Stanbic Investment Management Services (SIMS) has commemorated World Premature Babies Day by partnering with the African Foundation for Premature Babies and Neonatal Care (AFPNC) to donate items to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the Ridge Hospital under the ‘Purple Basket’ project.

The team donated 30 purple baskets containing foodstuff, blankets, and other essential items to 30 mothers and children at the Unit.

The Purple Basket project is an intervention initiative to provide free essential items packed in reusable bags to pre-term babies and their mothers at the Neonatal Intensive Care Units.

Speaking at the event, Desmond Bredu, Head of Client Coverage at SIMS, shared the purpose of the donation. He said, “Every year, we at SIMS look for ways to give back to our communities. When we heard about the AFPNC and their efforts to support premature babies, we did not hesitate to donate to the NICU at the Ridge Hospital.

Today, we are providing ‘purple baskets’ to 30 mothers of preterm babies. These baskets contain items ranging from foodstuff to baby clothes to support these mothers in taking care of themselves and their children. After listening to the stories of the mothers of the preterm infants, I am convinced that we made the right choice. We know these items will not completely solve all your challenges, but we hope they will help lift some of your financial burdens.”

Miriam Maku Amissah, Head of Client Experience at SIMS, also mentioned, “We are glad to have partnered with AFPNC to do this donation because they have been doing this for a long time, and therefore, their understanding of your plight as mothers of preterm babies and your interest is at the heart of their organization.

My awareness has been heightened through their efforts to give a voice to our fragile babies and we are happy that we have been able to provide this support.

As an institution, aside from our core business of providing investment solutions to all Ghanaians, we also ensure we impact our community positively.

We are glad that our donation has put smiles on your faces and also that of your babies. The nurses here are truly heroes. We applaud them for their hard work and effort in caring for you and your children. We look forward to returning and supporting this noble cause again.”

Selina Bentoom, Founder and Executive Director of AFPNC, thanked SIMS for supporting the donation. She said, “We are grateful to Stanbic Investment Management Services for their swift response when we reached out to them to support us in this project.

Over the years, we have supported 22,000 mothers of preterm infants across the country. We look forward to doing even more to help many women in Ghana and Africa going through this issue. Through their support today we have made a positive impact and brought joy to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Ridge Hospital. We are truly grateful.”

African Foundation for Premature Babies & Neonatal Care (AFPNC) is the first pan-African non-profit organization and network to represent the interest of preterm and newborn infants and their families in Africa. The Foundation brings together disciplines and scientists with the common goal of improving the long-term health of preterm and newborn children.

SIMS is Ghana’s foremost investment management and advisory firm offering tailor-made fund management services for pension schemes, institutions, corporates, and associations to meet specific investment objectives and return benchmarks.

The group has shown continuous commitment to supporting health care in the country. Last year, they donated hospital equipment to the Neonatal Unit of the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital in the Central Region, including two Pumani Bubble CPAP machines, two Mindray BeneFusion SP3 machines, and a Mindray BeneHeart R12.