Luxury travel brand Abercrombie & Kent’s charity arm has set up an emergency relief fund to help vulnerable communities deal with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Photo by Roman Nguyen on Unsplash

AKP (Abercrombie & Kent Philanthropy), which is dedicated to positively impacting life and livelihoods in the communities where A&K guests travel, said it is working to procure essential health items like soap and medical supplies to distribute through the communities in need.

Coordinators are collaborating with their local A&K offices to undertake bulk food deliveries to hospitals, medical clinics, and, in some instances, door-to-door and hut-to-hut.

Before Covid-19, AKP programmes provided school lunches to approximately 3,500 children every day around the globe, however many of these schools are now being used as isolation wards for those suffering from the coronavirus.. Today, the charity is working with these programmes in Zambia, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania to use these same kitchens to provide meals to those who are sick and isolated.

As part of its efforts AKP has already delivered more than $1million worth of medical supplies and equipment including everything from gloves and disinfectant to wheelchairs and defibrillators to Uganda and Cambodia.

Through the fund, it will also supplement the income of women who run small community-based businesses who have had to temporarily shut down due to lockdown requirements.