BANRO FOUNDATION AND CO-SPONSORS RAISE $80,000 IN CHARITABLE FUNDING FOR CONGOLESE HOSPITAL
TORONTO, June 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ - Banro Corporation ("Banro" or the "Company") (NYSE AMEX: BAA) (TSX:BAA) is pleased to announce that the Banro Foundation, a charity in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (the "DRC"), has led the effort to raise $80,000 for the world-renowned Panzi Hospital in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (the "DRC").
A general referral hospital located in the city of Bukavu, the Panzi has earned a global reputation in the field of medical care for women, including women who have been victims of sexual violence. The Panzi Hospital treats an average of 3,500 women each year, free of charge. The donation will be used to support construction of a multipurpose women's health centre at the Panzi Hospital to support prenatal consultation, family planning and HIV sensitization, child health and other activities related to women's health.
The funds were raised through a golf tournament held near Toronto on June 9, 2011. Macleod Dixon LLP and Kilo Goldmines were lead sponsors of the event. Co-sponsors were Banlaw Africa, CIBC World Markets, GMP Securities, Loncor Resources, GMP Europe, Cormark Securities, SENET, SRK Consulting, SGS, TD Bank, RBC Dominion Securities, Adnet Communications, BDO Canada and Collins Barrow Toronto LLP. Banro and the Banro Foundation thank all sponsors for their generous support of the event.
The Banro Foundation is a registered charity based in Bukavu, DRC and funded by the Company with a mandate to improve the lives of thousands of people living in South Kivu and Maniema provinces through strategic investments in education, health and infrastructure development and to provide humanitarian assistance as needed. Among the principles guiding the work of the Banro Foundation is a focus on needs identified by local community leaders, with priority given to projects that benefit communities as a whole. Promotion of opportunities for women is an important guiding principle of the Foundation.
Since 2008, The Banro Foundation has completed construction of two new high schools, two primary schools, a regional health care centre, a women's resource centre, a potable water delivery system serving 18,000 people in four villages, the construction or re-construction of over 100 kilometres of roads and bridges and has completed two shipments of medical equipment from Canada to regional hospitals and clinics. Four new schools, a regional market centre, a new health centre, new basketball courts for youth, the refurbishment of a community electrical generating station and a major community bridge are currently under construction.
Information about the Banro Foundation can be viewed at www.banro.com/s/CorporateResponsibility.asp or in French at www.banro.com/s/FR-Corporate-Responsibility.asp.
Banro is a Canadian-based gold exploration company focused on the development of four major, wholly-owned gold projects, each with mining licenses, along the 210 kilometre-long Twangiza-Namoya gold belt in the South Kivu and Maniema provinces of the DRC. The Company is currently constructing its first mine at its Twangiza project, which is scheduled to begin operations in late 2011. In recent years, Banro has emerged as one of the leading employers in South Kivu province of the DRC, creating over a thousand jobs with a strong focus on on-the-job training programs, technology transfer and adherence to world-class standards in health & safety and environmental management.
SOURCE Banro Corporation
