British International Investment
2 February 2017

How a CDC and Standard Chartered loan helped a business through Ebola

The Ebola outbreak had a devastating impact on Sierra Leone’s people and its economy – during the crisis it contracted by an estimated 22 per cent.

In 2014, in response to the Ebola Crisis in Sierra Leone, we worked with Standard Chartered Bank to increase lending to local businesses and help with the country’s economic recovery. Benco Trading, a company based in the capital Freetown which imports and distributes construction materials was one of the companies to receive a loan.

In this video Benco’s CEO, Jiad Swaid, explains how the loan supported them through the crisis and why businesses in Sierra Leone are looking forward to a brighter future.

You can find more of Jiad’s story in our Annual Review.

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