Jungheinrich : Every penny counts

• €31,100 to action medeor e. V. through the 'Donate your Pennies campaign'

• Support for emergency coronavirus assistance in Tanzania and mother and child health in the DR of the Congo

• More than €230,000 already donated to action medeor through the 'Donate your Pennies campaign'

In 2020, Jungheinrich employees donated €31,100 of their salaries to the German medical aid organisation action medeor e.V. as part of the Jungheinrich Donate your Pennies campaign. The money will support coronavirus emergency aid measures in Tanzania and the training of healthcare professionals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As part of the Donate your Pennies campaign, Jungheinrich employees from Germany, Austria, Spain, Portugal and Italy donate the pennies behind the decimal point on their payslips every month for social projects. This tiny amount, just small change to the individual, becomes an impressive sum when pooled over the course of a year. The Jungheinrich Board of Management doubles the amount at the end of each year. Employee participation is voluntary.

Last year, the Donate your Pennies campaign contributed to help fight the Covid-19 pandemic in Tanzania, one of the poorest countries in the world. In the majority of hospitals there, employees still have an inadequate supply of protective material to keep them from becoming infected by the virus. For this reason, Jungheinrich has decided to provide renewed emergency coronavirus assistance. Currently, personnel at several hospitals and health stations are being supplied with desperately needed protective material such as disinfectants, masks, protective glasses and hospital gowns as well as medicines and oxygen units. This is supported by the action medeor subsidiary in Tanzania in cooperation with its long-time local partner, the Christian Social Service Commission (CSSC).

The other portion of the donations this year goes to a project to improve mother and child health in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In collaboration with the Association des Femmes pour la Promotion et le Développement Endogène (AFPDE), action medeor helps train healthcare professionals in South Kivu. Mother and child health and birth assistance can be strengthened by educating skilled workers in this region. Malaria and malnourishment are some main causes of illness and fatalities in the area, and they primarily affect women and children. The project also provides therapeutic nutrition to malnourished residents as well as further education in agricultural cultivation methods to local small farmers, which improves long-term food security.

'We are extremely thankful for Jungheinrich's long-term support of our projects,' says Sid Peruvemba, Board spokesman of action medeor. 'This is a living example of how a company can be socially engaged - both the organisation itself and the employees, each of whom makes a contribution.'

The Donate your Pennies campaign has been in place at Jungheinrich since 2012. In total, approximately €230,000 has already been donated to action medeor using this method. The money goes to specific projects that need extra support at the time. Jungheinrich has supported this organisation, also referred to as the 'world's emergency pharmacy', for years with a wide range of aid projects with monetary and in-kind donations, as well as technical expertise. One drug storage facility in Tanzania and one in Malawi have been equipped with materials, and storage facilities have been expanded at the action medeor headquarters in Tönisvorst, Germany.

Image caption: A project team informs families in the South Kivu region how to protect themselves from disease and malnutrition. © action medeor