Statement from IESC President & CEO David Hartingh: IESC’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
May 14. 2020
During these extraordinary times associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, we at IESC remain as committed as ever to fulfilling our Mission. IESC staff worldwide have persevered in carrying out their important work throughout this period, and we continue to deliver impactful results for our funders and our program participants—whether farmers, small and medium sized firms, financial institutions, private sector associations, or host country governments. Reflective of our unwavering commitment to our duty of care regarding the safety and well-being of IESC staff, our staff have been working remotely during the pandemic, facilitated by our cloud-based information technology systems.
Due to the major adverse economic impacts associated with COVID-19, many of our program participants around the world need our support now more than ever. During this time, we have been supporting businesses and farmers to secure new markets for their products when their existing markets became inaccessible; helping businesses to produce and sell new products to meet changing market demand, including personal protective equipment for medical and personal use; helping to solve supply chain challenges; offering career guidance training, counseling, and mentoring services online; fostering workforce development and job creation; and supporting women entrepreneurs to improve their businesses; among many other examples.
As the circumstances and challenges surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic continue to change, for better or for worse, we at IESC will continue to adapt and respond to those changing circumstances and challenges. As we contemplate and plan for the re-opening of IESC offices and the resumption of some program activities that have been limited during this time, the safety and well-being of our staff, program participants, and partners will remain central to our actions.
All the best to you and yours,
David Hartingh
