• In support of communication and integration of persons with disabilities into work environment...
  • Milan: At Henkel, we strive to foster a culture of inclusion that focuses on the skills and individual talents of our people. We strive to make our working environment accessible to all employees, ensuring equal access to opportunities across the entire organization.
  • El-Saie,: Helm Foundation aims to promoting the full participation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of life while creating value to our customers, our people and our investors.

Cairo:  Henkel Egypt conducted a special training for its employees in cooperation with “Helm” Foundation on the occasion of the International Day of Person with Disabilities, which falls on December 3rd every year. The training aims to promote the ethics of dealing with persons with disabilities and the ways to support and fully integrate them into the society, as well as equality in the work environment.

The training tackled several subjects that target raising awareness of Henkel Egypt employees on persons with disabilities-related topics, such as: defining the types of disabilities, understanding the social model of disability, and the ethics of dealing with disabled persons. It also included recreational activities, through which the employees learned how to overcome obstacles to seamlessly and effectively communicate with people with special needs in order to ensure integrating them into work environment.

The training was attended by Amr Elsohagy, the Paralympic swimming champion, and Omnia Elyamani, the first person with disabilities to practice skydiving. Both champions gave inspiring speeches about the challenges they faced as persons with special needs and the ways they sought to overcome them.

In this context, Carol Milan, President and Managing Director of Henkel Egypt, said: “We are happy to celebrate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, with our partner Helm Foundation. Today, diversity, equity and inclusion are deeply anchored in the company strategy and corporate culture. At Henkel, we strive to foster a culture of inclusion that focuses on the skills and individual talents of our people. We strive to make our working environment accessible to all employees, ensuring equal access to opportunities across the entire organization”.

“We raise awareness on the topic of disabilities among all employees. Through our partnership with Helm, we aim to further accelerate our journey of disability inclusion locally. Supporting and empowering persons with disabilities is in Henkel Egypt’s DNA and a core pillar of its sustainability strategy.” Milan added.

From her end, Amena El-Saie, Co-Founder & CEO of Helm Foundation, said, “Promoting the full participation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of life; empowering them and transcending barriers while preparing the society to receive them through various events and trainings similar to our partership with Henkel. We look forward to continuing our cooperation to achieve our vision that aims at establishing an inclusive society that accepts all individual differences.”

It is noteworthy that Henkel Egypt and Helm Foundation has been cooperating for numerous years to upskilling people with disabilities and integrating them into society through different events. Over 30 Henkel Egypt employees have previously volunteered to paint the ramps for disabled persons, which the company donated to be distributed in the governorates of Cairo and Port Said in support of people with special needs in public places. Several initiatives have also been launched, including community celebrations, recreational activities, seminars, panel discussions, and workshops to raise awareness of disability challenges.

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About Henkel Egypt

Henkel began its business operations in Egypt in 1992 and it is continuing to develop its business on a sustainable basis. Henkel Egypt is proud to have established a fruitful relationship with Egyptian consumers and the Egyptian government through its pioneering brands and the trust in both the Egyptian economy and Egyptian talents. Currently, Henkel Egypt employs more than 600 employees. In addition to more than three thousand indirect jobs. Henkel offers excellent development and career opportunities in an international environment. Henkel prides itself as a leader in technology and is committed to technology transfer to the country and development of the Egyptian labor/youth through training and on-the-job development. Henkel is committed to operating sustainably in Egypt and is a responsible corporate citizen; it invests in the community and the environment it operates in as part of its global sustainability strategy and targets.

About Henkel

Henkel operates globally with a well-balanced and diversified portfolio. The company holds leading positions with its three business units in both industrial and consumer businesses thanks to strong brands, innovations and technologies. Founded in 1876, Henkel looks back on more than 140 years of success. In 2020, Henkel reported sales of more than 19 billion euros and adjusted operating profit of about 2.6 billion euros. Henkel employs about 53,000 people globally – a passionate and highly diverse team, united by a strong company culture, a common purpose to create sustainable value, and shared values. As a recognized leader in sustainability, Henkel holds top positions in many international indices and rankings. Henkel’s preferred shares are listed in the German stock index DAX. For more information, please visit www.henkel.com

About Helm Foundation

Helm promotes the full inclusion of persons with disabilities in all aspects of life by eliminating environmental, technological and social barriers through comprehensive inclusion services provided for businesses, professionals and governments.

Amna Elsaay and Ramez Maher co-founded "Helm Foundation" in 2012, and it now it helps more than 200 businesses and 6,000 people with disabilities in Egypt and the region. Amna and Ramez lead the foundation vision, strategy and growth by providing sustainable yet unique solutions to public and private institutions to enhance their policies and strategies towards effective and sustainable inclusion of persons with disabilities in the workplace.

Helm Foundation has been awarded several times for its innovative global practices and business model in many occasions and international competitions such as Zero project, JICA, Rise Egypt and others.