Testimonials from sponsors

“ Making a social contribution ”

In the spring of 2005, the city of Melun organized a symposium on the theme "Companies and disabled people: let's meet up." We set up a stand.

During a debate, I met the chairman of Ohé! Prométhée and was able to appreciate the success of his initiative: in 12 years, they have found work for more than 5,000 disabled people, just in the Seine-et-Marne department ! They were keen to optimize their structure by setting up a multimedia workshop to help people find jobs online. I contacted the Foundation and the project was accepted. The organization has become a valued partner for our HR department. We routinely inform them of job vacancies to that they can identify disabled people who might meet our requirements.

As a director, I set a new goal for my three agency directors: I asked each of them to set up a project financed by the Foundation by the end of 2006. A company cannot develop while ignoring its social environment. One of Veolia Environnement's values is responsibility: "never forget the social and societal dimension of our businesses." By working with the Foundation, our company benefits from an additional factor of differentiation.

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> Ohé-Prométhée 77

Centre for NICT initiation for disabled people seeking employment.

“Giving everyone a chance to enjoy mountain sports.”

I started skiing very young and have tried everything: downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, mountain climbing etc. I was fortunate in being able to share this interest with my whole family.

For him, my daughter and their children, skiing was no longer possible. I found that unacceptable. 
In Chamonix, I met a mountain guide who specializes in working with disabled people. He was a member of the non-profit organization Loisirs Evasion and suggested that I do a training course to qualify for tandem skiing. I did so and the whole family started going skiing again. 

I have remained with Loisirs Assis Evasion, which changed its name and diversified into other activities for disabled people, including wheelchair trekking and tandem hang-gliding. As often as I can, I participate in tandem skiing with disabled people. 
I also try to put my professional skills at the service of the organization: the facilities in ski resorts are not yet very accessible to disabled people and to win this combat you have to bring the different laws to the attention of developers. We do a lot of lobbying with resort managers, manufacturers and installers and the public authorities. I contribute technical advice. 
We are starting to make our voice heard.

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> Loisirs Assis Evasion

Acquisition of tandem skiing equipment to allow disabled people to enjoy downhill skiing

“ People are really starting to become aware of environmental conservation in China. ”

When I heard that the Veolia Foundation was seeking projects to support and that company employees could get involved, I didn't waste any time signing up, since I was myself looking for a local initiative to support.

I have been based in Hong Kong for eight years. I travel a great deal in China and am well aware of the extraordinary contrasts that can exist between living conditions in the big cities and in rural zones. I didn't want to work on a waterrelated project because I was afraid people would say I was doing business under cover of humanitarian action. That is why I made contact with the local office of Heifer International, an NGO that supports initiatives to improve living conditions for very disadvantaged people, so that we could work together on developing a coherent project.

We joined forces around a project combining environmental conservation and improving the economic and sanitary conditions of people living in the Minshan mountains. People are really starting to become aware of environmental conservation in China today and this is a good time to develop renewable energies such as biogas. 
The solution also dovetails perfectly with the government's environmental and energy policy. Today,we have equipped some 40 families, with very positive results: 64% less wood consumed per family and better conditions of hygiene in the kitchens, toilets and pigsties. Next year we want to install solar panels to supply the dwellings with hot water and increase biogas yield. 

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> Biogas Development

Installing biogas heating systems in mountain villages in Sichuan to improve living conditions and combat deforestation.

"Helping young orphans build their future"

Administrative and financial director at Veolia Water in the UK, sponsors the Kisumu Children Trust, which provides care and accommodation for orphaned children in Kisumu in Kenya, on the shores of Lake Victoria.

I have known the chairman of the Kisumu Children Trust for many years and in 2001 I decided to participate in the trust's work by sponsoring a child. Today I am an active member of the trust.

I had been interested for some years in investingmy energy in a small structure: there are so many people in need in the world and it seemed right to give a little of my time, but it is difficult to decide what to support. I was moved by the situation of these young orphans: they are highly motivated to continue their studies -and some of them are extremely brilliant- but the Kenyan school system is terribly selective (much more so than ours!) and very expensive. It is out of reach for children with no outside help.

I find it very gratifying to think that we are not only giving them a home and enough to eatbut also helping them "pull through" by providing high-quality education and support. We are really giving them the opportunity to build a future for themselves: we help them choose the trade to which they are best suited or continue their studies at university. When they leave the orphanage at around 20, we know that they can "stand on their own two feet." It's our way of helping Kenyan society... 

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> Kisumu Children Trust

Participation in construction of a new orphanage in Kisumu.

“The duty to act in a socially responsible manner”

Over the last 15 years, Saxony - and more particularly the Chemnitz region where Neukirchen is located - has lost a great many industrial jobs. New companies are now being created and towns are starting to rehabilitate their buildings and infrastructure. However, it is essential to integrate underprivileged people in this process.

That is why the "open-air classroom" project struck me as very interesting. The nature track was built by unemployed people. By helping children discover nature, it also contributes to social, ecological and educational goals. What's more, children will be given part of the responsibility for maintaining the track, allowing them to learn a sense of responsibility at an early age.
I am delighted that the Veolia Environnement Foundation is supporting this kind of initiative - and contributing to its success. I believe that companies in the industrialized countries have a duty to act in a socially responsible manner. Alongside this financial support, the personal commitment of employees is crucial for passing on know how. After this first experience as a sponsor, I am convinced that the success of a project depends at least as much on the commitment of the people involved as on the amount of the grant awarded. 

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> Kulturkreis Neukirchen

Creation of a nature discovery track aimed at educating schoolchildren about ecology and environmental conservation.

“A very rewarding exchange...”

Some people don't take biodiversity very seriously - they think it's rather utopian.
But for me it's a very serious question. If we're not careful to preserve biodiversity, we'll end up breaking links in the chain of life.

In a big city like Paris, I thought thatthe idea of carrying out a census of all the species of nesting birds was veryinteresting. There are lots of birds in our trees: the famous falcons of Notre-Dame,owls... I learned for instance that there was a very rare bird found only on thebanks of the Canal de l'Ourcq! I was keen to get involved in a project supported bythe Veolia Environnement Foundation and when I saw that Corif* was looking for asponsor, I decided to volunteer.
My work as a sponsor doesn't take much time, butit gives me the opportunity to do my bit. It has also allowed me to meet some veryfascinating people who have taught me a great deal. It also showed them that thecorporate world can take an interest in their cause. I find this exchange veryrewarding, very promising for the future.
Young people understand this well: in mywork in recruitment, the young people I meet very often ask questions about therole of our Foundation. It's one of the reasons why they want to join the company.

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> Corif (Centre ornithologique d'Ile-de-France)

Creation of an atlas of nesting birds in Paris.

“Putting the concept of solidarity into practice”

In charge of recruitment in the HRD at Générale des Eaux Paris Region, Delphine Drouaud is also the enthusiastic sponsor of Femmes Actives, a workforce development company.

Why did you agree to become a sponsor?

Even before becoming a sponsor, I wanted to become involved in doing something concrete, and I wanted to meet people I could help. Acting as a sponsor as required by the Veolia Environnement Foundation seemed a good way of putting into practice an ideal I'm very much attached to, namely solidarity.

How did the processing phase of the project go for you?

When I met the "Femmes Actives" team, I started out by just listening: they told me how they had set up their company, and about the problems of securing its long-term future without external funding.
They showed me their application, and I checked the estimates for the equipment they wanted to buy, and discussed the feasibility of their project with them. It was all quite relaxed, really. After that, I helped them to get their application paperwork into better shape - I took advice from the Foundation team on that.
Finally, I wrote a letter supporting their project to the Selection Committee. 

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> Société coopérative Femmes actives services

Reintegration of women in difficulty through development of a catering service.

“Local initiatives aimed at bringing about international progress”

Formerly responsible for staff development in the HRD at Veolia Environnement, Patrick Flicoteaux, now retired, is sponsor to the Kompong Thom project in Cambodia.
 

Is your work with the most disadvantaged members of society something you've become involved in just recently?

No, certainly not! My first job involved organizing the "Campaign against Hunger" in France, on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as part of the programme launched by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. And a few years back I was involved, as an employee of Générale des Eaux, in supporting a workforce development organization in the printing and cardboard packaging sector.

How did your sponsorship happen?

Instigated by the Red Cross and its local partner, Caritas-Cambodia, it was a very well organized project. Of course, when a project is run by such a major NGO, the sponsor's role basically calls for just common sense and a bit of curiosity.

What do you think of this sponsorship system?

I personally feel it's a tremendous opportunity for Veolia employees. It gives them a chance to help those who are worst off by contributing their professional expertise. I'm sure that in the longer term all these "micro" projects will have an influence on policy-making at both the national and the international level.

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> Secours catholique/Caritas Cambodge

Rural development program for 19 districts in the province of Kompong Thom.

“ Very moving family stories! ”

A back-to-work project developed by the Secours Populaire in the Orne départment of France.

I am very sensitive to the problem of companies closing down, leaving behind them a region where there are no more jobs. When I heard about the creation of the Veolia Foundation and its purpose, I looked around to find a project that would correspond to this type of issue.

This is how I found out about the Secours Populaire in the Orne department and its goal of helping people excluded from mainstream society move back into employment.

In and around Alençon, the Moulinex factory had closed down, along with a hosiery manufacturer, a wooden pallet manufacturer and various SMEs in the steel industry.

In just a few years, hundreds of jobs disappeared. Altogether, there were 1,800 very poor families in the department including 200 surviving on the RMI (minimum income support). A lot of people had worked in low wage jobs and once they lost them they did not have the means to seek work elsewhere. Some of them are now living in extremely difficult conditions.

Thanks to the different projects it has set up - a shop selling very low-priced food and clothes, an IT room, a beautician's office and a day care center for children, to which it will shortly be adding a building renovation team - the Secours Populaire helps them get back onto the ladder. I have visited some of them and will be visiting them again.... every time I am deeply moved by the stories of the families that I meet!

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> Secours Populaire de l'Orne : Supporting activities for disadvantaged families in the region: initiation to IT and job-seeking assistance.

What was the Veolia Environnement Foundation funding for?

The financial assistance awarded to Ateliers sans frontières has enabled to optimize both the outdated computers collection and their recovery. Thanks to this support, Ateliers sans frontières has managed to buy a collection truck and some equipment in order to check if computer screens work properly. I realized how professional and efficient they were when I visited their workshops.

What did you do then to help them?

As Triade Electronic's business is the recycling of discarded electrical and computer equipment, I thought we could work together.We now call on Ateliers sans frontières to collect the scrapped equipment in the Val-de-Marne region. Furthermore, we've agreed to supply them with a part of the more recent computers we get from our clients.
So they can test them, refurbish them and then send them out to Africa via a NGO.

What do you see coming out of this collaboration?

The human and social dimension of the project, together with the respect for environmental standards and the guarantee of a high degree of traceability, will be complementary to Triade Electronic's particular line of business. My team even won the 2005 Veolia Environnement Award for Social Initiatives, in the jobs category thanks to this partnership.

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> Ateliers sans frontières: computer recycling workshop

"The strength of partnership between a small structure and a large Company"

AIFR's work consists of collecting a mixed bag of small household appliances from waste drop-off centers then sorting and dismantling them in workshops. This activity struck me as very complementary with the actions of Veolia Environmental Services, which is keen to develop collection of WEEE (waste electrical and electronic equipment) within municipalities.

We therefore set up a partnership between this small structure and our Company. For once, this is not David against Goliath, but David and Goliath moving ahead together!

Goal : to double the number of jobs

Today, five people on back-to-work schemes are in charge of collecting and completely dismantling small household appliances. They cut open the cables, recover aluminum and steel, eliminate polluting substances and send the different products to the right recycling process. The organization is keen to double the number of jobs it offers, primarily intended for women in difficulty and young people without work qualifications. This is particularly important in the bocage region in Normandy, a farming area with little industry and not many jobs available for women.

I found being a sponsor a very enriching experience. Within Veolia Environnement, we are used to working with local authorities and some of our personnel management methods are different from those of non-profit organizations working on back-to-work schemes. I was able to share my knowledge with people who have a different kind of experience. I also met people living in very precarious circumstances and people coping with disabilities. It put me in touch with a reality that I sometimes tend to forget. In a way, I too was able to help people in difficulty get back into the saddle and find a job and I am very happy to have done this. 

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> AIFR Bocage

Refurbishing the new premises of the association for developing landfill recycling activity.

“These insects render an absolutely indispensable service to nature and to man.”

Sabrina Thétis, a special "sustainable development" assistant at Veolia has for several months been observing the work of a PhD candidate preparing a thesis in connection with a joint project between Veolia and the French National Museum of Natural History. Based on studies of the biodiversity present on the corporate sites, a new project has been conceived: evaluating the presence of bumblebees.
Just how are they affected by their urban or rural environment ?
An observatory has been launched.

Why launch a "bumblebee observatory"?

These insects render an absolutely indispensable service to nature and to man: they are pollinators. Without them, many plant species could not reproduce. It so happens that today, between sincere concerns and a lack of accurate data, we do not know how to quantify the impact of human activities on the bumblebee populations.

By launching a study of this type, the idea is not "simply" to protect nature because it is beautiful, but because it provides genuine services.

How will this observatory function ?

Fabien Verfaillie, the person whose thesis is being supported by Veolia, alongside the National Museum of Natural History, and who originated this specific project, has designed an explanatory booklet telling how, after a short training session, you can recognize the various species of bumblebees. Having already worked on the data of the butterfly observatory, he determined that the error rate of the observations collected by volunteer novices was very low. He therefore organized regular training sessions on bumblebee identification. With the accompaniment of the Groupement Associatif de l'Estuaire (GAE), the first tests were conducted around the Loire estuary and in the Ile-de-France area.
For the Paris region, we also rely on the staff of Veolia Eau. The project will then be extended to the whole of France and to all publics.

Being a close acquaintance of Fabien Verfaillie, you naturally became the sponsor of the project: how are you going to get involved?

Well, to my great surprise, I got in too deep! To tell the truth, I really don't like insects all that much, but I spent more and more time on the weekends, in the parks, looking at flower bushes and identifying the varieties of bumblebees! It's tremendous fun.

In addition to that, I will be accompanying Fabien and his association on further steps concerning this observatory. We are thinking about the educational aspect and the tools required to dispense training to primary school students, the idea being that awareness of biodiversity conversation from infancy is important.
Besides, the bumblebee observatory is also aimed at the local authorities and will propose sufficiently rigorous inventories to help them better manage their living heritage. If it turns out that some species are regressing, we could perhaps reverse the trend by reducing the pressure on the environment (limitation of releases into the environment, change in open space management methods, suspension of the use of pesticides, etc.).

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> Groupe Associatif Estuaire (GAE)

Installation of a Bumblebee Observatory, and the tools necessary to enable the public to participate in this study, to assess the reality of the danger facing these pollinating insects.