This year, FIS Informationssysteme und Consulting GmbH (FIS) based in Grafenrheinfeld donates € 15,000 to the emergency fund of Plan International Deutschland, a religiously and ideologically independent aid organization. Plan is globally committed to the chances and rights of children and has more than 80 years of experience in the planning and implementation of projects. “Our donation is a significant sign of our social responsibility towards the society, especially towards children,” describes Christian Lang, management board member, the motivation for the social commitment.
Plan International is the right partner for this purpose: Plan mainly finances the sustainable and child-oriented self-help projects by sponsorships, individual donations and public resources. Plan manages more than 319,000 out of 1.2 million children’s sponsorships worldwide and reaches over three million people in the program countries (such as Ethiopia, Bangladesh, China, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Ghana, Haiti, India, Cambodia, Laos, Mozambique, Nepal, Pakistan, Rwanda, Zambia, Tanzania).
“The number of natural disasters, such as earthquakes, tropical storms or flood catastrophes, increases and particularly affects the poorest. Within a very short time, hundreds of thousands of people lose their homes, their belongings, their incomes and also often the prospects for their future. More and more people are affected by conflicts that sometimes last decades. The emergency fund enables Plan to provide quick and non-bureaucratic help to children and their families in emergency situations: drinking water, food, emergency accommodations and sanitary facilities but also blankets, canvas and sanitary products are offered and distributed in the short term,” reports Bianca Eggert, a long-time sponsor dedicated to the establishment of a voluntary Plan action group in and around Schweinfurt.
Many girls and boys are separated from their families or lose close relatives due to natural catastrophes. Consequently, they are unprotected handed over to violence and exploitation and run the risk of being victims of child trafficking and other violations of children’s rights. Due to catastrophes, they experience massive psychological burdens. “The protection zones established on site by Plan are important for the children so that they can cope with what they have experienced and gain new hold in this secure environment. There, they have the possibility to talk about the incidents with psychologically trained caregivers,” stresses Ralf Bernhardt this important key element of the Plan aid operations.
“Instead of giving Christmas presents to customers, we have decided in favor of an FIS donation. We only receive positive customer feedback for our decision as they have no doubt that the donation reaches those who need it most urgently,” recaps Ralf Bernhardt.
(Picture source: Ursula Lux)