Group Works Council and “terre des homes” program kicks off Two million euros for aid projects in poor districts
Wolfsburg / São Paulo, 24 January 2013 – The Volkswagen Group Works Council and the child rights agency “terre des hommes” are helping to improve future prospects for children and youth in poor districts of Brazil with the “A chance to play” initiative.
The project was officially launched today in the country hosting the 2014 soccer World Cup. “A chance to play” supports sports, learning and training projects for several thousand girls and boys. The program’s patrons include musician Peter Maffay and former professional soccer player Giovane Elber.
As the program kicked off, the Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft for Human Resources, Dr. Horst Neumann, underscored: “For the Volkswagen Group, entrepreneurial initiative and social responsibility are inextricably linked. Volkswagen is supporting Brazil’s development by investing billions and is at the same time committed to many social projects. One new and outstanding example is ‘A chance to play’.”
The Chairman of the Volkswagen Group Works Council, Bernd Osterloh, said: “‘A chance to play’ is a strong expression of international solidarity on the part of the Volkswagen workforce. As employees of a global carmaker we are very aware of our social responsibility. Together with local organizations we will be implementing aid projects to the tune of two million euros.”
Josef-Fidelis Senn, Vice President for Human Resources at Volkswagen do Brasil, emphasized Volkswagen’s decades-long commitment in Brazil: “For 33 years, our Fundação Volkswagen social foundation has testified to our social responsibility and to our support for education and social development. The Fundação has already reached out to one million school children with its educational projects. ‘A chance to play’ is a very welcome addition to this work.”
The distinguished ambassadors of “A chance to play” include musician Peter Maffay, who is a member of the board of trustees of “Volkswagen Belegschaftsstiftung” (Volkswagen Employees’ Foundation). Maffay said: “The foundation will also play a part in the success of ‘A chance to play’. For me, it is a point of honor to gain a first-hand impression of the projects. That means I spend several days with my colleagues from the Group Works Council and ‘terre des homes’ visiting the local initiatives.”
The Volkswagen Works Council and the child rights agency “terre des homes” launched the initiative called “A chance to play” in 2010 on the occasion of the soccer World Cup in South Africa. The initiative is committed to helping children in need at Volkswagen locations all over the world. In South Africa, it reached out to over 50,000 children. To mark the 2014 World Cup, it is supporting 14 projects to fight child poverty in Brazil, reaching out to 60,000 children. The projects include aid for a crèche in a slum area as well as anti-violence training in poor districts.
