- OMV moves more for Caritas, HOPE'87 and SOS Children's Villages
- Support for children in Austria, Bulgaria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Romania and Slovakia
OMV celebrated a successful year's sponsorship with a gala event last night. A total of EUR 300.000 raised through OMV Move & Help -- the largest charity campaign in the group's history -- was handed over to Caritas, HOPE'87 and SOS Children's Villages. The proceeds will help finance education projects for around 1.700 children and teenagers in Austria, Bulgaria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Romania and Slovakia. The checks, each to a value of EUR 100.000, were presented by the OMV Rally Team led by Manfred Stohl, Jani Paasonen and Sebastian Vollak. The team has also been backing the campaign throughout the rally season.
OMV actively involved in education projects
OMV Move & Help, launched in mid-May 2004, is aimed at supporting education projects for children and teenagers and giving young people a hand in shaping their own futures. "OMV wants to be involved in social activities and I am delighted that we attracted such well-established partners for OMV Move & Help. Together with our partners we are giving children and teenagers access to an education and in doing so the chance of a better future," explained CEO Wolfgang Ruttenstorfer.
Schooling and courses for around 1.700 children and teenagers in Europe
Numerous children and teenagers will benefit from the EUR 100.000 donations which Caritas, HOPE'87 and the SOS Clearing House in Salzburg each received. The five "Leaning for Life" projects run by Caritas in Bulgaria, Romania and Slovakia will give some 1.150 Roma children access to an education and hot meals for a year and a half. In 2005, around 500 young war victims, war orphans and mine victims will be offered computer, language and study courses under HOPE'87's "Hope for Sarajevo" project. The SOS Clearing House in Salzburg will use the money to extend and secure its education program for a further two years. During this time the center will give schooling and other support to between 50 and 60 young asylum seekers.
OMV Move & Help Partner and their projects
Caritas Austria
Learning for Life - help for Roma children in Bulgaria, Romania and Slovakia
The EUR 100.000 raised by OMV Move and Help will enable 1.150 Roma children to attend school for a year and a half in a total of five projects in Bulgaria, Romania and Slovakia. In addition to school materials and extra lessons, children will be given a warm meal each day, clothing and sanitary articles. As well as schooling, the project comprises structured leisure activities.
The Roma are among the poorest of the poor. If the parents are in serious financial difficulty it is almost impossible for their children break the poverty cycle. Education is the key to change and is the only hope of a better future.
In Roma settlements across Europe, unemployment often runs as high as 90 percent with social isolation further compounding the problem. Roma children frequently attend only special schools and access to mainstream schooling is often denied to them. The reasons are not lack of intelligence or motivation, but language and comprehension problems, as well as acute financial difficulties in the family.
EUR 20 is all it takes for Caritas to provide a Roma child with a school starter kit. Another EUR 20 is enough for extra lessons to help children with learning difficulties catch up.
Contact:
Caritas Austria
Silke Ruprechtsberger,
Felicitas Filip
Tel. +43 (0)1 488 3100
E-mail: s.ruprechtsberger@caritas-austria.at,
f.filip@caritas-austria.at
www.caritas-austria.at
HOPE'87 (official UNESCO project partner)
HOPE for Sarajevo -- help for war-injured children and teenagers in Bosnia-Herzegovina
OMV's donation will give over 500 children and teenagers, war orphans, amputees, mine victims and other socially disadvantaged young people access to educational facilities over the next 12 months. These include computer classes ranging from beginner to AUTOCAD courses, English and German courses, Internet access and extra tuition and training in learning skills to give children and teenagers in Sarajevo the chance of a brighter future. The education program is accompanied by medical and psychiatric help supplied by a highly motivated team of Bosnian teachers and doctors who have been working with children since 1993.
Bosnia-Herzegovina is one of the most heavily mined nations on earth. Austrian initiative HOPE'87, based in Sarajevo, is a comprehensive long-term aid program mainly aimed at helping young civilian victims of the war.
The aim is to rehabilitate war disabled children and young people by offering medical and psychiatric help, and educational programs which include language and computer courses as well as training in learning skills. The project gives these disabled children and teenagers a chance of entering the job market and seeing the future in a more hopeful light.
Contact:
HOPE'87
Robert Ottitsch
Tel. +43 (1) 982 71 15
E-mail: office@hope87.at
SOS Children's Village
SOS Clearing House, Salzburg - for minors seeking refuge in Austria
The Clearing House will use the EUR 100,000 from OMV Move & Help to expand its education program. The proceeds will be used invested in psychiatric and social care, one-on-one literacy coaching, expanding the existing German course and a new educational focus -- foundation training for school. The new program will give young people effective support and help to keep class sizes to a minimum. It also gives the young people a structured daily routine. This gives teenagers of school leaving age who are unable to find employment the chance to develop a positive outlook on life. The 100.000 euro is enough to continue the program for two years and teach and support between 50 and 60 young asylum seekers.
"Alone in Austria, but not alone" is the motto at the SOS Children's Village Clearing House in Salzburg. Every year it provides shelter for up to 100 unaccompanied minors seeking asylum, irrespective of their legal status.
The center offers the young people basic support for everyday life, as well as medical treatment and psychological support, advice on legal and asylum issues, and help finding jobs and a place to live. Language courses, and assistance with completing their education enable them to regain control over their lives.
-Ends-
Contact:
SOS Children's Village
Renate Lehnort
Tel. +43 (0)1 907 6090
E-mail: renate.lehnort@sos-kinderdorf.at
SOS Clearing-House Salzburg
Johann Svager
Tel. + 43 (0)662 63 6766
E-mail: clearing-house.salzburg@sos-kinderdorf.at, www.sos-kinderdorf.at
For more information visit: www.omv.com
Photo service:
www.GEPA-pictures.com/download/omv > OMV Move & Help Gala 2004
Source: OMV/GEPA
Editorial use free of charge
Contact:
OMV Aktiengesellschaft
Bettina Gneisz
Tel.: +43 (0)1 40440 21660
E-mail: bettina.gneisz@omv.com
OMV Aktiengesellschaft
Brigitte Mhlwisch
Tel.: +43 (0)1 40440 21551
E-mail: brigitte.muehlwisch@omv.com
Trimedia Communications
Birgit Brandner
Tel.: +43 (0)1 524 430064
E-mail: birgit.brandner@trimedia.
© Press Release 2004
