MAN is donating €75,000 for SOS Children´s Villages in West Africa. In this way, the company is providing support for acute emergency measures and long-term offers of assistance for children, youngsters and families affected by the Ebola crisis.
Since the Ebola outbreak began in February 2014, more than 6,000 people have fallen victim to the epidemic in West Africa. Relief organizations and governments from all over the world are trying to gain control of the situation. Children especially are suffering from the current conditions. Many have lost their parents as a result of the highly-infectious virus. Some 3,700 unaccompanied children are fighting for their life on the streets. Out of fear of being infected, even relatives often refuse to look after these children.
SOS Children´s Villages is represented at ten locations in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. By initiating preventive measures, offering aid, for instance in the form of temporary care centers, and accommodating orphaned children, SOS Children´s Villages provides targeted, on-the-spot assistance for children and families. “MAN is supporting the emergency relief provided by SOS Children´s Villages in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia in the fight against Ebola, with the aim of making a small contribution to their vital work,” explains Jochen Schumm, Chief Human Resources Officer at MAN SE.
The main focus of SOS Children´s Villages is on underprivileged children. MAN supports various projects run by the Munich-based association, this partnership having existed for over seven years at both a national and international level. However, not only is MAN involved as a company at SOS Children´s Villages facilities, but also its employees. At the Munich, Salzgitter and Nuremberg sites, they have already spent countless hours with children and youngsters. “As far as our social commitment is concerned, the sustainability of our donations is particularly important. In the case of our cooperation with SOS Children´s Villages, this is fully guaranteed – and on a worldwide scale,” explains Yvonne Benkert, Head of Corporate Responsibility at MAN SE.