Indonesia,  December 2016 – For the fifth consecutive year, volunteers, led by Helman Sitohang, Member of the Executive Board and Chief Executive Officer of Credit Suisse Asia Pacific took part in a volunteering event organized by ars86care foundation and Credit Suisse on 3 December 2016. The volunteering event provided an opportunity for fifty staff from Credit Suisse offices in Jakarta and Singapore to work directly with their philanthropy partner.

The volunteers engaged in educational workshops and games with children at the TK PKK Putra Pertiwi school in Ngestirejo 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 Value to Do program. The volunteering event which included senior executives, demonstrating the commitment of the 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 local children along with parents, village officials and school teachers joined the event, developing a sense of 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, “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. I am delighted that Credit Suisse is once again partnering Ars86Care Foundation to help create positive learning environments for children, and I truly believe that one of the best investments in children is providing them with access to education as it helps to build Indonesia’s future. This is the fifth year we are supporting Ars86Care Foundation, and I am delighted to see the enthusiasm of all the Credit Suisse volunteers who made the trip to TK PKK Putra Pertiwi school in Ngestirejo Village to take part in educational and outdoor activities, as well as interacting with the wider community there.”

Riyadi D. Ekariyanto, ars86care foundation Board Member noted that, “Searching for the right school started with meetings with local partners and talking to the 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 searching, we finally found TK PKK Putra Pertiwi and TK Kartika Wareng, 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 2015 alone, more than 20,000 employees globally dedicated over 210,000 hours to good causes.

ars86care foundation and Credit Suisse have worked together to serve the educational needs of children since 2012. Over the last five years, nine village kindergartens in Central Java have been renovated or built through ars86care foundation’s Space to Build and Value to Do programs, through financial support from Credit Suisse Asia Pacific. The programs focus 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 47’690 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. See more at www.ars86care.org