KATHMANDU: Around 400 people participated in the Standard Chartered Nepal Walkathon 2006 — A Walk for a Brighter Tomorrow that was held in the Capital on November 11.

The walk that began early in the morning at the bank’s New Baneshwore branch was addressed by Sujit Mundal, CEO of Stand Chartered Nepal.

Among the participants were 40 visually challenged students from the Technical and Skill Development Centre for Blind and Disabled, Kirtipur.

The event is a fundraiser and is Standard Chartered Nepal’s initiative to raise funds in partnership with its stakeholders and to increase awareness amongst the public on the subject of blindness and an effort to reduce stigma and encourage the visually challenged people. Seventy-five per cent of the proceeds of the event will go towards the bank’s ‘Seeing is Believing’ initiative and the rest for the other focus areas of the bank including HIV/AIDS.

The main sponsors of the walkathon were Tara Management and Qatar Airways, while National Insurance Co Ltd and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) were the other sponsors, and World Distribution Nepal, Bhatbhateni Supermarket, Group 4 Falck, Sony and Union Money Transfer Co Ltd, Dabur, Gorkha Brewery and Aqua supported the event. The Himalayan Times the media partner.

The walk ended at the Lazimpat branch of the bank and the closing address was also given by Mundal.