A group of employees from Access Bank Ghana have initiated separate community projects to combat the cholera epidemic and environmental degradation.

The initiative was in line with the bank's pioneering role in volunteering activities.

Through the Employee Volunteering Programme (EVP), instituted by the Bank in 2010, over 150 staff were able to contribute their quota to national development by giving off their time, skills and resources to support meaningful projects in communities within which the bank operates.

Staff from the Kumasi and Osu Cluster of branches undertook these exercises between October 1 and 9.

Employees from the Access Bank’s Oxford Street, Cantonments and Watson House branches all in Osu, partnered with Public Health Officials to educate students of the La Wireless Cluster of Schools on how to observe basic hygiene practices.

The pupils, who live in areas most ravaged by the cholera epidemic, were also tutored on proper hand-washing methods to avoid infection.

Boxes of anti bacterial hand washing liquids and sanitizers were also given to the school as part of continuing effort to check the spread of the epidemic.

In addition, the La General Hospital which has been the epic center for treatment of cholera cases in the Greater Accra region received medical supplies to facilitate its work.

Vivian Adjei, Vice President of the Volunteer Group said staff were delighted to be in a position to contribute their quota to the fight against the cholera epidemic.

“Our businesses are located within communities like La and Osu and we thought it was only proper to lend a hand. We call on other stakeholders to join hands to fight this deadly disease”, she said.

Dr. Patrick Frimpong, the Medical Director of the Hospital in receiving the donation, thanked the Access Bank staff for supporting the hospital and helping save the lives of affected patients.

In a related activity, Employees of the Bank’s Kumasi Cluster joined forces with the city authorities to plant trees.

The exercise along the stretch of Anloga Junction- Asokwa Highway is part of efforts to restore the Garden city to its former glory and to check environmental degradation.

 The Cluster Head, Roberson Afful bemoaned the continuous depletion of Ghana’s forest cover .

He said “Access Bank is leading the way to save future generations from desertification and it’s our expectations that more corporate bodies will join us”

Access Bank introduced the novelty of “Employee Volunteering Programme” in 2010 to allow its employees to invest in projects of real value to communities in which the Bank operates.

 Some 40 communities across the country and institutions have been touched by the charitable projects embarked upon for the past four years.