CSR profile – Vodafone

Newsroom 18/05/2016 | 15:32

Since it was founded over 18 years ago, the Vodafone Romania Foundation has invested over EUR 23 million in communities in Romania. Along with 660 NGOs, it has developed 963 projects for the benefit of about 1.4 million Romanians in critical situations and built 186 social houses. In addition, more than 6,600 volunteers have been involved in its projects so far.

Throughout its projects, the foundation supports the sick and individuals with special needs, supports the education of children and youngsters, encourages volunteering and social involvement and helps elderly individuals and disadvantaged families. In recent years, the foundation has focused on projects that harness the innovation of mobile technology in order to positively change the life of ill or disadvantaged people. Mobile for Good was launched back in 2012 by the Vodafone Romania Foundation with the support of Vodafone Group Foundation with the aim of improving the quality of life of people in need and mobilize change in nationwide communities.

“In 2015 the number of Mobile for Good projects reached 19 and there were over 30,000 beneficiaries. The cumulated value of the project is EUR 2.9 million,” says Angela Galeta, director of Vodafone Romania Foundation.

The strategic program for investments in rural areas was launched last year and targets fields like education, health and social services for disadvantaged people from all 41 counties and Bucharest. In 2015, this program had a total budget of over EUR 650,000, and included 55 projects that impacted 25,000 beneficiaries.

Since 2008, together with React Association, the foundation has developed the O sansa pentru viata (A Chance for Life) project that includes media and awareness campaigns about the importance of donating blood, mobile campaigns for donating blood, and the renovation of Romanian transfusion units. The total value of investment since its launch is EUR 640,000.

In addition, in 2015, through this project over 15,000 sqm was renovated in transfusion centers in Bucharest, Buzau, Cluj, Giurgiu, Iasi, Slatina, Suceava and Targu Jiu. The project also involved the acquisition of different equipment for these units. Another focus area is the building of social houses.

In 2015 the foundation built four houses in Cristian, Brasov county with the help of 400 volunteers. These were added to the other eight houses built in previous years in partnership with the Diaconia Ajutor International Association. The total number of houses built so far has reached 186 units.

Elsewhere, 87 Vodafone employees took part in the Vodafone Big Marathon in order to raise money for two charitable projects that are part of Mobile for Good. Each of them was aiming to raise EUR 1,500.

Health, education, volunteering and social services are the main Vodafone Romania Foundation areas of intervention. As for health, in 2015 more than half of the foundation’s budget, namely EUR 2.4 million, was invested in health programs.

“With each project we intend to contribute to the recovery of the Romanian medical system, to facilitate the access of individuals from any region of the country and any social category to quality medical services, to create better working conditions for doctors and all those that take care of ill children and adults,” says Galeta.

As for education, the programs developed by the foundation allow children from disadvantaged Romanian communities, especially from rural areas, to participate in educational, cultural and recreational activities within summer camps or day centers. For children with high intellectual potential, the foundation offers scholarships.

Elsewhere, last year 1,500 volunteers worked in Vodafone Foundation projects, with the majority of them being employees of Vodafone Romania. The foundation also offers the possibility of working in an NGO throughout the “Volutar de profesie” (Volunteer as your job) program. Each year the foundation selects nine volunteers that get their salaries for nine months, allowing them to support the activity of an NGO of their choice.

Last but not least, the foundation offers social services for elderly people and children from maternal centers, and supports the special education and intellectual advancement of children with severe neural-motional disabilities. “We also helped children with autism to make progress by teaching social skills and independent life skills.”

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