Renowned German brand KiK has donated to purchase COVID-19 vaccines for garment workers in Bangladesh. The donation was made through BGMEA which will be forwarded to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Bangladesh as the government is responsible for procuring and administration of the vaccines.

The donation comes as a part of the KiK’s social responsibility as a long-standing partner of the garment industry in Bangladesh. In addition to sourcing garment, 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 Corona pandemic on the country and the garment industry in particular. People in this industry work indoors, where they are at increased risk of infection. For me, there is no doubt that vaccination is the best protection against the Corona virus. 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," explains Patrick Zahn, CEO KiK, the motivation behind the donation. 

BGMEA President Faruque Hassan praised the initiative of the German brand and said, "The garment industry serves as the most important pillar of Bangladesh economy. This sector has suffered tremendously from the effects of the COVID pandemic and continues to do so to this day. 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."

Earlier, BGMEA requested the government to bring garment workers under vaccination on a priority basis, considering them as frontliners. As a result the government of Bangladesh launched the vaccination program for the RMG workers in July this year which is going on at present. BGMEA expresses sincere thanks and gratitude to the Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for considering the garment workers under Covid-19 vaccination on a priority basis as they have been doing their jobs amid the pandemic to protect the economy of the country.

The financial contribution made by KiK for workers’ wellbeing is a shining example which, we believe, will inspire other brands to follow suit.