Emons Spedition GmbH’s donation projects

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Emons Spedition GmbH’s donation projects

10.12.2008 – This year, too, Emons is sponsoring several social projects in the youth support field and furnishing proof of its social responsibility.

Construction of a school in south Kivu (Congo)

Most Congolese are illiterate. The people in Kasika in south Kivu province have tried building a new school. What’s missing is cement. Jean-Claude Kibala, now the province’s vice governor, sees in education one of the most important approaches for helping the people of his country. To implement the project, which involves not only a secondary school, but also dual training in crafts and trades, Kibala was able to win over Rupert Neudeck. Neudeck, known for rescuing many Vietnamese refugees with the freighter Cap Anamur, is also co-founder of the aid organization Grünhelme e.V. (Green Helmets), which will provide support in constructing the school in Kasika.

Kibala and Neudeck are our guarantors that the donations find their direct way into the project and do not trickle away en route. Kibala lived for many years in Troisdorf near Cologne. His wife, who occupies an executive position at Emons, and his two sons still live in Troisdorf.

“Kick-it – choose life” CARE project

South Africa has one of the highest AIDS rates in the world: 13% of South Africa’s children aged between two and 14 have lost at least one of their parents to the immuno-deficiency virus. Many children, some of them carrying the HIV virus themselves, live in utmost poverty and are homeless. To counter this vicious circle, the support and recreation offer “Kick-it” within the scope of the CARE projects features sporting activities, like football, basket ball and volleyball as well as athletics, for the children and youngsters. Training units, competitions and tournaments round off the various disciplines.

In addition, a parallel care programme provides information on the risks of HIV/AIDS, drugs and crime. The aim is to strengthen the children and young people physically and mentally through a combination of sports and information. They gain new self-confidence and experience a feeling of community and belonging together which helps them master their lives even under tough conditions.

By making a donation, we wish to help boost the project in terms of quality, quantity, organization and structure, and implement the planned measures. These include, eg, the build-up of a trainer pool, improved psycho-social care for the children and youngsters, extending the range on offer and winning new participants, talent promotion as well as a street football tournament within the scope of the 2010 World Championship.

The project was recommended to us by a friend of an Emons shareholder, the German political satirist and actor Horst Schroth. The latter works on a voluntary basis for the aid organization CARE Germany-Luxembourg and is a member of CARE’s board of trustees. Together with his wife, Dr Elke Rottgardt, he is also cooperation partner for another CARE project which helps indigenous Argentinean children learn to read and write.

A scholarship for Jo and Antonio

Jo and Antonio live in the Philippine province of Nueva Yizcaya. Their father has died. Since there is no survivor’s pension, their mother works abroad as domestic help. Her wage just about suffices to feed the family back home, but is not enough for a college education, without which no qualified job can be found. We wish to cut through this spiral and invest in the education of the two youngsters, so that they are able not only to feed their own families, but offer their children, too, a good education later on. Which is why we have decided to assume the college fees as well as the costs of school uniforms, books and learning material for the two young men. With this project, we are continuing the commitment of Michael Lange, who, until his sudden death this year, worked as sales director at our Cologne and Duisburg branches. Jo and Antonio have family ties to the Langes, with whom we continue to have personal contacts.

We will keep you posted in our News about the progress of our projects.