INTESA SANPAOLO CHARITY FUND

Tirana, March 24^th 2021: Intesa Sanpaolo Charity Fund* grants € 452,330 to Albania through 3 projects in cities and rural areas that affect directly more than 3,600 beneficiaries.

Specifically, the project “I CARE - Emergency response actions post-earthquake in Albania”, started in late December 2019, is implemented by the Italian NGO AVSI in cooperation with its local partner SHIS in four main areas: Durres, Sukth, Thumane and Bubq.

The duration of the project is 16 months and the beneficiaries are roughly 1,500 people (500 adults and 1,000 children). The project, which has received from the Charity Fund a contribution of € 260,300, is divided into three phases: the first and the second were focused on the emergency response, helping in the distribution of first need items and psychological support to children through the creation of child-friendly spaces and further evaluation of their needs. The third phase (12-months duration, ongoing until April 2021) foresees a variety of activities, which include the reconstruction of some damaged locations, of which 9 schools, where the child-friendly areas will also find a proper physical space. This project will set a model of child-friendly spaces for after-school activities or activities for pre-schoolers depending on the children’s age.

The project “Psycho socio-health interventions during COVID-19 emergency and post-earthquake emergency in Albania”, which started in July 2020, is implemented by the Italian NGO Sanità di Frontiera in Lezha, Bubq and Thumane.

The duration of the project is 12 months and its beneficiaries are 1,050 people (400 children younger than 6 years old, 200 minors aged 6-18, 350 adults and 100 professionals). Thanks to the contribution of the Intesa Sanpaolo Group’s Charity Fund, of €116,000, this project will contribute in setting sustainable models in 3 local areas, by the activation of integrated psycho-social responses during an emergency context. The activities include psychological and social support to vulnerable families and children who, besides the trauma caused by the earthquake in 2019, had to face the effects of COVID-19 emergency too - and the training of local professionals on topics such as psychology, emotional learning, clinic psychology and trauma management.

The Project “URBAN LAB” has been approved in 2021 and will be implemented by Italian NGO Vento di Terra in the municipality of Divjaka, Fier. The duration of the project is 12 months and its beneficiaries are 1,130 people (800 minors aged 11-18 years old, 130 women and 200 teachers, educators and social operators). The comprehensive contribution of the Charity Fund to this project has been of € 76,000.  

The project aims to address educational poverty and domestic violence on women and minors in Albania through the creation of a civic center, called “Urban Lab” in the Municipality of Divjaka, Fier. In this Urban Lab social, educational, training and guided recreational activities will be offered to children, women, educators and social operators. This project will offer a model for a specialised local network of socio-educational services through the capacity building of the professionals. Therefore, after its creation it will remain fully sustainable within the municipality of Divjaka, Fier and will continue to offer services to the women and children.

Intesa Sanpaolo Bank Albania CEO Mr. Silvio Pedrazzi noted: “I believe that we have a duty to support communities in need, especially at emergency times. We, at Intesa Sanpaolo Bank Albania, have immediately supported our customers with loan moratoriums caused by the emergency situations; but we are also part of the Intesa Sanpaolo Group and our goal is to also leave a positive mark on the societies of the countries we operate and to pave the way for a more sustainable future.”

*The Fund for charitable, social and cultural contributions, which is provided for by Intesa Sanpaolo’s Articles of Association, is coordinated by the Bank's Chairman and permits the allocation of part of non-distributed profits to charity and to support projects that revolve around solidarity, social utility and value of the individual. In line with the principles of the Group's Code of Ethics, the goal is to share with the community the Bank’s focus on individuals, human rights, economic and social solidarity, sustainable development, environmental protection and the promotion of cultural initiatives in favor of disadvantaged groups. Endowments are allocated following a selection process based on specific criteria, and include local donations (for requests up to 5,000 euro), to support projects and initiatives that have a local impact, as well as central donations (for requests over 5,000 euro), to support larger projects. This activity is part of the Group's efforts to attain the Sustainable Development Goals established by the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations.

For more information:https://group.intesasanpaolo.com/en/social/charity-fund

About Intesa Sanpaolo: Intesa Sanpaolo is the leading Bank in Italy and one of the soundest and most profitable banks in Europe. It offers commercial, corporate investment banking, asset management and insurance services. The Intesa Sanpaolo Group has approximately 14.7 million customers in Italy who are assisted through both digital and traditional channels. The Group’s international subsidiary banks serve 7.1 million customers comprising subsidiaries operating in commercial banking in 12 countries in Central Eastern Europe and Middle Eastern and North African areas and an international network of specialists in support of corporate customers across 26 countries. Intesa Sanpaolo is considered one of the most sustainable banks in the world. For the Group, creating value means being a driver for growth, for the benefit of both society and the economy. With environmental concerns in mind, the Group has set up a 6-billion-euro fund for the circular economy. Intesa Sanpaolo supports major economic inclusion and poverty reduction projects, including an impact fund of 1.5 billion euro for loans available to social groups who struggle to access credit. Intesa Sanpaolo has a high level of involvement in cultural initiatives, organized by the Bank or in collaboration with other entities in Italy and further afield. These include permanent and temporary exhibitions showcasing the Bank’s impressive artistic heritage at the Gallerie d’Italia, the Group’s museums located in Milan, Naples, Vicenza and soon Turin. https://group.intesasanpaolo.com/en/newsroom/news

About Intesa Sanpaolo Bank Albania: Intesa Sanpaolo Bank Albania, part of Intesa Sanpaolo Group, is a leading bank in the country that offers quality banking, financial solutions and innovative products & services to corporate clients, institutional and high-income private clients, as well as small and medium-sized businesses and individual customers. We encourage a style of growth that is attentive to sustainable results and the creation of a process based on trust deriving from customer and shareholder satisfaction, a sense of belonging on the part of our employees and close monitoring of the needs of local communities. We compete on the market with a sense of fair play and are ready to cooperate with other economic entities, both public and private, whenever it is necessary to reinforce the overall capacity for growth in the economies of the countries where we operate. Intesa Sanpaolo Bank Albania acquired Veneto Bank in 2017 and now has a network of 35 branches in different cities of the country and will continue to expand strategically following closely the economic development of Albania. Pro-activity, trust, innovation, simplicity and sustainability determines our relationship with our customers and business innovation and service excellence are inspired by our customers.

Official Website: www.intesasanpaolobank.al

For more information: media.relation@intesasanpaolobank.al