Today, Roche Lebanon employees participate in the 2015 Roche Children’s Walk at more than 131 company sites across the world. The funds raised through the event will be used to support children in need, either in the local community or in Malawi in Southeast Africa, one of the world’s least developed countries.
This year Roche Lebanon team walked through Capucins garden in Downtown and took part in the Green Your Lunch, an initiative by Beirut Green project, aiming to support green parks in Lebanon and save the greenery in the city. The employees organized a bake sale for home baked snacks and deserts and raised funds to support the Nawaya Network in Lebanon and a similar amount will be matched and sent to support the Malawi projects.
“The Roche Children’s Walk is a key event in our company’s calendar” said Abed Al Rahman Sabra, Country Manager of Roche Lebanon. “Throughout the years, our purpose has been always to improve lives through providing innovative solutions, pharmaceutical as well as diagnostic products, and with this initiative, we aim to improve the situation of vulnerable children. Today our new approach is also to help make a difference to the Lebanese environment.” He added.
With the donations raised, Roche was able to support to date 17’000
orphan children in cooperation with ECPP (European Coalition of Positive People) and UNICEF Switzerland.
With 62% of the Malawian population living below the international poverty line of USD 1.25 per day and 790,000 children orphaned due to HIV/AIDS, the goal of development efforts is to foster long-term sustainable change in alignment with the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Through partnerships with UNICEF and European Coalition of Positive People (ECPP), Roche contributes to building schools, training teachers, educating children, ensuring sustainable water supply and sanitation, hygiene promotion, decreasing child mortality and supporting orphan centers for children affected by HIV/AIDS.