Beginning of Mai, SwissFoundations invited its members to submit photo stories to DAFNE’s Europe-wide project FOCUS: Philanthropy to showcase the diversity of European philanthropy and the everyday work of foundations. Of the 15 entries that got sent in by SwissFoundations members, 5 stories made it into the top 30 of the contest. We want to take this opportunity to share our member’s stories and thank everyone for their participation.
This year´s winner story: Ha’s moment of lift: Hearing for the first time – Hear the World Foundation
It was a moving moment when little Ha’s cochlear implant was activated at a children’s hospital in Hanoi. The girl was able to hear for the first time in her life. Ha is one of ten children from Vietnam born with profound hearing loss who was provided with cochlear implants and audio-verbal therapy by the Swiss Hear the World Foundation in partnership with the Global Foundation for Children with Hearing Loss. As it is the realityfor many families in Vietnam, Ha’s parents would have never been able to cover the costs of the implant and the surgery and Ha would never have had the chance to hear properly. Thanks to the donation, the little girl is able to learn to listen and talk, develop as her hearing peers, and to be prepared to attend mainstream school. (Photocredit: Tim Barker)
Fit minds kick goals – Z Zurich Foundation
In Australia, Tackle Your Feelings (TYF) is a mental well-being training program funded by the Z Zurich Foundation and offered to community AFL clubs in urban, rural and remote areas across Australia, supporting the well-being of players and their families, coaches and club volunteers. It recognizes the unique role that community coaches and football clubs play in improving the well being and social cohesiveness of local communities.The TYF training is developed and delivered by accredited psychologists and was modelled on the mental health training provided at the 18 professional AFL clubs. It supports de-stigmatization and greater awareness around mental health issues, but importantly, also behavioral change. At present, the program’s goal is to train 5,000 coaches, at 500 clubs, to ultimately support more than 50,000 young people and their families. (Photocredit: Australian Football League)
A perfect tandem – UBS Foundation for Social Issues and Education
One bike, two menand many reasons to smile: Vinzent and Simon met in a bike workshop of Velafrica in Bern. Vinzent, a local guy, chose Velafrica for a social gap year while Simon is a refugee from Eritrea who takes part in their integration program. Every day herepairs old bicycles in a tandem with a German speaking mechanic or volunteer. That way he can improve his German, learn more about Swiss culture and gain work experience. It helps him settle into Switzerland and hopefully to find a job. But that is not all. Because the bikes he repairs will be shipped to Africa where local partners run bike businesses and workshops, creating a livelihood for themselves and jobs for others. Now that’s what we call a win-win situation. (Photocredit: Sophie Stieger)
New ideas for demographic change – Age Foundation
From an economic point of view,it is interesting whenpeople can use their own resources for as long as possible. In order to support them, elderly people need family, friends or other people they can trust and which provide them with the amount of security they need. To support the process of getting older, people depend on housing offers and living environments that respond to their needs. In the example, a couple of caretakers take on the role of contact persons. The Age-Stiftung supports projects that lay emphasis oninnovative aspects of housing for older people. (Photocredit: Ursula Meisser, Zürich)
Changemakers at play – Swiss Re Foundation
Boys enjoy a game of kabaddi during recess at the Gyansanvardhini School in Satara, Maharashtra (India).
Improving the nutrition of young adolescents has the potential to break the intergenerational cycle of poor health. In the Nourishing Schools to Life programme, local entrepreneurs, schools and communities collaborate in an act of solidarity toward a more nutritious and economically robust future for children as well as their families across India. The Swiss Re Foundation empowers communities to build resilience in this project by increasing access to and consumption of nutritious food. In partnership with Ashoka, the world’s largest network of social entrepreneurs, we supported the development of the Nourishing Schools to Life programme that turns school children into changemakers who bring new knowledge and healthy habits home to their families. (Photocredit: Christian Bobst Photography)
Tags
