Credit Suisse

Plan and Credit Suisse are working together as part of the financial services company’s Global Education Initiative. 

In 2008, Credit Suisse launched its global education programme ‘Education for 45,000 Students’ to help disadvantaged children around the world get a better education.  This partnership will see Credit Suisse supporting Plan’s work in Guatemala and Liberia where Plan will deliver programmes that have a real and positive impact on students' access to quality education. 

Guatemala

Guatemala is one of the poorest countries in Central America and indigenous people such as the Mayan Q’eqchi’ are amongst the poorest in the country.  There is racial prejudice against them and as Spanish is not their first language they have difficulties in traditional schools.

Schools in Guatemala suffer from an often severe lack of funding, unqualified teachers, and are inadequate and poorly equipped.  The indigenous population is further disadvantaged because they are living in the poorest areas with the poorest schools. 

Credit Suisse will support the education of the Mayan population in San Pedro Carcha, where 20% of children don’t finish primary school.  Plan will develop and implement the Quality Education Programme for Mayan Q’eqchi’ indigenous children to improve the education infrastructure, school environment and train teachers.

Liberia

Rapid Education Projects help children who have been denied an education because of civil war back into school

Liberia is one of the poorest countries in the world. The majority of rural people are subsistence farmers. Literacy rates are now extremely low (50% of the population can’t read or write) and three quarters of the population live below the poverty line on less than US$1 a day. 

Together with a local partner, Plan is implementing a Rapid Education Project (REP) supporting ex child soldiers and orphans.  With the support of Credit Suisse the project will help children in Bomi County back into formal education and improve education in rural Liberia.

Credit Suisse also supports Plan Japan: Credit Suisse Securities (Japan) Limited is currently providing funding for a Community Learning Centre project in Islamabad, Pakistan.

For further information please contact:

Partnership: Fiona Knapman
Japan: Misao Ohashi
Switzerland: Andreas Roesch

Learn more about the partnership via the Plan UK and Plan Switzerland websites

Visit the Credit Suisse website