News
NINE SSA PROJECTS RECEIVE A [GRUNDFOS FOUNDATION] COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT GRANT
09-Jul-2024
In light of the Coronavirus, the Grundfos Foundation also known as the Poul Due Jensen Foundation (PDJF), Founded by Grundfos founder – Poul Due Jensen has set up a community engagement grant to the value of 20 million Danish Krone. The grant aims to aid companies of the Grundfos group to reach out locally during this COVID -19 Pandemic.
The Community Engagement grant was established in Mid-April as the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly spread across the globe increasing the number of persons affected by the Coronavirus. This, therefore, resulted in the Grundfos Foundation swiftly acting to forge a way to foster aid and contribute positively to the pandemic by supporting organizations that are pledging to ‘do good’ in response to the pandemic. The community engagement grant is also an opportunity of fostering good social responsibility relations whilst giving back to our communities in this critical time of need. The grant is awarded to organizations that will help mitigate the spread of the virus, provide support and safety for critical services frontline personnel, provide community sustainability and resilience through providing critical life resources as well as other forms of critical support in relation to the pandemic. "The main idea behind the grant is to support Grundfos companies exercising social responsibility in collaboration with local partners. Right now, however, we recognise that COVID-19 response is the most pressing topic everywhere” says the Executive Director of the Grundfos Foundation.
There are 9 projects across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) that have thus far been approved and have received the community grant, namely: Give back Ghana, Save our Schools, National Business Initiative, ACE Charity, Ugandan Pharmaceutical Society, Andando Foundation, Genesis Trust, Water Institute of Southern Africa and the Rural Development Organization. Give back Ghana is a Ghana Based initiative that commenced during the lockdown to provide food packages to the community similarly to Genisis Trust who are based in South Africa, both Genesis Trust and Give Back Ghana are providing food parcels to vulnerable families. Save our Schools and the National Business Initiative, both based in South Africa are focusing on WASH facilities by installing handwashing stations within informal settlements for the residents therein as a measure to mitigate the spread of the Coronavirus. ACE Charity in Nigeria is airing educational subjects on the radio for learners who are currently homeschooled due to the COVID-19, they also air information on the pandemic. The Ugandan Pharmaceutical Society has embarked on selling low-cost sanitizers 3 low-income communities in Uganda to ensure that the communities are able to afford sanitizers, while the Rural Development Organization will be creating water supply by installing boreholes in communities in Tanzania. The Water Institute of Southern Africa is providing 3D Facemasks across South Africa alongside 3D printing hobbyists who are rallying together to provide facemasks to frontline workers. Lastly, the Andando Foundation in Senegal is establishing a community farm for women empowerment, wherein women will learn skills development whilst growing produce to feed their families.
The projects selected for the community engagement grant vary in durations, ranging from short term to long term and thus range from 1 month to 2 years and encompass several local partnerships by the organizations to ensure that they are carried out successfully. Most of the projects selected contain a sustainability element and include a community engagement element, with some of the projects being run by the community themselves thus enabling community participation and collaboration through ownership. All selected projects have ownership of the project, with the Grundfos Foundation coming in as a funder and partner to ensure that projects are successfully implemented.
The community engagement grant will continue until the 20 Million Danish Krone has been awarded across the globe and can be applied for through a Grundfos entity.