Corporate volunteering all around the globe
All across the world, Kärcher employees are volunteering for environmental, social and hygiene-related projects. But what does this look like in concrete terms? We'll take you on a little trip around the world and introduce you to three corporate volunteering campaigns.
From Chile to India, from reforestation to education – Kärcher employees lend a hand where help is needed. The three corporate volunteering projects demonstrate how every individual can play their part in creating a better future.
Aid for the Cerro Renca: Kärcher Chile plants trees
Heat, drought, fires. The number of trees in the Cerro Renca, a nature reserve in the north of Santiago de Chile, has been shrinking for many years. While climate change is the main culprit, deforestation of trees for heating is also causing greenery to disappear. The consequences are drastic – frequent fires with heat that is almost unbearable for local residents. This forms a vicious cycle; since there is no cooling from the shade of the trees, this causes temperatures to rise and and so does the risk of fires.
The Cultiva foundation, which has been taking steps to protect the environment in Chile for over 20 years, is familiar with the problem. The organisation therefore set itself a goal to combat climate change – by planting 15,000 new trees on the Cerro Renca to create "a green lung" that will cover several hectares of land in the future. They also work closely together with the local community to raise the locals' awareness of the effects of climate change.
Employees at Kärcher Chile also wanted to volunteer with the reforestation initiative. A total of 55 volunteers from the Kärcher branch, which is situated less than 20 km away from the Cerro Renca, lent a hand as part of a volunteering campaign. Equipped with shovels and spades, gloves and buckets, they planted over 200 seedlings.
In order to grow the seedlings into trees that can provide the urgently needed shade, the foundation will be looking after them and watering them for five years. The intention is to create 30 hectares of native vegetation.
Kärcher India: Education and hygiene for a better future
Our journey continues to the other side of the world, to India. There are around 230 million people living in poverty in the country. This is a multifaceted problem with a wide range of drivers, such as a lack of formal education and a social system that makes upward mobility difficult. This results in high unemployment, unequal poverty rates and child labour.
For over two years, Kärcher India has been supporting the non-governmental organisation Vidya. A group that has been helping the most vulnerable members of underprivileged communities – women, children and adolescents – for some 35 years.
At the core of Vidya's activities is education and Kärcher's volunteers also like to help in this area. Every Thursday, Kärcher workers visit schools in Bal Vihar and Malviya Nagar in the Indian capital of New Delhi, where they teach English and Maths. The corporate volunteering program is popular, with around 100 employees having volunteered in the schools to date. Their working hours are carefully coordinated so that they can have time for the lessons during the working day.
As a manufacturer of cleaning solutions, Kärcher is well aware of the importance of hygiene, particularly for health. As part of their involvement with Vidya, Kärcher employees impart their knowledge about the relevance of hygiene to women, children and adolescents in underprivileged communities.
Moreover, the volunteers' participation extends far beyond lessons in schools – two of the Kärcher employees share their expertise in yoga and martial arts workshops for children and adolescents, which strengthen both the body and mind.
A clean home for four-legged friends: Kärcher Australia lends a hand at the animal shelter
Our last stop is in Australia. Animal lovers will know how important it is for pets to have a clean and safe home. Maintaining hygienic conditions is a big challenge at the animal shelter of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) Australia, which takes in countless animals every day.
We have therefore been supporting the RSPCA with annual clean-up operations for a number of years now. Employees swap their office chairs for high-pressure cleaners, vacuum cleaners and window vacuums to provide the animals with a clean and healthy environment.
This is also the case at the RSPCA animal shelter in Burwood, Victoria. Every year, a team of Kärcher employees cleans the entrance areas, indoor and outdoor kennels, and areas in which animals are introduced to potential new owners. The members of staff wipe, scrub, spray and vacuum to make sure that every corner is sparkling clean.
The RSPCA is one of the largest and most well-known animal welfare organisations in Australia. They work to rescue, rehabilitate and re-home animals that have been abused, neglected or abandoned. The support provided by Kärcher helps the RSPCA to continue its work.
These partnerships are examples of Kärcher's worldwide social commitment. The company supports a variety of social projects and initiatives to make a positive contribution to society. Kärcher particularly focuses on the areas of the environment and resources, family and social matters, as well as cleaning and hygiene.
