Ahlström Collective Impact celebrates World Children's Day together with UNICEF Finland
United Nations' World Children's Day is celebrated on November 20 each year to promote children's rights and welfare. Ahlström Collective Impact joins forces with UNICEF Finland to raise awareness about the wellbeing of the new generations as part of the World Children's Day celebrations.
This year Ahlström Collective Impact wants to draw attention especially to quality education. The Convention on the Rights of the Child states that every child has the right to an education. To remind everyone about this right and children's rights in general, the members of Ahlström Collective Impact spread the message about World Children's Day among their employees and external stakeholders. This includes different internal and external communication campaigns and activities taking place during November 15-20.
Read more about World Children's Day: https://www.un.org/en/observances/world-childrens-day
Read more about Ahlström Collective Impacts investment into UNICEF's Global Education Program here.
Ahlström Collective Impact makes a significant investment into UNICEF’s Global Education Program
Ahlström Collective Impact is a joint responsibility initiative by the Ahlström Network companies and foundations. As of June 2021, this unique collaboration forum has been further strengthened as Suominen and Enics along with the Walter Ahlström Foundation have joined Ahlström Collective Impact. For 2021, Ahlström Collective Impact has succeeded in more than doubling the investment it makes and donates 600,000 euros into UNICEF’s Global Education Program.
Initiated by the Eva Ahlström Foundation in 2020, Ahlström Collective Impact is a unique co-operation model that joins together the Ahlström Network companies and foundations. Ahlström Collective Impact consists of Ahlström Capital, Ahlstrom-Munksjö, Destia, Enics, Glaston, Suominen, Antti Ahlström Perilliset, Eva Ahlström Foundation and Walter Ahlström Foundation and it acts in partnership with UNICEF Finland.
Ahlström Collective Impact is designed for targeted strategic investments that support the realization of selected United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In order to support the goal for quality education (SDG number 4), Ahlström Collective Impact has decided to direct its investment of 600,000 euros to UNICEF’s Global Education Program.
In 2020, Ahlström Collective Impact focused on supporting the COVID-19 crisis aid to children. In 2021, Ahlström Collective Impact will focus on the learning crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
To address the learning crisis, UNICEF strives to ensure every student gains a solid foundation in basic reading and mathematics – skills that are the foundation for all learning throughout childhood and beyond. Focusing on the most marginalized children in low- and middle-income countries, is critical for meaningful progress on all targets under SDG number 4.
“The private sector has a huge role in the realization of the SDGs and for finding new ways to collaborate. To further demonstrate our belief that prosperous businesses and stable societies are interdependent, shareholders from the Ahlström Family decided to match the companies’ investment for the year 2021”, comments Maria Ahlström-Bondestam, Co-founder and Chair of the Board at the Eva Ahlström Foundation.
Summary of Ahlström Collective Impact's and UNICEF's 2020 COVID-19 response published
These young girls are practicing safe handwashing in Odisha, India as part of UNICEF’s work against COVID-19. Last year Ahlström Collective Impact focused on supporting children’s wellbeing and health during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the investment of 240 000 euro, UNICEF could, for example,
- provide 50 healthcare facilities with supplies of water and sanitation equipment in Nepal, and
- provide 125 000 school children with access to remote learning programs when schools were disrupted in Guinea-Bissau, and
- reach 1 million people with urgent health and hygiene messaging through social media in Costa Rica.
Disruptions to society caused by the pandemic have had a heavy impact on children: on their safety, their well-being, and their future. As these services were compromised, UNICEF took action to prevent this health crisis turning into a child rights crisis.
Read the summary here.
The UNICEF response to COVID-19
In 2020, Ahlström Collective Impact focuses on supporting the COVID-19 crisis aid to children, the hidden victims of the pandemic. The coronavirus pandemic has both short- and long-term impacts on the health, well-being and the development of children, and UNICEF is tackling these challenges by supporting governments worldwide in their efforts to secure basic healthcare and education for every child. The COVID-19 pandemic has upended the lives of children and their families as health systems buckle, borders close, and schools and businesses shutter.