Smart Axiata says funds still available from its 1 Million USD COVID-19 Relief Fund

Phnom Penh, December 1, 2020 – Smart Axiata announced today that approximately 350,000 USD is still available through its 1 Million USD COVID-19 Relief Fund to support initiatives that will help Cambodians cope with the health, social and economic impacts of the global coronavirus pandemic.

Twelve different projects have already received support from the COVID-19 Relief Fund, including most recently the Angkor Hospital for Children, a renowned children’s hospital whose project aims to combat the growing child malnutrition crisis in Siem Reap and across Cambodia.

The other initiatives that have received funding are:

• Southeastern Globe Communications – to support a Covid-19 information platform;
• Friends International – to support the training of marginalized individuals across 7 provinces in personal hygiene;
• Institut Pasteur du Cambodge – to supply up to 2 months’ worth of Covid-19 testing kits and personal protective equipment for the screening and diagnosis of thousands of patients;
• Open Institute – to support the digitizing of lessons and educational materials for Grade 12 students;
• Young Entrepreneurs Association of Cambodia – to support the business crisis responses of MSMEs;
• Bayon Education and Development – to support the vocational training of students in Siem Reap through distance learning;
• Impact Hub Phnom Penh – to support the business resilience training of startups and SMEs;
• East Meets West Foundation – to train underprivileged villagers in personal hygiene with hand-washing facilities in 5 provinces;
• Transcultural Psychosocial Organization – to support the mental health and wellness of immigrant workers in Banteay Meanchey;
• Save the Children – to help children and communities adapt to distance learning in Kampong Cham, and;
• Community Advancement Organization – to increase the resilience of agricultural farmers’ livelihoods in Svay Rieng province.

Smart Axiata’s Chief Executive Officer Thomas Hundt said: “As we can see from the recent news, Cambodia’s current success in dealing with the global public health crisis hangs in the balance, and we all need to double our efforts to prevent further community transmissions. We are proud to have supported many important initiatives that are making communities more resilient to the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and we would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that there are still funds available. We are keen to hear from any organization that is working to support the nation and our communities during these challenging times.”

The 1 Million USD COVID-19 Relief Fund was established to support initiatives in 4 areas: ICT for education, crisis management, social distancing and personal hygiene. Funding requests are approved by the multi-stakeholder Smart Axiata COVID-19 Relief Fund Evaluation Committee – which consists of Smart Axiata, Axiata Group and independent Cambodian representatives – after being thoroughly reviewed by an internal committee.

Applications can be submitted online via https://bit.ly/3aQsrJV.

For further information, please contact [email protected] and follow the Smart for Cambodia Facebook page at www.facebook.com/smartforcambodia or visit www.smart.com.kh.