Executive Officer of Credit Suisse Asia Pacific, engaged in traditional Indonesian games with children from schools in Tepus village and Purwodadi village before rolling up their sleeves to build vertical gardens, plant trees and make biopori holes planned under the green living concept of ars86care’s Space to Build program. Fifty five Credit Suisse staff including seventeen senior executives took part in the day’s events, demonstrating the commitment ofthe bank’s senior management in actively engaging communities in Indonesia and supporting the important role played by ars86care foundation to improve access to education in the country.

 

Forty-five local children and community elders joined the event, developing a sense a pride that encourages the local community to take full ownership of their new schools and affirm their investment in providing and maintaining a positive, safe learning environment for future generations.

Helman Sitohang, CEO, Asia Pacific, Credit Suisse, said, “I am delighted that Credit Suisse was once again able to partner with Ars86Care Foundation on such a meaningful initiative. Like ars86Care, Credit Suisse is a strong believer in the importance of providing children with access to high-quality education initiatives in the communities in which we operate. ars86care’s work to create positive learning environments that benefit both the children they are designed for and the broader community is truly inspirational, and a great example of how we can help to build Indonesia’s future. I am very proud to see that Credit Suisse staff support this initiative, and our partnership, so actively, and I am particularly pleased to say that many staff travelled from around the region to participate in this event.”  

 

Dessi Rajino, ars86care foundation Board Member noted that, “Searching for the right school started with meetings with local partners and talking tothe school community: the teachers, school committee, village head and parents. This was followed by more selective surveys throughout Gn. Kidul whilst cross-checking the statistics. After a much searing, we finally found TK PKK Blekonang and TK PKK Gerotan, two perfect candidates for our school program. The process wasn’t a short one, it took more than a year from the initial search until the building was completed, and it had its ups and downs, but seeing the building in use for the first time shows that our perseverance paid off. It’s a positive example of collaboration between children and volunteers, doing activities together, sharing laughter and love.”

 

This event further strengthens the well-established partnership between Credit Suisse, its employees and the Indonesian foundation. Credit Suisse is a firm believer in the importance of going beyond purely financial assistance. At every opportunity, the bank dedicates all available resources to support its partners in their mission and growth. In 2014 alone, more than 17,000 employees globally dedicated over 190,000 hours to good causes.

 

ars86care foundation and Credit Suisse have worked together to serve the educational needs of children since 2012. Over the last four years, seven village kindergartens in Central Java have been renovated or built through ars86care foundation’s Space to Build program, through financial support from Credit Suisse Asia Pacific. The Space to Build program focuses on upgrading the infrastructure and facilities of kindergartens and providing opportunities for school communities to learn about health, hygiene, sanitation and caring for the environment. The schools often become meeting points for their communities, with members collaborating to maintain the buildings and the services offered. Combined with the strong collaborative educational support network that the teachers continue to develop, students’ registration in these new schools has increased, doubling in some instances.

 

 

Credit Suisse AG

Credit Suisse AG is one of the world's leading financial services providers and is part of the Credit Suisse group of companies (referred to here as 'Credit Suisse'). As an integrated bank, Credit Suisse offers clients its combined expertise in the areas of private banking, investment banking and asset management. Credit Suisse provides advisory services, comprehensive solutions and innovative products to companies, institutional clients and high net worth private clients globally, as well as to retail clients in Switzerland. Credit Suisse is headquartered in Zurich and operates in over 50 countries worldwide. The group employs approximately 48,100 people. The registered shares (CSGN) of Credit Suisse's parent company, Credit Suisse Group AG, are listed in Switzerland and, in the form of American Depositary Shares (CS), in New York. Further information about Credit Suisse can be found at www.credit-suisse.com.

 

 

ars86care foundation

Ars86care foundation started with a group of Indonesian architects who were concerned about the environment and wanted to improve environment quality as legacy for their children. Ars86care is a registered foundation for children, the environment, and education, with three main programs, including Space to Build, Words to Share, and Value to Do. The mission of ars86care foundation is to promote and to create high quality, child-friendly living spaces in order to achieve a better quality of life for the children, who are the future of Indonesia. Since its existence in 2007, the Foundation has worked with more than 1000 volunteers in achieving their dreams.