German brand KiK working with BGMEA to finance vaccines for RMG workers

German brand KiK has contributed to purchase Covid-19 vaccines for garment factory workers in Bangladesh.

The contribution, made through BGMEA, will be forwarded to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare as the government is responsible for procuring and administering vaccines.

This comes as part of KiK's CSR efforts as a longstanding partner of the RMG sector in Bangladesh.

In addition to sourcing garments, KiK has been involved with social projects in Bangladesh for many years and established a number of charitable organizations like schools and medical stations.

"As a result of our many years of close cooperation, we became very aware of the impact of the Covid pandemic on the country and the garment industry in particular," said Patrick Zahn, CEO of KiK, on the motivation behind the contribution.

People in this industry work indoors, where they are at increased risk of infections.

"For me, there's no doubt that vaccination is the best protection against the coronavirus. With our donation, we want to make a contribution to ensure that people in the garment industry in Bangladesh are protected in the best possible way," said the CEO.

BGMEA President Faruque Hassan praised the initiative of the German brand.

He said the garment industry serves as the most important pillar of Bangladesh economy and the sector has suffered tremendously from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and continues to do so.

"To protect the entire economy of the country, it is crucial that workers and employees in this industry can be offered a vaccine. Thanks to the generous donation of the German company KiK, we are able to procure and vaccinate thousands of RMG workers in Bangladesh," he said.