Barclays supports Okavango flood victims

April 20, 2009

Barclays Bank has donated over P 275,000 through the Botswana Red Cross Society, in aid of the recent flood victims in the Okavango region where more than 500 people have been displaced.

When handing over the cheque, the Managing Director Mr. Thuli Johnson stated that Barclays is committed to assisting communities in which Barclays operates and ensuring their long term sustainability and growth. ‘Barclays has a long tradition of working with communities and we continue to demonstrate this through our community investment programme. Giving back to the communities is part of our culture at Barclays ’ he said. Mr. Johnson added that following his visit to the area and an assessment of the long term and short term effects, he found it imperative that Barclays should respond with an immediate donation to assist the displaced communities. Recently, Mr. Johnson and Barclays Chief Operating Officer Aupa Monyatsi travelled to the region to meet with displaced families and assess the affected areas. Barclays has two branches in the region.

The Chairperson of the Red Cross Society, Dr. Nomsa Mbere , thanked Barclays for their commitment to improving the quality of life of Batswana and ensuring that the affected communities are provided with the necessary support, when receiving the cheque. She said that while part of the funds will be used to meet immediate need, the rest will go towards the much needed psycho-social support for the families. Dr. Mbere stated that this is a new phenomenon to Batswana as we have never experienced a disaster of this magnitude which has forced people in the area to abandon their homes and live in a communal setting. She said that this is a big challenge and it will take time for the affected people to get used to the new environment.

Because of the scale of the challenge the floods have posed, in collaboration with the Red Cross, Barclays is appealing to its employees, customers and members of the public to come to the rescue of the victims and give donations in kind or cash. To facilitate this process, Barclays has established a relief fund and cash donations may be deposited into account number 78/9032327. In addition, Barclays will use its 52 branches across the country to ask for in kind donations such as clothing, food hampers, and other basic necessities that can be availed to the affected individuals.
Batswana are a caring people who have always supported one another during difficult times such as this one. It is imperative that we come together as a nation to assist the children, women and men who have been affected by this natural disaster.

For further information please contact:

Esther Norris
Head of Corporate Affairs
Tel: +267 395 7312
Mobile: +267 7152 6383
esther.norris@barclays.com

About Barclays Bank Botswana:

Barclays Bank Botswana is part of the Global Barclays Group and listed on the Botswana Stock Exchange. It is the largest bank in Botswana offering Retail banking, Commercial banking and credit cards with a market capitalisation of over 5 billion

Employing over 1300 permanent staff, Barclays Bank Botswana services customers across the country through a network of 101 ATMs and 52 outlets.

To find out more about Barclays Bank of Botswana / the Barclays Group and its products and services, please visit our website: www.barclays.com or visit any of our branches and speak to one of our consultants.

About Barclays Global Retail and Commercial Banking:

Barclays Global Retail and Commercial Banking (GRCB) encompasses all of Barclays retail and commercial banking businesses around the world. Operating in more than 50 countries and employing more than 118,000 people, Barclays GRCB comprises UK Retail Banking, Barclays Commercial Bank, Barclaycard, GRCB Western Europe, GRCB Emerging Markets and Absa (Barclays Bank PLC owns 58.8% of Absa Group Limited). Barclays GRCB serves millions of customers and clients around the globe through a network of more than 4,700 distribution points and more than 13,100 ATMs.

To find out more about the individual Barclays GRCB businesses, please visit our website: www.barclays.com.

About Barclays :

Barclays is a major global financial services provider engaged in retail and commercial banking, credit cards, investment banking, wealth management and investment management services, with an extensive international presence in Europe, the USA, Africa and Asia.

With over 300 years of history and expertise in banking, Barclays operates in over 50 countries and employs over 155,000 people.

Barclays moves, lends, invests and protects money for over 48 million customers and clients worldwide.

For further information about Barclays, please visit our website www.barclays.com.