ING Chances for Children
Education: Every Child’s Right
By supporting quality educational programmes, our global community investment programme, ING Chances for Children, empowers children worldwide to discover their own potential and enable them to build a better future for themselves and for the community around them.
Children are the cornerstones of a well-developed world. They are the leaders of tomorrow and their formative years are of crucial importance. Without education, their future is uncertain. They are more vulnerable to abuse and poverty and their chance of becoming infected with HIV increases exponentially.
Since the launch of the programme in 2005, thousands of ING employees have been involved as donors and volunteers. From homework assistance projects and mentoring programmes to painting classrooms and renovating playgrounds, ING employees are really making a difference in their communities.
ING Chances for Children & UNICEF
ING has joined forces with UNICEF and our global partnership has been running since 2005. Together we are dedicated to supporting children’s education, thereby contributing to the Second Millennium Development Goal of the United Nations. As one of UNICEF’s biggest international corporate partners, we support three education-focused UNICEF projects in Zambia, India and Ethiopia.
All employee donations to UNICEF are doubled by ING!
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Why these three countries?
The ING for Something Better Foundation decided to focus its global community development programme in two areas of the world where primary school enrolment rates are the lowest: Africa and Asia.Through our partnership with UNICEF, local ING business units can also team up with local UNICEF offices and lend financial or in-kind support to advance our common cause: the well-being of children. Local partnerships are particularly effective because they allow the ING Chances for Children Foundation and UNICEF to take advantage of each other’s unique position at a community level.
Ethiopia
Despite making enormous headway in terms of primary school enrolment over the last few years the Ethiopian education system continues to face serious challenges. Most significantly, progress in achieving universal primary education is not consistent across the country. Regions populated by pastoralist groups such as the Afar Regional State are lagging far behind.
The UNICEF-ING Chances for Children project operating in the Afar region aims to provide basic educational opportunities to children and the youth outside the formal primary education system to help achieve the UN Millennium Development Goal of Universal Education in Ethiopia. As these children are part of nomadic communities, the project is aimed at providing them with ‘portable schools’ and an adjusted form of education
India
India has the highest number of working children in the developing world. Without basic education, child labourers unwittingly become part of a self-perpetuating cycle of illiteracy and poverty. They get stuck in dead- end jobs and their social and economic conditions remain largely unchanged throughout their adult lives.
UNICEF and ING Chances for Children want to give the working children in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu a second chance. The educational ING CfC-supported project operating in the area focuses on providing quality education to children working for minimal wages at jobs that require little to no skill. The programme also targets children who are out of school and therefore extremely vulnerable to becoming child labourers.
Zambia
64% of the population of Zambia lives on less than $1 a day. On top of that, the country has been very hard hit by HIV/AIDS. The impact of HIV has multiple effects on individuals, families and communities: as their parents become ill and die, young children are pre-maturely confronted with care-giving and provider responsibilities.
ING Chances for Children supports community schools in remote areas in the Luapula Province, which has some of the poorest educational statistics in the country. The schools offer quality education to vulnerable children affected by HIV/ AIDS through improved access to basic and community schools. The programme also includes the provision of safe water and sanitation facilities, prevention of HIV and AIDS among youths through teaching of life skills and capacity building for teachers.
UNICEF at a glance
UNICEF (the United Nations Children's Fund) was founded in 1946 to meet the emergency needs of children in war-torn Europe, China and the Middle East. By 1950, UNICEF's mandate was extended to address the problems of children in the developing world. UNICEF now works in 155 countries and territories throughout Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and Central and Eastern Europe.
Visit UNICEF’s website
ING Chances for Children supports Local Initiatives
Supporting education in the communities where we do business
Healthy communities make good business sense, but ING’s commitment to children’s education is about more than that. At ING, we believe in giving back to the communities where we operate. That’s why ING Chances for Children encourages employees to support local organisations dedicated to children’s education.
ING Employees making a difference
Since the launch of the program, thousands of ING employees have gotten involved as donors and volunteers. From homework assistance projects and mentoring programs to painting classrooms and renovating playgrounds, ING employees are really making a difference in their communities.
For more information go to our local chapters.
ING Global Challenge
Countless employees donate their time and money to the programme. That is why we have created an annual event that will capture the charitable spirit of ING employees everywhere. Every year– the United Nations International Day of the Child in November – employees across the organisation will come together for the annual ING Chances for Children Global Challenge and volunteer or fundraise for community development.
With an impressive 29 countries participating, the first ever ING Chances for Children Global Challenge proved to be a great success. More than 10% of our employees participated in the ING Global Challenge 2008.
Get involved in your own community?
Do you want to get involved in your own community? Please visit your Local Chapter
Start your own initiative or join the Global Challenge
If you would like to start your own initiative or participate with your business unit in the Global Challenge, please visit our CR library of helpful tools to get you started (ING employees only).
Find out more about ING in the community.
