FIVE YEARS AGO, HENKEL FRIENDSHIPINITIATIVE E.V. BEGAN ITS WORK ON BEHALF OF PEOPLE IN NEED� Page 4

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HENKEL HAS BEEN SUPPORT-ING THE VOLUNTEER WORK OFITS EMPLOYEES AND RETIREESSINCE 1998� Page 4

BRANDS FOR PEOPLEHENKEL SUPPORTS SOCIAL PROJECTS WITH ITS CORPORATE AND PRODUCT BRANDS

1100YEARS OF MIT

02 EDITORIAL

Kasper Rorsted Chairman of the

Management Board

MIT makes

Henkel unique

OUR VALUES

We are customer driven.We develop superior brands and technologies.We aspire to excellence in quality.We strive for innovation.We embrace change.We are successful because of our people.We are committed to shareholder value.We are dedicated to sustainability and corporate social responsibility.We communicate openly and actively.We preserve the tradition of an open family company.

ong before concepts such as ‘corporate citizenship’ and ‘corporate volunteering’ appeared in business magazines, social engagement was an integral part of Henkel’s corporate culture. The company helped

those in need – not only its employees but also people in the community –and provided funds and other assistance for cultural and social initiatives.This voluntary involvement was simply a matter of course, so much so that itdidn’t have a name. Or did it? Since I joined Henkel, I’ve often heard colleagues talking about the ‘Henkel spirit’: the feeling of belonging that exists between the workforce,the Management Board and the proprietor family. It refers to a willingness to work together for the success of the company, to help one another, and to assist those who need support – beyond the factory gates.Ten years ago, the ‘Henkel spirit’ was much in evidence at the launch of theMIT Initiative (MIT).It provides specific support to employees who are voluntarily involved in projects for children, the aged, underage mothers, the disabled, and peoplewho find themselves in difficult circumstances. MIT also supports voluntarywork in ecological programs, popular sport, and cultural projects.Since 1998, MIT has invested around 11.3 million euros in a total of 5,875 proj-ects. Together, the Henkel Friendship Initiative e.V., our Social Partnerships unit and MIT constitute a triad of social responsibility and support for others.This triad operates under the ‘Henkel Smile’ umbrella. Henkel Smile serves tochannel tangible support, encouragement and inspiration to those who areless well-off.Henkel Smile also shows recognition and appreciation for the helpers,particularly those Henkel employees and retirees who work voluntarily, givingthem the courage to continue with their projects.Tonnages, sales, profits – these are one side of Henkel’s success story, and I’mextremely proud that the company has evolved so well.But I’m overjoyed too that there are so many people involved in MIT and doing so much for their fellow citizens.

Yours

L

HENKEL SMILE 03

The force driving our worldwide engagement

04 HENKEL SMILE

These two children are also a strong team:“We’re real part-ners and together we can overcome all the challenges of thefuture”.

or us, this means the pursuit of economic, ecolog-ical and social goals in equal balance. This ap-proach underlies all the company’s operations

along the entire value chain – from raw materialsthrough production and logistics to the use and dispos-al of our products. We are also committed to a policyof social responsibility beyond our factory gates. Wepursue such ‘CSR’ undertakings under the HenkelSmile umbrella. Henkel sponsors and supports projectsin the areas of social welfare, education and science,movement and health, art and culture, and environ-mental protection.

Last year we restructured our activities in order toalign Henkel Smile more closely to our strategy and ob-jectives and to enhance the transparency and clarity ofthe associated communication measures. There are threechannels through which we support social projects:

1. Via the MIT Initiative (MIT = Make an Impact on Tomorrow), Henkel supports the voluntary socialengagement of employees and retirees in projects thatthey themselves propose and oversee. The employee orretiree acts as the team leader for a community-relatedor children’s project designed to serve the commongood. Henkel’s support for the project comes in theform of material aid, product or monetary donations,or paid leave.

F 2. Through the independent, charitable associationHenkel Friendship Initiative e.V. (HFI), we provide emer-gency aid worldwide for people in need, and specificallythose who have been afflicted by crisis or catastrophe.In the event of natural disasters or personal hardship,the association sends financial and in-kind assistancequickly and with the least possible bureaucratic delay.Besides emergency aid, the charity also supports longer-term reconstruction measures in cooperation with ourcompanies located in the countries affected. Since 2003,HFI’s independent board has been made up of employeesand retirees who volunteer their time.

3.Our corporate and product brand alliances oper-ating under the Social Partnerships umbrella providedonations in support of local communities and socialdevelopment work. We also cooperate with partners

in the implementa-tion of a wealth ofjoint projects andinitiatives.

The emphasis ofHenkel Smile is onhelping others tohelp themselves,the intended out-come being a last-ing improvement inthe recipients’ situ-ation within their

social environment. Henkel employees and retirees playa key role throughout: as the driving force, they are atthe very heart of all Henkel Smile projects – from selec-tion, planning, and organization through to implemen-tation. The particular focus of our engagement is onproviding support for long-term partnerships betweenHenkel and our brands on the one hand, and socialwelfare organizations on the other with the objectiveof working together to combat hardship and overcomespecific challenges. Henkel Smile is founded upon newforms of cooperation: between employees and the com-pany, between social institutions and our strong brandsand innovative technologies, and between industry orother sponsorship partners and the CSR activities ofour Henkel locations throughout the world.

We are convinced that only solutions developed ingenuine partnership can benefit everyone concerned.Across the planet, our Henkel Smile projects are makinga tangible contribution to the achievement of universalsocial objectives such as the eight Millennium Devel-opment Goals of the United Nations.

“Only solutionsdeveloped in genuine partner-ship can benefit everyoneconcerned.”

Social engagement is anchored as firmly in our corporate history as it is in our corporate vision and values. We are committed to conducting all Henkel-related business

activities in a sustainable and socially responsible manner.

Donations for libraries, parish and community facilities, hospitals and youth clubs, assistancefor families in need, and financial support for gifted children from low-income homes:social engagement is as much a part of Henkel’s history as Persil or Pattex. Henkel has alwaysbeen a port of call for people from the local neighborhood when they were at a loss.

s the company enjoyed successand became ever larger, so thenumber of requests for donations

increased. In the 1980s, Corporate Do-nations recorded some 5,000 requestsper year from throughout Germany. Bythe early 1990s, the figure had risen tomore than 8,000 – with a significant in-crease in appeals for aid from refugee or-ganizations – attributable to the far-reaching effects of events such as theChernobyl disaster in April 1986, Ger-man reunification in 1989, the war inthe Balkans in the early 1990s, and, notleast, the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The question for Henkel was how toput its large but nevertheless finite aidbudget to the best possible use for thecommon good. This led to the birth of theMIT Initiative in 1998. In terms of its so-cial engagement, the company has sincebeen committed first and foremost to itsretirees and employees, many of whomcarry out voluntary work alongside theirregular jobs. The principle of the MIT Ini-tiative is charmingly simple: Henkel andthese volunteers are a team, whereby thevolunteer assumes the role of team leaderwith responsibility for ensuring that theorganization for which he or she volun-teers makes efficient use of Henkel’s do-nations to the project concerned.

The MIT Initiative was launched as apilot venture at the Düsseldorf site in1998, supporting 59 projects during itsfirst year. In the years that followed, thisfigure doubled, tripled, and quadrupled:support was given to around 1,300 proj-ects in 2007. The Initiative was rolledout to all Henkel locations in 1999, andwent global in 2002.

A “It is fantastic how the MITInitiative has developedsince 1998. Thanks to theselfless commitmentshown by so many Henkelvolunteers throughout theworld, the MIT scheme hasdeveloped into a fascinat-ing success story, and onethat has benefited manychildren!”

ROLAND SCHULZ,EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT,HUMAN RESOURCESuntil December 31, 2001

HENKEL SMILE 05

MIT10 YEARS

The MIT Network, a skills pool of em-ployees with experience in voluntary proj-ect work, was set up in 1999, again inDüsseldorf. 1999 also saw the first RoundTable – an event organized by the MITInitiative and designed to promote dialogbetween the volunteers. The Round Tablehas boasted an international membershipmake-up every year since 2006.

“From its modest begin-nings, the MIT Initiative hasundergone the most amaz-ing development. It is awonderful network for ourvolunteering employeesand retirees, who in turnhave given it a great repu-tation. Not only does the

MIT Initiative provide the heart of Henkel’s socialengagement, it is also its most vivid expression.And it is one more reason for the high regard inwhich we and others hold our company.”

KNUT WEINKE,EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, HUMAN RESOURCESuntil March 31, 2005

Always there to help the helpers (from left):Nadine Hellhammer and Christa Büchler, thetwo Coordinators of MIT.

PROJECTWORK

THE MIT INITIATIVE’S WORLDWIDE ANNIVERSARY PROJECT

MIT 07

Send your proposal for the Anniversary Project direct to Christa Büchler, HRC-CD, in Düsseldorf byAugust 31, 2008. The applications will be examined inSeptember; the final decision will be made in October,i.e. that’s when the MIT Anniversary jury will select theAnniversary Project from all the proposals. It is hopedthat the result will be announced this year so that thewinning project can kick off in early 2009. Whereverthat may be, for Rüdiger Verheyen-Maassen, who coor-dinates the MIT networks at our German locations,one thing is already certain: “We’re going to make a difference help!” Together with colleagues in MITnetworks in other countries and on other continents, Verheyen-Maassen will be spending several days help-ing out. “Building walls, planting trees, laying pipes –no problem!” he says. “Working together we can makea huge contribution. And the personal contact will alsomean closer ties within the global MIT Network.”

K

Which MIT project should receive once-off anniversary sponsorship worth 100,000 euros? Project proposals are being sought – in all MIT focus areas: social welfare,

education and science, art and culture, movement and health, and ecology. The deadline for applicationsis the end of August 2008.

The MIT Anniversay Project Jury. Top row, left toright: Kasper Rorsted, Dr. Simone Bagel-Trah and Fridtjof Helemann. Bottom row from left to right:Ernst Primosch, Christa Büchler and Rüdiger Verheyen-Maassen.

MIT projects since the inceptionof MIT in 1998 provides im-pressive evidence of the Initia-

tive’s success. The MIT team and all MIT volunteers atHenkel have every reason to celebrate the Initiative’stenth anniversary in style. But Christa Büchler, Coordina-tor of the MIT Initiative from day one, shakes her head:“A massive party? That doesn’t fit with MIT. We’ve gota much better idea: we’re asking all Henkel employeesworldwide to help us find a project that is particularlydeserving of support. This will be our MIT Anniver-sary Project and will receive special sponsorship to thetune of 100,000 euros.”

The plans have been laid, but will only come tofruition if Henkel’s employees and retirees do their bit.The appeal is aimed in the first instance to seasonedvolunteers, i.e. people who already have extensive expe-rience in helping those in impoverished circumstancesfind their feet. Such candidates should be able to assessthe scope of a project and have the confidence to put itinto action with the active assistance of MIT and MITNetwork colleagues. “During your voluntary work,have you ever sighed and thought: ‘If only we had moremoney and more helpers, we could…’?” asks ChristaBüchler. She continues, “What could you do? Well,what you could do now is draw up a detailed projectdescription including anticipated time schedules andcosts. Ask your colleagues if they’re willing to help outon your project; shareout the work. Theproject should bebased near your loca-tion so that your team can oversee itsprogress and keeppushing it forward.It’s also importantthat the project alignswith the MillenniumGoals of the UnitedNations. These em-phasize the fight against hunger, poverty, disease and in-fant mortality as well as the need to promote education,sustainability and protection of the environment. Theyalso highlight worldwide partnerships as a means to-ward the economic development of deprived regions.”

“What would you do if you had100,000 euros and a team of willing helpers?”

5875

08 GERMANY

>> BALANCING ACT Erhan Eker, Area Manager for Packagingand Labeling in Düsseldorf, is committedto the nursery school on Dreisamwegin Cologne. Eker is a member of thenursery’s development group and hasplenty to do, for there is plenty of scopefor parental initiative here. Since Octo-ber 2007, the nursery has had its ownbalance path, funded almost exclusive-ly by Henkel at Eker’s suggestion.“Thepath is great for the children. It helpseven the youngest kids to overcometheir fears. And it’s also a fun way forthem to improve their sense of balanceand motor skills. The balance path isdesigned to enhance the children’shealth and well-being and to counter-act obesity and inactivity at an earlyage. I’m delighted to be involved withthe nursery as I’m hugely appreciativeof what the teachers do. For me, sup-port from MIT means that I identifyeven more strongly with ‘my’ companyand am proud to work for Henkel.”

>> HEALTHY KIDSAnnette Kreisig, Laboratory Assistant inthe Product Development departmentfor Aok and Diadermine, is particularlyconcerned about children’s health asthey grow up. It was for this reason that,with the support of MIT, she set up the‘Klasse 2000’ project for the pupils ofGut Kullen Primary School in Aachen.The aim of ‘Klasse 2000’ is to developthe children’s personal capabilities.“The kids need life skills – such as theability to resolve conflicts – to helpthem succeed in everyday life.One of the topics that’s very importantto us is healthy eating. Primary schoolteachers and experts from medicine,sport, and nutritional science have de-veloped a holistic concept throughwhich the pupils learn to listen to theirbodies and deal with stress. The con-cept is also designed to prevent addic-tion and violence.”

Enjoying the stiff breeze in their faces,the young sailors of Abenteuerland

nursery school love letting off steam on their wooden ship.

>> ADVENTURE ON THE HIGH SEAS

Cries of ‘SHIP AHOY!’ resound at theAbenteuerland municipal nurseryschool in Mönchengladbach-Bettrath.Since October 2007, the children herehave been kept enthralled by their veryown wooden playship.

Brigitte Nicasius, a Production Assis-tant in the Haut4 department at SHPEGmbH & Co. KG in Dülken, was the per-son responsible for putting the ship toanchor in the nursery school’s outdoorarea – with financial assistance fromMIT.“The idea of doing something con-structive for the Abenteuerland chil-dren actually came from my daughterSabrina. She’s a teacher at the nursery,where until now there wasn’t much forthe children to play with outside.Thanks to MIT, we received a donationto buy a beautiful wooden playshipwith a sail-cum-awning and a climbingframe. The young would-be sailorswere immediately taken by the educa-tionally beneficial playship. It is hugelybeneficial in terms of developing theirmotor skills and encouraging them tolet off steam. It also helps develop teamspirit, because when the ‘sail’ has to be

unfurled, everyone has to get up ondeck and lend a hand. All the childrenhave got to pull together!As a former pediatric nurse, it gives megreat pleasure to see the kids enjoyclimbing and creative play in the freshair. It does them a power of good.I am both delighted and grateful to beworking for a company like Henkel thatis aware of its social responsibility andencourages and supports its workforcein this way. My advice to all those whoalso want to get involved as a volunteeris: view the world with open eyes andan open heart. Then you’ll see who

needs yourhelp. Don’tdespair ifyou can’timplement

your project right away. With persis-tence and creativity you’ll achieve farmore than you ever thought possible.”

The ship encourages everyone

into the fresh air

GERMANY 09

Children’s artwork: photos and colorful, lovingly painted pictures with flowersand hearts decorate the tree diary, something that children have poured hugeeffort into creating at the ‘Intergenerational Cultural Center’.

he volunteers offer story-telling,art and culture projects such as the 'Sock Theater' with fun

figures made from socks. The project is supported by MIT and BarbaraPflügge’s eyes light up as she startstalking about her voluntary involve-ment at the ‘Intergenerational Cultur-al Center’.

“The tree-planting campaign inMarch 2007 was fantastic. Together weall planted a walnut tree in front of thetheater. We wanted to inspire the chil-dren to create something lasting, some-thing for which they would have to takeresponsibility. And the idea paid off: the junior amateur gardeners have beenenthusiastically looking after their treeever since it was planted. We’ve alsosucceeded in captivating the children’sattention in other areas. Whether they’revisiting the Düsseldorf City Archives or getting involved in the new work-shop club, the kids always give their all.To finance our projects we run the‘WunderBar’ in the theater foyer. Wewere able to purchase the materials to

Junior amateur gardenersRetiree Barbara Pflügge works at the ‘Intergenerational Cultural Center’

in Düsseldorf, helping children from the district of Rath.

build the bar thanks to financial supportfrom MIT. We also received MIT assis-tance for establishing the art and craftsworkshop group. I’m lucky that life hasalways been good to me, so now I wantto give those who are less fortunate abetter outlook. Any way, I’d be so bored

T

Above: One of the little artistsproudly shows her contribu-tions to the tree diary.Left: Henkel retiree Barbara Pflügge (second fromright) and her charges are delighted by the walnut treewhich the junior gardenersnow look after.

sitting at home! When I became semi-retired in 2001, I missed having a realpurpose in life. I missed the friendly‘Good morning!’ that I got at Henkelevery day in the corridor. I also loved theinteraction between the generations.Now I’ve found it again.”

10 GERMANY

he two pensioners drive a van around Düssel-dorf, making deliveries to social welfare centers.“Almost every Saturday, I drive to various bak-

eries just before they close to collect bread, pastries andcakes, which I then deliver direct to welfare organiza-tions such as the Burgplatz soup kitchen, the TrebeCafé, the Knackpunkt homeless shelter and BrotherFirminus Hermitage at the Franciscan Friary in Düssel-dorf city center,” explains Manfred Welscheid, whowas formerly employed as a mathematician with Infor-mation Systems at Henkel.

“I do the ‘food round’ every Tuesday,” says WolfgangHellhammer. “I collect the food from the shops early inthe morning and bring it to the organizations. Theythen distribute it to the needy. My good local know-ledge and my experience as a former truck driver atHenkel come in extremely handy. When I retired, Iwanted to devote some of my free time to helping people in need. Being able to do something to helpgives me great pleasure,” he adds.

Welscheid agrees, “My wife and I live pleasant livesand enjoy good health. I’m very grateful for that andwant to help those people who don’t have it so easy.When I’m out and about in Düsseldorf, I always keepmy eyes open to see where the need is greatest. That’swhy I contacted MIT about obtaining a hot-air oven.”This was desperately needed for preparing and heatingup food quickly at the Brother Firminus House centerfor the homeless. The oven was one way of coping withthe ever increasing number of visitors: in 1996, 45 peo-ple visited the center each day; by 2007 the figure hadrisen to around 300. In addition to a clothes bank, the organization – founded in 1996 by Franciscanmonk Brother Klaus-Dieter Diedershagen – also offers hygiene facilities.

Henkel retirees Manfred Welscheid and Wolfgang Hellhammer are actively involved in ‘Düsseldorfer Tafel’,a organization founded in 1994 that coordinates the distribution of unsold food for the benefit of peoplein need.

FOR DÜSSELDORF

T

Bread

Wolfgang Hellhammer (left) and Manfred Welscheid are men of action: they see which of

Düsseldorf’s citizens are in greatest need andwork together to help them.

“We also get all the necessary detergents and person-al care products through the MIT Initiative,” explainsManfred Welscheid. “For me, helping others is a way oflife. But you do have to have a focus and find out every-thing you can about the work. It’s important to select aproject based on what you like and enjoy doing, as thatmakes the most impact – even if you can’t change theentire world,” he says.

FRANCE 11

>> BASIC RIGHT Hanane Incha-Allah, an accountant inSchwarzkopf’s Customer Accountingdepartment in the Parisian suburb ofBoulogne-Billancourt, is involved in pro-viding schooling for Moroccan childrenfrom poor families. Together with theaid organization ‘Alliance des Safiots du Monde’, Incha-Allah does all she canfor a school project in the Moroccancity of Safi – with Henkel’s support.“I coordinate what the volunteers doand also select the schools. To date, the‘Right to Education’ project has madean extremely positive impact: 289 chil-dren from socially disadvantaged fami-lies are now able to attend school.That’s not a ‘given’ in Morocco, for theremany children have to forego an educa-tion because their families are toopoor.”

Arnaud van Daele is committed to helping former street children in theDominican Republic. The Product LineManager at AIA-Automotive in theFrench town of Cosne-sur-Loire sup-ports ENED, an organization locatednear the capital city of Santo Domingodedicated to providing the childrenwith a new, loving home.

“It all started with a holiday in the Dominican Republic. During an excur-sion inland, around the capital SantoDomingo, I was struck by the sheerpoverty of the people. Then I learnedabout ENED (‘Entre nous et demain’ =‘Between us and tomorrow’), an organi-zation that offers shelter to streetchildren. I was inspired by the concept,the brainchild of Swiss-born JacklynKrieg in 2001. It seems that from asmall acorn a mighty oak can indeedgrow. The project began with two chil-dren. From year to year, the number of youngsters has increased to the cur-rent figure of 20. The house is now verywell organized; everyone has to lend ahand. And that’s the best thing, as it’sthe only way the kids can learn to takeresponsibility. It’s extremely interestingto watch how they adjust. When theyarrive at the house, they only know the rules of life on the streets, and thatmeans constantly fighting to survive.It’s a long process until they become‘children’ again and are able to leadnormal lives.We aren’t satisfied with helping ‘only’the children who live in the house,though; we also support very poor

>> REVERTING TO CHILDHOOD

The house run by the ENEDorganization offers a saferefuge to former streetchildren in the DominicanRepublic.

families who live in the same neighbor-hood. We supply them with food andclothing, and we provide the childrenwith some basic education. That’s theonly way of keeping them off thestreets and away from a life of misery.My voluntary work, which is supportedby Henkel, has changed me. I’ve learnedto see lots of things through differenteyes and to view our problems from a

more realis-tic perspec-tive. Mywork hastaught me

that if you can do something, no mat-ter how small, that ‘something’ willhelp. Never think that you are wastingyour time. Contributions in any shapeor form are always welcome.”

Everyone has to help out in the ENED home

>> SCHOOL PROJECT For Patrick Joppé, Supply Chain Manag-er Adhesives Technologies, schoolingand education are a top priority. Joppé,of Châlons in France, has been involvedin the Madagascan organization‘Madao’ for more than three years now,and for good reason.“The objective ofMadao is to give boys and girls from villages in Madagascar access to school-ing,” explains Joppé.“With Henkel’ssupport, Madao has now succeeded insetting up its own school with threeclassrooms in Ambohipihaonana. For us volunteers, Henkel Smile providesvaluable support and is also proof that,by working together, it is possible to do something good for the children ofthe world.”

ydrotherapy enhances the children’s motor skills and is excel-lent for providing physical relief. However, because the medicaltreatment is only available in far-off resorts on the coast, it

generally presents a huge financial burden for the youngsters’ families.Keen to help, Irena Grmas had a great idea: she requested MIT to support the Association in purchasing a campervan. Families couldthen drive the vehicle to the health resorts, saving them the cost ofexpensive hotel accommodation.

“The biggest challenge as far as theproject was concerned was deciding wherehelp was needed most. As soon as I set theball rolling, everything quickly fell intoplace. What was especially touching was the gratitude of the Associa-tion’s members. I was deeply moved by the courage and optimism ofthe parents and their children,” recounts Irena Grmas.

H An extremely positive follow-on effect from the purchase of the vehicle is its benefit to the entire family. If a child is ill, everything automatically revolves around the young patient. The campervan allows the whole family to travel to the therapy resort and enjoy aholiday of some kind, even if to a limited extent.

“Each MIT project is coupled with huge responsibility – for boththe employee and the company. Hence, my advice is that anyone whowants to work as a volunteer needs to be committed heart and soul totheir project. Every child is unique and must be treated as such. Thegreatest reward for all the work is the joy and delight in the chil-dren’s eyes. It’s like a ray of sunshine! No one should hesitate aboutstarting projects that make children’s lives easier, better and morebeautiful.”

Camping as if on holiday

12 SLOVENIA

Hydrotherapy treatmentsby campervanIrena Grmas, Key Account Technical Manager with Adhesives Technologies in the Slovenian town of Novo Mesto, devotes her leisure time to the Polzek Association. Its objective is to provide support and opportunities for integration to youngsters with disabilities.

ontourHope on four wheels: the new campervan allows the entire family to accompany their sick child to the coast for a hydrotherapytreatment program.

Welcome to life: the purchase of state-of-the-artmedical equipment givespremature babies a betterchance of survival, with theassistance they requirebeing administered quicklyand efficiently.

he goal of the initiative is to im-prove premature babies’ chancesof survival. Henkel duly assisted

with the purchase of various items of medical equipment – supplied toGaziantep Children’s Hospital in 2006and Adana Children’s Hospital last year– for providing the babies with oxygenand nourishment.

T‘Hello, new life! You’re not alone’ is the name of the project launched by Esref Mert,

East Anatolia Region Sales Manager, Adhesives Technologies.

Hello, new life!

“This apparatus helps babies whenthey open their eyes for the very firsttime. The project is incredibly importantand I’m proud to be part of it,” saysEsref Mert. “The project’s success andthe support of Henkel, hospital staff, themedia, government organizations andmany others inspired me to go one stepfurther: I turned my attention to theChildren’s Hospital in Adana.

I received huge support from all sidesbecause people knew how important myprojects are. Special praise is due to MIT,which for me epitomizes our company’ssocial responsibility. MIT strengthens thefeeling of belonging and improves team-work. I can only advise all other col-leagues to also get involved as volunteersand I hope that MIT will continue toexist for the generations of the future.”

TURKEY 13

14 TURKEY

he goal of the project is to support village girlsboth academically and financially. “We want toimprove their chances of an education so that

they can go on to attend high school,” explains BanuUzkut.

“It’s only with a solid education that girls have a realistic chance of qualifying for careers such as nurs-ing, medicine or law and of broadening their horizons.Through our project, we are endeavoring to help girlsrealize their dreams. In concrete terms that means giv-ing them the opportunity to attend the boarding schoolin Izmir – provided they prove themselves during theselection procedure,” she emphasizes. “In 2005, Henkelenabled 17 girls to attend the school. We offer themhelp and advice, should they need it. My colleagues andI have already built up a good relationship with manyof them – and that’s what’s great about the project. Itoffers the girls huge opportunities, and they also be-come role models for modern women in rural regions.”

Banu Uzkut, Factory Production Cost Controller forLaundry Care in the Turkish city of Izmir, helps youngTurkish girls realize their dreams. She is committedto the ‘Modern Girls Boarding School Project’.

The ‘Modern Girls Boarding School Project’offers young women in Izmir, Turkey, newperspectives for their future careers.

>> AUTHOR! AUTHOR! For Ahmet Cevik, General Accounting Officer at Henkel, educating children in Istanbul is amatter of primary importance, and the reason why he launched a cultural project at KorkutEvirgen Primary School. With Henkel’s support, Cevik has succeeded in providing the schoolwith a theater stage, a conference room, and a library, among other facilities. And he also got stuck into the work himself, setting up lighting systems, getting the rooms right, moving furniture and carrying out other tasks. “First and foremost, I’m grateful that MIT exists. Itgives people the opportunity to help others and to accomplish things that someone on theirown could never achieve. Quite simply, voluntary work does good, but needs to be promotedenormous good!”

T

Modern-day girls with a bold dream

AFRICA 15

or many years, my husband’s fami-ly has supported building projectsin Africa aimed at helping others to

help themselves,” explains Asli Cobbers,Brand Manager in the internationalBody Care Sector of Henkel Cosmetics.“My husband and I visited some of theseprojects in 2003. During the trip, we metFather Tarimo from the parish of Ro-goro in northeastern Tanzania, which formany years has been partnered with theCatholic Parish of St. Peter and PaulAldekerk. That’s my husband’s homeparish in Germany. Father Tarimo toldus about a new project: vocational train-ing for girls from the Kuria tribe.” By

Woman with a missionAsli Cobbers, a successful manager, lives with her family in Düsseldorf. So what motivates this young

woman to pledge her support for vocational training for girls from the Kuria tribe in Africa?

F tradition, Kuria girls are married by theage of eleven or twelve, and are circum-cised before marriage.

However, since more and more girlshave been attending school – not leastdue to the support provided by MIT –the young Kuria women have grown inself-confidence and in their desire to de-termine their own lives. “But this dreamcan only come true if the girls are ableto earn their own living,” Asli Cobberspoints out. “That’s why, together withFather Tarimo, I’m developing conceptsto give the girls an easier start in theirworking lives after they finish school.We’re setting up training studios and

sewing shops, and providing modestloans to women setting up small busi-nesses. MIT made a significant contri-bution to the capital we needed to dothis.”

Asked about why she works voluntar-ily, Asli Cobbers replies: “This project isall about the young women’s human dig-nity. And it’s also about the future of theregion – something that depends verysubstantially on education and the peo-ple’s vocational opportunities.”

Above > Learningopens doors toself-fulfillment:the school en-hances the chil-dren’s confidence.

Right > Pens,exercise books,rulers: the Kuriachildren wereoverjoyed to re-ceive the donatedstationery andequipment.

16 AFRICA

Emmanuel Nweke ensures that girls andboys can attend school together in Nigeria. G

AFRICA 17

n recent years, Nweke has been working at Henkel inDüsseldorf as a production IT expert in the AdhesivesTechnologies business sector. He now devotes a large

share of his free time and annual leave to giving the childrenof his native country access to better nutrition, healthcareand education.

“When I learned about MIT, I immediately had the idea of helping children in my home country,” says Nweke.“I also knew where help was urgently needed: in Awkuzu,a small town in the southeast of Nigeria. I know this areawell because my father comes from there.

Most people in Awkuzu live in extreme poverty; manychildren are malnourished. They live in huts without cleanwater, without any sanitation. The prevalence of HIV inthe region is alarmingly high, and there are always casesof polio, cholera, malaria and sleeping sickness. The situa-tion for young girls is particularly bad, as in many fami-lies they’re at a disadvantage compared to their brothers.”

Last year, after analyzing the living conditions of the children in Awkuzu, Nweke and other helpers launchedthe ‘Awkuzu Children’ project at a large school in the town.“The first thing we did was to obtain books for a school

library and workbooks forthe pupils, as well as sportsequipment for PT lessons,”he explains. “Transportingthese donations was a difficult undertaking: theroads are in a very poorcondition, and the haulagecompany also caused usproblems. But the chil-dren’s delight on receivingour gifts made it all worth-

while.” The team is already thinking about what to donext: “We’re going to get desks and benches,” Nweke hasdecided. “And the school has to have proper toilets as soonas possible.”

“We’re particularly concerned about the girls. We wantto provide them with better access to education and givethe most talented girls grants and scholarships. And whileeducation is very important to us, we also want to help thechildren in Awkuzu by providing better nutrition and med-ical care. It all costs a lot of money, which is why we’reworking hard here in Germany to drum up donations forour project. I’m very happy that my employer, Henkel, iswilling to provide financial assistance for my work for thechildren in my home country.”

During his schooldays and as a Boy Scoutin Nigeria, Emmanuel Nweke helped

to build houses for his country’s poorestpeople. That was long ago.

Iirl pow

er

“The children’sdelight makesup for all thesweat and toil.”

>> NEW COURAGEAndy Newton, Field Sales, Adhesivesand Sealants, is committed to helpingchildren and adolescents who have losta close member of their family. It wasto this end that this Henkel employeefrom Manlius in New York State set upthe ‘Parent Plus Life Link’ organization.Parent Plus offers support in the formof advice and information, as well as an extensive leisure-time program withsport and cultural activities. The young-sters often lose their way, and ParentPlus helps them back on track so thatthey are able to face life again. AndyNewton has played a critical role in de-veloping the organization’s broad-based concept.“For me personally, everything I’vegained from my voluntary involvementhas been extremely positive. I’ve be-come much more sensitive, but I’ve alsolearned to keep my feelings in check.”

18 USA

>> ANGEL ON EARTHShe may not have wings, but AlisonShore, Senior Account Business Manager, is still a kind of ‘angel onearth’.

Alison Shore, who has been with DialCorporation, Charlotte, North Carolina,for more than two years now, is a youth leader at the Assurance UnitedMethodist Church. Together with theyoungsters in her parish, Shore spendsa lot of time helping the ‘Holy Angels’institution, a private organization thatsupports people with mental develop-ment disorders. Many of the 70 chil-dren and adults who live in the localHoly Angels home are also physicallyhandicapped.“One of our objectives within the parishis to teach our young people the virtuesof helping other children. That’s whywe, in conjunction with MIT, set up the‘Kids 4 Kids’ youth project to supportthose in the care of the Holy Angels

>> STRONG KIDSBill Tyree, Vice President Global SalesTeam, in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA, is a Committee Director within his localYoung Men’s Christian Association(YMCA). Its ‘Strong Kids’ program is par-ticularly close to Tyree’s heart. It offersall children, regardless of their socialbackground, a broad range of recreation-al activities – after school, at weekends,and also during the vacations.The program is aimed at teaching lifeskills to the kids, who often come fromsocially deprived families. Educationalactivities also feature on the schedule:for instance, reading, writing, math and computer skills. “I’m delighted thatwe can offer the youngsters this pro-gram. It makes such a difference totheir lives, which in many cases are farfrom perfect. I’ve been a member of the YMCA for more than 25 years andthe work brings amazing results. I’vemet some very interesting people andam constantly inspired by what I seeand experience.”

organization. I coordinate what ouryoung parishioners do at the Holy Angels home.We offer story-telling, art projects andother activities, all designed to makelife more enjoyable for the home’s resi-dents. Our kids also help out doingthings like office chores and gardening.But there are limits to what we can do:the residents have very specific needsand we have to be both sensitive andflexible. Close cooperation with thestaff at Holy Angels is essential. I’velearned to concentrate on what’s im-portant and, at the same time, to bemore adaptable. One thing’s for sure:the ironing can wait – this kind of help can’t!”

>> RETIRED BUT RESTLESSLegal expert Frank Barber rarely takes things easy – despite hispensioner status. Barber is on the Board of Directors of TobyHouse. Behind this unprepossessing name is a residential complexcomprising 19 units for the mentally ill in Phoenix, Arizona. Theresidents live in apartments where they are encouraged to relearnhow to be more independent – with the support of trained staff.“I assist Toby House in all legal matters. I feel it’s important in thissociety of ours to help people who are facing big problems in theirlife. I have it good and I’m delighted to be able to work as a volun-teer,” Barber explains.

USA a19

here is an information service for addicts wherewe try to help women with such problems out oftheir plight,” explains Tipsord. “But we also offer

support as regards their day-to-day life. The womenhave to learn how to retake control of their own des-tinies. Most importantly, that includes looking for ajob. We give them hands-on help, showing them how towrite an application, and practicing job interviews. The Center also makes sure that the women are dressed appropriately when they attend an interview. We showwomen in tough circumstances ways of liberating them-selves from their situation so that they can get them-selves back on their feet and rejoin society. They aretreated as individuals; we look at their particular needs,circumstances and personalities.

I’m also actively involved in ‘Teach for America’, anorganization that stands by the belief that, regardlessof social class, every child has a right to proper educa-tion and training. To help us achieve our goal, we takeon college graduates from the best institutions for a set period and send them to the country’s poorest and most

Help for self-help

Greg Tipsord, General Manager Laundry & HomeCare, from Scottsdale in theAmerican state of Arizona,has a mission to help the ‘Fresh Start Women’s Resource Center’.This organization helpswomen to help themselves at times of crisis.The Center has much to offer such victims, not leasta safe place to stay.

deprived communities. The mission of these graduatesis simply to help the children achieve better grades.

I’m a director on the boards of both organizationsbecause I want to make a contribution that will fire achange in our society. I wanted to get involved in causesthat offer help aimed at self-help. Thanks to the supportof Henkel, the work that my colleagues and I can dois extremely worthwhile; we can see what impact wemake on people’s lives. Nothing beats seeing the smilesof children who have learned something that they previously thought they never could.

Getting involved is a tremendously valuable experi-ence. What’s important is that you opt for a project in which you really believe. Then you’re 100 percent committed to the cause and can sometimes even achievethe impossible,” says Tipsord, no doubt speaking fromhis own experience.

T

elping Hands are a group of ded-icated Henkel employees com-mitted to supporting various so-

cial projects. Such of them is ProvidenceHouse in Cleveland. The center is ahome for babies and children of up tofive years of age, who either live in thethreat or are already victims of violence,abuse or neglect. The 26-bed home pro-vides the little ones with a safe and se-cure roof over their heads plus the kindof care they need.

“Each year our team picks a particu-lar project which we concentrate onsupporting. Our emphasis is definitelyon children in need. We have been incontact with Providence House for along time and have been asked whetherwe would like to work on refurbishingtheir playground. Since the start of theproject we have received an enthusias-

House with a heart

20 USA

Julie Davies, Marketing Coordinator at Professional & Consumer Adhesives inAvon, Ohio, USA, is a memberof the ‘Helping Hands’ team.

tic welcome from staff and childrenwhenever we have come to visit Provi-dence House,” Julie Davis recounts.

Organizing fundraising events is a par-ticularly challenging part of our volun-tary work. The coordination of volun-teers for such events also requires veryspecific planning. The rewards, however,

always makeup for thehard workwe put in.We also fi-

nancially supported Ronald McDonaldHouse, an organization that offers tem-porary shelter for families in crisis situa-tions.

What I have learned from the projectsis that employees from companies likeHenkel are very enthusiastic about vol-unteering. This really strengthens people’s

sense of community. Both the team andthe project benefit from each hour thatwe as individuals are able to dedicate todoing voluntary work. The more help-ing hands there are, the easier the workbecomes.

I very much appreciate Henkel’s sup-port of us volunteers. Our personal com-mitment and the sponsorship by MITare highly valued among the people withwhom we work.”

H

Having a common goalstrengthens people’ssense of community

Julie Davies is utterly committed to chil-dren’s welfare. Working hand in hand withHenkel employees to support ProvidenceHouse, she helps create a place and an at-mosphere in which the little ones can expe-rience caring love.

ary M. James divides his time be-tween two worlds: he and hisfamily live in a typical middle-

class neighborhood near Henkel’s plantin Woodbury, Minneapolis, where heworks as Senior Region Business Man-ager for Dial. At the same time he – to-gether with other committed volunteersfrom his community – has over the lasttwo years been helping toward the con-struction of a residential and schoolbuilding for the children and teenagersof the ‘All God’s Children’ orphanage onHaiti. The MIT Initiative supports hiswork both financially and by giving hima number of extra days of leave per yearwhich he can uses for volunteering.

“For the last couple of years we and afew other families from our parish havebeen donating money to this orphanageon a regular basis,” explains James. “In2005 a small delegation from our parishdecided to go and visit the orphanage.We brought presents for the children aswell as medical and school supplies. Thiswas our first visit and we were shockedat how absolutely inadequate and dirtythe center’s buildings appeared. Weknew we had to do something.” So itwas during their very first stay at ‘AllGod’s Children’ that the delegation de-cided to build a new home for the chil-dren. With donations from their parishback home they managed to secure alarge piece of land.

Since early 2006, Gary M. James has been helping to build a better home for 240 orphans on Haiti.

GGod’s children

“These childrenhave absolutelynothing and are genuinelygrateful foreverything wedo for them.”

USA 21

>> LABORATORY IN THE PARKBill Kozak, Senior Research Scientist at the ProductDevelopment Group of the Automotive/Metal Pretreatment business unit, Adhesives Technologies,in Madison Heights, Michigan, USA, is a member ofthe Boy Scouts of America.

‘Learning for Life’ is a program that the scouts takevery seriously. They strive to foster a greater interestin science subjects in schools and kindle the students’interest in mathematics, technology and chemistry.“Once we had learned that Henkel is supporting ourproject, we started out with 450 sixth-graders fromthe school district of Pontiac, Michigan. We initiallyran classroom-based lessons. We covered topics suchlike the exploitation of alternatives to conventionalfuels for vehicles, such as solar power. Fascinating lab-oratory experiments were also part of the curriculumdelivered by engineers from local businesses. The stu-dents were particularly excited about our technologycamp, which Vice President of Technology Bob Hartand I ran alongside the classroom-based content.We wanted to spark the children’s interest in sciencesubjects. The project was financed by Henkel and theConvergence Education Foundation as well as the Boy Scouts of America. Thanks to the donations fromHenkel, we were able to get the right teaching re-sources for our lab experiments. What has always mo-tivated me most is seeing the students’ joy and en-thusiasm. They were so amazed and excited when wesquashed aluminum cans simply by using air pressureor managed to burst the cans with the help of CO2balloons. And I learned something as well: anything ispossible – you just have to believe in it.”

Bill Kozak (center) is in his element as he passes on his technical expertise to the young students.

Above: Happy faces when Gary M. James and the other volunteers bring presents for the orphans. Left: Hardworking volunteersfrom Minneapolis on the building site for the new orphanage in Mirebalais on Haiti.Top left: The new bed frames serve as a tem-porary outdoor seating arrangement.

“The architect we commissionedfor the project managed to convincethe United Nations to provide theheavy construction equipment. Thishelped us build a road and preparethe site for the new development,”James goes on.

“Our parish collected more than$100,000 for the building project.We have even acquired a machine formaking concrete blocks so that wecan have our building materials man-ufactured on site by local laborers.Since 2006 more than 30 of our vol-unteers have been going on trips toHaiti each January and March forabout one to three weeks – all at theirown expense. We sleep in tents andwork on the building site. Of coursewe always bring presents for the children. On our last trip it was over 300 pairs of shoes.”

22 LATIN AMERCA

The high Andean plateaus with the ancient temples of the Indian high cultures, the Amazon winding its way through the wild, vast jungle, the exuberantjoy for life of the people at the Copacabana and other holiday regions along the coastal areas – these are the beautiful images of Central and South Americawe are all familiar with.

n Mexico, Brazil, Peru and other Latin Americancountries, however, life is not quite as idyllic andindigenous as most of us imagine it to be. The

extreme poverty in the slums and the brutality of thegangs are resulting in many deaths – particularlyamong young people and children. Many current andretired Henkel employees are actively working towardmaking sure that Central and South American childrencan grow up without having to live in fear and pover-ty – and MIT supports them in this work. One of thesepeople is Kirsten Sanchez. A project in which she hasbeen involved for many years as a skilled volunteer isthe reforestation and cultivation of the large gardenssurrounding the Casa Hogar in Tizayuca. “CasaHogar is an orphanage near Mexico City,” explainsthe human resources manager, who after many yearsspent in Mexico, is now the Managing Director ofHenkel La Luz in Guatemala. “Thankfully, after Imoved to Guatemala, Patricia Bellm, the wife of a col-

league at Henkel in Mexico, took over the project. I amglad that the garden continues to flourish.”In spring 2007 Peter Leonhardt, a Henkel retiree, andhis wife Waldtraud traveled to El Salvador for the fifthanniversary celebration of the Girasol orphanage. TheLeonhardts had been contributing needed supplies tothe children’s home since its inception and have beenback to visit many times. MIT has also supported theorphanage financially on many occasions. Being ableto follow the progress of the children as well as theoverall project was a gratifying experience for theLeonhardts. Lizette Becker has been part of the Henkel Cosmeticsexport team in Düsseldorf since the summer of 2007,yet she continues to keep in touch with her colleagues inPeru where she worked before. She keeps up a livelyemail exchange in particular with Fabio Niño who co-manages the MIT children’s project locally.Lizette Becker and her family volunteered for many yearsat the children’s daycare center Guarderia InfantilMatilde Tellez, where staff lovingly look after 80 chil-dren in the midst of Lima’s poor quarter. “We did ourutmost in order to help the center, which constantly lacksfunding. We would not have been able to make it thoughwithout the support of MIT,” Lizette Becker admits.

IOlà!Children of the south

ASIA 23

>> GOOD VIBESMichelle Kim helps visually impairedchildren in Korea. At Henkel’s invitation,they recently discovered the world of music in a workshop with German orchestral players. Composer YoonIsang is known to music aficionadoseverywhere and is a celebrity in hishome country of Korea. To celebrate his90th birthday toward the end of 2007,musicians from around the world gath-ered for a large concert showcasingworks by the man himself. For some ofthem the concert was not the only rea-son they were there. At the invitationof Henkel Korea, organist ZsigmondSzathmary, who lives in Germany, andpercussionist Olaf Tzschoppe also con-ducted an instrumental workshop forblind and visually impaired children atthe Music College of Seoul NationalUniversity.

>> ENCOURAGEDNobu Itamiya, Sales Representative/AIL,Adhesives Technologies, and his wifeMayumi from Yokohama volunteertheir services to one of the powerchairfootball teams in Yokohama. In this stillrelatively unknown sport, the handi-capped children sit in electric wheel-chairs and propel the ball with theirtires. Henkel supports three power-chair football teams that took part inthe FIPFA (Fédération Internationale de Powerchair Football) World Cup inTokyo, held over eight days in October2007. “It is really encouraging to seehow this sport helps depressed chil-dren develop self-esteem, become bet-ter team players and forge friendships,”enthuses Nobu Itamiya.

>> NEPAL – YEAR AFTER YEAR When Henkel employee Susanne Lücker visited the only children’s hos-pital in Nepal for the first time in 2001, she already knew that it wouldnot just be a one-off project. With the help of MIT she brought with her870 kilograms of hygiene products, medical supplies and equipment.

She made that first trip to Katmandu with just one companion. This yearsees it is Susanne Lücker’s ninth volunteering visit to Nepal. And herfriend, the pediatrician Dr. Ines von Rosenstiel from Amsterdam, is againjoining her in the Himalayas. This time, however, the two women are accompanied by three to four dozen volunteers from Germany, the UKand the Netherlands. “Our eighth trip with donated supplies in Novem-ber 2007 involved four teams with a total of 40 people,” remembersLücker, who is a medically trained technical assistant in the dermatolog-ical department of the Henkel Research and Development division.“34 team members were doctors who used part of their annual leave inorder to examine and treat the Nepalese children.”While Susanne Lücker oversaw the project team in Katmandu, the otherthree teams traveled to Dharan in the very east of the country, the high-land region of Pokhara northwest of Katmandu as well as the ChitwanNational Park, one of the jungle regions on the border with India. “Weexamined and treated more than 3,400 children,” says Lücker in sum-ming up the primary purpose and biggest success of their busy tendays in Nepal. “We hand out multivitamin and iron tablets for severalmonths’ consumption, as well as cold treatments, antibiotics and oint-ments for skin diseases, depending on what the people’s needs are. Aswe have examined about 70 per cent of the children numerous times,we can say that their overall health has improved.”

Susanne Lücker(standing) visitsNepalese vil-lage hospitals,schools, or-phanages,monasteriesand refugeecamps ever yearwith a volun-tary team ofmedical profes-sionals andhelpers in orderto treat the children there.Many of theiryoung patientssuffer from vi-tamin and irondeficiencies andare prone tocolds and pneu-monia.

Sight for sore eyesStefano Levi, Andrea Ferrari and Francesca Corbellini are involved in a campaign promoting freeeye examinations and operations in the poorest regions of Asia’s south east. Recently, Stefano Leviaccompanied and documented the work of the mobile team of doctors in the Himalayas region.In the remote villages of this area, which is without electricity and other forms of modern infra-structure, blindness is jeopardizing not only just development but also the survival of the localpeople. Consequently, the doctors specifically target their care toward children who, from birth,have suffered from cataracts. Most of them regain their sight. Francesca Corbellini supported thedoctors and their assistants during the operations, while Andrea Ferrari together with his wife,the pediatrician Dr. Anja Ferrari, looked after emergencies in the next-door villages. MIT providedthe funds for the purchase of a modern Zeiss operating microscope as a means of helping theproject. Stefano Levi, Francesca Corbellini and the Ferraris are keen to attract further sponsors sothat the campaign can continue in 2008 and perhaps be extended to cover other countries.

24 ASIA

he two share not only several years of their pro-fessional life together at Henkel Benelux, but alsotheir current volunteering commitment on behalf

of children in Vietnam. Lutz Mehlhorn’s adoptivedaughter comes from Vietnam and he therefore hasfirst-hand knowledge of the trials and tribulations ofthe people there. The same goes for Frank Willemarswho has been living in this southeast Asian land formany years now. With the support of the MIT Initia-tive, they helped to manage the construction of twoclassrooms for 67 children aged six to nine at Boi Loi 3primary school in Trang Bang district in the southernprovince of Tay Ninh.

Working in Düsseldorf, Mehlhorn took on the ad-ministrative duties, which included the preparation ofregular project progress reports. The local coordina-tion and expediting work was Frank Willemars’ respon-sibility. In December 2007, they were able together toinaugurate the new classrooms and hand them over tothe school’s students. To mark the occasion, the two ofthem also donated a new computer and printer.

“We ran this project in cooperation with the SCC –the Saigon Children’s Charity,” explains Willemars. “TheSCC has been supporting the children of impoverishedfamilies in South Vietnam with educational and trainingassistance since 1992. This includes the building of

T

About 10,000 kilometers separate Lutz Mehlhorn, the Director of the Strategic Sales Unit, Henkel Laundry& Home Care in Düsseldorf, and Frank Willemars, Managing Director of Henkel Vietnam in Ho Chi MinhCity. Despite the distance, they make a perfect team.

schools and the refurbishment of existing school build-ings. The region from the west of Ho Chi Minh City inthe Mekong delta up to the border with Cambodia hasyet to feel the benefits of Asia’s economic boom. For thechildren there, education is the only way out of poverty.But all sorts of resources are lacking. There is often notransport and the children have to make their own wayto school over distances of up to eight kilometers.” Con-sequently, Lutz Mehlhorn and Frank Willemars are look-

ing for sponsors amongtheir friends and work col-leagues for a school-relatedBicycle Project aimed atproviding the children with

bikes so that they can get to their lessons more easily. They have also launched another project with the

SCC with the emphasis this time on vocational train-ing. “Here at the Henkel plant in Ho Chi Minh City werun a training center for hairdressers,” explains FrankWillemars. “Our trainer uses the periods when there areno professional training courses taking place in orderto help disadvantaged youngsters who are interested inbecoming hairdressers. Giving them some hands-on ex-perience is definitely going to improve their chances ofsuccess in finding an apprenticeship, particularly as theireducational background is often sadly lacking.”

Education as a way out of poverty

Lutz Mehlhorn and Frank Willemars join voluntaryforces in order to help these Vietnamese childrengain access to education which enables them tolearn a profession.

School opens its doors

Nutrition, education, health, equal opportunities – the vast majority of the MIT projects contribute toachieving the eight Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations. Yet MIT was actually foundedtwo years before the year 2000 when the United Nations defined these objectives.

he MIT statistics are divided intothe following categories: ‘Educa-tion and Science’, ‘Fitness and

Health’, ‘Social Needs’, ‘Arts and Cul-ture’ and ‘Environment’. This break-down was not preordained from theoutset, but rather has developed almostorganically from the large number andvariety of projects in which current andretired Henkel employees are involved

T worldwide. When the United Nationspublished its eight Millennium Develop-ment Goals – aimed at eliminating theworld’s worst problems by 2015 throughinternational collaboration – the MITteam noticed astonishing similarities inthe key points of the agenda. “The vastmajority of the projects we support haveexactly the same goals referred to by theUnited Nations,” points out Christa

MIT IN NUMBERSProject/ Social Education Fitness Arts and EnvironmentHenkel Region Needs and Science and Health Culture

Europe 376 225 240 76 46Asia 44 14 21 7 0North America 27 22 13 7 2Latin America 53 32 30 5 1Middle East, Africa 24 17 13 3 3

Total number 2007 524 310 317 98 52= 1,301 projects worldwide

Total number 1997–2007 1,527 1,410 1,939 881 118= 5,875 projects worldwide

Büchler, who coordinates MIT. “Ouremployee and retiree volunteers do anenormous amount in order to ensureparticularly that children are betterlooked after and cared for. To date wehave worked in over 100 countries, help-ing more than 45,000 children.”

MIT STATISTICS 25

5,875 projects in 10 years

The areas marked in redshow the countries in which projects run byHenkel employee and re-tiree volunteers have re-ceived initial MIT funding.

26 PHOTO AND PAINTING COMPETITION

photos from 17 countries and 653 children’s paintings from 23 countries: no wonder the jury found it hard to select the best pic-tures from all the colorful, happy and touching images. Just as well,

then, that for each competition there wasn’t just one winner but 20. In the photo competition, employees and retirees who work as volunteers supported by MIT were invited to submit shots of their projects. The prizes on offer to the winning projectsamounted to a total of 20 special grants worth 500 euros.

The painting competition, meanwhile, was aimed at children who had benefited fromMIT support. Their ‘remit’ was to paint a picture of their favorite festival. The 20 nurs-eries, schools and other children’s organizations that submitted the winning paintingswere all awarded a grant from MIT. So the youngsters have a chance to really celebratethe next time their favorite festival – the one they painted with such imaginative talent– comes around!

MIT entrusted the selection of the best contributions to an independent jury com-posed of children and artists living in Düsseldorf. Hans-Peter Rams, one of the threeartists involved and vice-chairman of the association “akki – Kunst und Kultur mitKindern e.V.” (art and culture with kids) made sure there was a broad spread of nation-alities among the jurors. Only one of the children he invited to make up the jury is German;the others come from Asia, Southern and Eastern Europe, and Africa.

638

Take a look!From December 2007 until the end of February 2008,the MIT Initiative ran an international photo competition – the third of its kind – plus its very first painting competitionfor children.

A WORD OF THANKS TO STEFANO LEVI

The front cover photo, the photo on the rear cover and other photos reproduced in this maga-zine (pages 3, 5, 25, 26/27) were taken in Asia by Stefano Levi, Business Development Managerin Global Marketing, Adhesives Technologies. The Henkel Smile editorial team wishes to ex-press its heartfelt thanks to him for this tremendous contribution. You can find more picturestaken by Stefano Levi on the internet at www.stefanolevi.com.

Henkel retiree HermannWernz of the Heidelbergsite in Germany has been coaching 180 youth rugbyplayers in the TSV Hand-schuhsheim sports club for many years.

Banu Uzkut and Hande Ardane,employees of Henkel in Turkey,

support a project for premature babies in the Adana

Children’s Hospital.

CRITERIA FOR MITINITIATIVE SUPPORT

� The involvement of the applicantmust be non-remunerative.

� The employee or retiree mustapply for support in writing. Thedecision of the MIT Committee orinternational Children’s Projects(CP) Jury is final.

� The amount of time and effort theapplicant dedicates to their volun-tary involvement shall be key indetermining resource allocation.

� Henkel will provide start-up fund-ing but shall not commit to regu-lar financial assistance. The sup-port provided should serve as helpto self-help.

� Further funding is, however, possi-ble where this is important for theproject on sustainability groundsand will lead to important furtherdevelopment. However, such further sums granted may notnecessarily equate to the maxi-mum initially provided.

� The temporary release of employees from their workplaceduties shall be decided upon bythe MIT Committee on a case-by-case basis.

� All monetary, product and in-kinddonations approved by the MITCommittee/CP Jury are alwaysprovided directly to the institutionfor which the applicant is volun-teering.

� The MIT Committee requests thatapplicants provide regular feed-back in the form of photographs,brief written reports, newspapercuttings or other documentary ‘evidence’. For what purpose hasthe funding been used? Has theproject made progress as a result?Generally, the pleasure and joygenerated by the supportprovided is such that applicants/volunteers are both proud and delighted to report back on howtheir project has fared.

CONTACTS

Application forms can be obtained free of charge from your local MIT contact, from theHenkel intranet or fromChrista Büchler Henkel AG & Co. KGaABuilding A 0540191 Düsseldorf, GermanyPhone +49 2 11/7 97-90 42E-mail:christa.buechler@henkel.com

Three of the 20 winning photos:

PHOTO AND PAINTING COMPETITION a27

To make sure these childrenhave enough to eat,Kirsten Sanchez, a Henkel employee in Guatemala, ishelping to build up a bakeryin this slum area.

Eight-year-old Diana Reiznik painteda birthday party with a cake and other good things to eat. She lives inRussia and participates in a projecton environmental education. Henkelemployee Olga Limonchenko is ac-tively involved in this project.

Nattaporn Sunanta, 9 years, lives in Thailand andis looked after by the House of Hope in ChiangMai, one of the projects run by the Kids’ Future initiative, supported by Camilla Fagerberg, aHenkel employee in Sweden. Nattaporn painted a picture of the Loy Krathong festival.

Chinese New Year’s festival inMalaysia. Looi Wan Kan iseleven years old and attendsthe Parent Resource Centre forEarly Education. Henkel employee Yoke-Khuan Wu isone of the volunteer helpers in this center.

Three of 20 prize-winning children’s drawings:

28 SOCIAL PARTNERSHIPS – CORPORATE INVOLVEMENT

group of 21 geography studentsfrom the University of Trier aresetting an outstanding example

with their humanitarian work. Amongother things, the students traveled toKenya for two weeks in September2007, together with their lecturer, theEast Africa expert Dr. Johannes MichaelNebe, in order to carry out a study onthe local water and sanitaryfacilities. About half of theKenyan capital’s popula-tion of 3.5 million peoplelive in slums.

In pursuing their research, the studentsalso worked closely with counterpartsfrom the Kenyatta University of Nairobi.The purpose of the trip was to take acloser look at the catastrophic watersupply in the slums and to develop solu-tions within the framework of a projectstudy. “There is no running water in thehuts. People have no choice but to drinkthe sewage water coming from the in-dustrial plants. Once you have survivedthree years without becoming ill, you areimmune to it,” explains Dr. Nebe.

In the same year, the lecturer and hisdedicated students also examined the situation of the schools in the slums of

Big deal for tiny totsHenkel gives regular financial supportto the ‘KNIRPS’ project for playgroundpartnerships run by the BDKJ (GermanCatholic Youth Organization).So what is a ‘KNIRPS’? The colloquialGerman word usually stands for ‘tinytot’, but in this case it is a big yellowschool bus which brings a huge smileto every child’s face at the sight of it.This is because it is brimful of toys. Theproject staff’s mission is to improveDüsseldorf’s playgrounds. Ines Conrady,who is the KNIRPS project manager,does her round of the playgrounds inthe regional capital four times a weekand is enthusiastically welcomed byparents and children alike. The project,which was initiated by the local groupof the BDKJ in Düsseldorf in 2005, relieslargely on volunteers who each lookafter a particular playground in closecollaboration with the BDKJ officersfrom the organization.

S.O.S The thousands of letters which the Henkel donations management team receives everyyear are all calls for help. Sports clubs, choirs, orchestras, hospitals, departments of universities, kindergartens, schools and cultural centers all have two things in common –insufficient funds and the hope that Henkel can help them to continue their work orget new projects under way.

Socially aware studentsFor the third year in a row, Henkel has been provided support to geographystudents from the University of Trier who in turn are helping to improvethe lives of people in the slums of Nairobi.

Nairobi. These schools receive no statefinancial support whatsoever and aretherefore entirely dependent on helpfrom religious or international organiza-tions. “They even lack the basic thingsto get by; the few exercise books haveholes in them as the writing has repeat-edly been erased in order to create spacefor new text,” explains Nebe. In one of

the 14 schools the groupvisited, 400 school childrenhad to share three books.

Each of the associatedprojects was wrapped up

with a workshop attended by local andnational decision-makers, slum residentsand representatives from non-govern-mental organizations. “This shared dia-log, assisted by the Kenyan media, wasessential in creating a public debate onthe situation at a political, planning aswell as an administrative and public authority level,” confirms the lecturer.Henkel supported three of the studies,helped in the procurement of schoolbooks and also in the construction ofsanitary facilities.

There is no end to the fun to be hadwhen KNIRPS visits the playgroundsof Düsseldorf. The bus provided by the BDKJ is brimful of toys that bring a huge smile to every child’s face.

Each studentreceives a pencil of theirown. For thechildren in theslums of Nairobi, learn-ing materialssuch as exer-cise books,school booksand pens are a preciouscommodity.Situations such as threebooks beingshared by 400 studentsare no rarity.

A

People have to drink sewage water

in order to survive.

SOCIAL PARTNERSHIPS – CORPORATE INVOLVEMENT 29

MADAME COURAGE – beating exam stressSingle-mother students often lose their nerve when it comes to preparing for their final exams.Enter Madame Courage, a project run by Münster’s Catholic Women’s Welfare Service and acharity financially assisted by Henkel. “The support we give extends far beyond helping the stu-dents with their basic subsistence needs. As they do not need to work during the period whenthey prepare for and sit the exams, these mothers can also dedicate more quality time to theirchildren,” explains Ingrid Henkenmeier, a Madame Courage team member. Beyond this finan-cial aid, moreover, Madame Courage also offers workshops and information events so that thewomen can learn for themselves how to best juggle career and children.

Science with sparklers

Getting young people interested in thenatural sciences is one of Henkel’s maingoals. Therefore, Henkel supports nu-merous educational projects, such as the‘Schülerinfotag’ (student info day) atHeinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf.

Mixing, stirring and constantly beingamazed – during the student info dayat Heinrich Heine University, childrenand teenagers were invited to visit thelaboratory of the Natural Sciences faculty and explore their own creativityby becoming chemists for a day. The‘curriculum’ covered exciting color testswith filter paper and water as well asspecial experiments with polystyrene.Henkel supported the program both fi-nancially and by donating a substantialquantity of products.Henkel is also involved in supportinghighly talented students. For the twelfthyear in a row, the Darmstadt charityKinder- und Jugendakademie Südhessene. V. (Children’s and Youth Academy ofSouth Hesse) was, with Henkel’s help,able to invite primary and secondaryschool kids to a study day and relatedworkshops covering subjects such as biology, chemistry/physics, Hebrewand information technology.Henkel also supports the KinderuniSiegen (Children’s University of Siegen)where youngsters can get an insightinto an exciting world of science tailored to their own age level. Here,knowledge-thirsty children aged eightto twelve can find out, for example,why cats’ eyes glow in the dark.

n collaboration with the ‘DKMS’(German Bone Marrow Donor Data-base), Henkel and the DEG METRO

STARS together instituted a campaignon behalf of patients suffering fromleukemia. About 250 of the 13,500 fansparticipated, allowing a small bloodsample to be taken from them by Henkelmedical staff before the match. “Due tothe excellent media coverage, we got agreat response from the public. Every-one was pulling in the same direction,”commented a delighted Nadine Relleckeof Henkel Corporate Communications.Henkel’s trainees and the MIT Networkalso helped to make the event a success.The trainees were busy collecting dona-tions while the volunteers helped peopleto fill out in the necessary forms andother formalities. The blood was typedafter the event and the campaign partic-ipants were registered as potential stem

Saving lives through sport

DEG METROSTARS playerAlexanderSulzer doeshis bit to help.Together withhis team, theice hockey pro supportsthe blood do-nation cam-paign, manful-ly braving theprick in thefinger for theblood sample.

Henkel supports leukemia patients by organizing blood typing drives.So it was about more than just fair play when the two local ice hockeyteams DEG METRO STARS of Düsseldorf, sponsored by Henkel, and the‘Cologne Sharks’ met in the ISS Dome in Düsseldorf.

I cell donors for leukemia patients.Henkel and the DEG METRO STARSeach financed half of the costs in-volved in the blood typing campaign.

The collection proceeds totaled16,500 euros. Following the activitiesinside the stadium, the blood typingprogram continued at Henkel HQ inDüsseldorf-Holthausen. Fifty Henkelemployees spontaneously decided toalso have themselves registered as po-tential stem cell donors. “We wouldparticularly like to thank the DEGand Alexander Sulzer, one of the play-ers, who also had his blood typed.This commitment shows how sup-portive the professional DEG METROSTARS players are of our campaign.And it helped to persuade many fansand Henkel employees to have theirown blood typed as well,” enthusedNadine Rellecke.

30 SOCIAL PARTNERSHIPS

Hands-on physics classHenkel supports the innovative physicslessons of grade 7b at Felix MetzmacherHauptschule in Langenfeld.

May 2007: The students of grade 7bat Felix Metzmacher Hauptschule (secondary school) in Langenfeld arebusy cutting, pasting and experiment-ing. With the help of sheets of trans-parent table cloth, empty yogurt con-tainers, Pattex Hot Stick glue guns anda syringe full of water, they learn how a convex liquid lens works.“I want thestudents to become curious aboutphysical phenomena and develop ideasof their own,” explains electrical engi-neer and part-time teacher Axel Hollein summing up his educational ap-proach.And he adds:“The students are boundto benefit from this hands-on experi-ence – certainly when they start theirfirst job, if not before.”In support of the project, Henkel donat-ed lab coats for the innovative physicsclasses. The company’s Adhesives Tech-nologies business sector helped withthe experiments by providing variousPattex and Pritt products, ideal tools for inspiring the students to creativityin their research.

Academic exchangeHenkel regards dialog between nations as of the utmost importance. It is for this reason thatthe company supports the PIM &CEMS Student und Alumni Club Cologne e.V., and specificallyits program of international exchanges for academics. Behind the name is an independentassociation of students and graduates of the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences of theUniversity of Cologne.“We are part of the large international PIM & CEMS network,” explains Wolfram Steinbeck,one of the members on the executive of the Cologne-based ‘club’. “PIM stands for Program of International Management and CEMS is short for Community of European ManagementSchools. Seventeen of the world’s leading business schools are part of the network,” he adds.Once every year, the association invites international economics students to visit the cathedralcity. They not only get to know Cologne as a metropolis but also gain an insight into Germany’sculture and the mentality of its people.

International dialog: the academicexchange program brings together students from around the world.

‘CleverLab’ for curious kidsIn the new hands-on ‘CleverLab’, in Duisburg’s Atlantis Museum, children learn to become littlescientists, with financial support from Henkel.

April 2007: Why have lemons got an acidic taste?And what does acid mean anyway? These are thekind of questions children from grades 3 and 4 atTheisselmann primary school in Duisburg get toask. Working independently and also in smallgroups in workshops on fragrances, acids andmagic, the kids “learn all about a totally differentside of chemistry – that it can be practical and notabstract or dangerous at all,” explains PhilineGerlach, Press Officer of the Children’s Museum,understandably proud of the ‘CleverLab’ project.The great advantage is that the children are notmissing any on their regular classes, the lessonsare just being moved to the museum – much tothe delight of the kids.

SOCIAL PARTNERSHIPS 31

RAY OF HOPEHenkel helps blind children in Austria

In Austria, blind and heavily sight-impaired children reliant on specialtherapies receive expert help.

For over 20 years now, the CONTRASTassociation at the Wiener Blinden-institut (Vienna Institute for theBlind) has been concentrating muchof its effort on early interventionprograms for children of up to theage of six. More than 200 childrenare undergoing therapy in Vienna,Lower Austria and the Northern Burgenland region. Henkel providesfinancial support for the advancedtraining of the association’s profes-sional therapy staff. In 2007, Henkelnot only sponsored various matchesof the Austrian national ice hockeyteam and the Beach Volley BallGrand Slam in Klagenfurt, but wasagain involved in supporting CON-TRAST as part of Henkel Smile.“Thesupport provided by the associationreceives for our early interventioncenter is phenomenal and incrediblyimportant for the affected childrenand their families,” says GünterThumser, President of Henkel Cen-tral Eastern Europe in Vienna.Henkel employee Karin Frühwirth’sson Nick has been looked after bythe center since he was threemonths old.“My son made greatprogress while we were workingwith CONTRAST,” says Karin.“I alsogot to know their team and havethe utmost admiration for every-thing that they do. For some timenow, I have been helping CONTRASTout with administrative support fortheir fund-raising events. Andthrough my own involvement, I havealso managed to persuade otherHenkel employees to support thisgreat cause.”

Welcome Santas Henkel employee Dorota Strosznajder of Poland has found a way to motivate teenagers tostudy. Together with the Przyjaciolka Foundation, the Corporate Communications manager initiated the ‘I know that studying pays off’ project in 2005.

The program is aimed at all Polish school children aged between 13 and 16 years who have beenbrought up in children’s homes. Forty of these young people were given a cash prize by Henkelin recognition of their excellent grades. The goal of the project is to get the students to enjoylearning. Dorota Strosznajder and Przyjaciolka are also working on another program: ever yearat Christmas time, Henkel employees take part in the ‘Santas Are Welcome’ initiative, whichDorota Strosznajder launched over three years ago.“The key to success is to motivate the busi-ness you work for to support you with your planned project,” explains Strosznajder.

Forty students received a cash prizefrom Henkel for achieving excellentgrades.

32 SOCIAL PARTNERSHIPS – MARKEN-ENGAGEMENT >>

hat do the Schauma brand, theboxing champions Vitali andWladimir Klitschko and the

UNESCO Foundation have in common?They are all united in their desire to help.In August 2006 they joined forces bystarting a humanitarian aid project for thechildren of the San, one of the poorestand most isolated nomadic tribes inNamibia. Within four months, they man-aged to collect donations worth 400,000euros. Half of the money raised camefrom selling special double packs ofSchauma products which Henkel pro-duced especially for the project. Themonies were sufficient tobuild an integrated schoolsystem and polytechnic col-leges with adjoining hostelsfor the San children. Nowthey are getting an education based ontheir own cultural traditions, togetherwith an insight into the modern world.Part of the money was used to supportfurther school projects in Namibia whichare run by the UNESCO Foundation.

Henkel pursues this goal with all its brands. Products which bear theHenkel logo persuade and impress through their quality, reliability andperformance. Truly great brands are more than just products, however.They have their own unique personality and consumers grow fond of themover the years. Sometimes brands are assigned almost human qualities.For instance, where they are successful not only in terms of sales volumeand profit, but also in helping people in need. After all, brands are for people.

BUCKETS OF AID

In April 2007, the Metylan team ran a donation drive during the‘Farbe – Ausbau & Fassade’ paintand building trade fair in Cologne.The total proceeds amounted tomore than 5,000 euros. The dona-tions are to be used for the con-struction of a parents’ housingblock next to a children’s hospital.

Buckets for mixing Metylan wall-paper pastes are always highlysought after at all construction in-dustry trade fairs. This gave theteam working at the Metylan boothat the ‘Farbe – Ausbau und Fassade’(‘Paint – Finishing and Façade’)show in Cologne an idea.“We didn’tgive the buckets away for free as we used to, but asked for a dona-tion for a truly local Cologne charityproject,” explains Axel Bornefeld,Sales Manager responsible for theGerman painting and decoratingtrade.“The McDonalds Kinderhilfechildren’s charity is building a blockwith 14 apartments right beside thechildren’s hospital in Cologne-Riehl.The building is to be used as a‘home from home’ for parents andsiblings of seriously ill children whoare being treated in the hospital.The donations we collected at thetrade fair will support this worthycause.” Everyone who wanted totake home one of the sought-afterbuckets was free to donate as littleor as much as they wanted.“We managed to collect a whopping5,200 euros, way more than we had expected,” Bornefeld happilyadds. Henkel rounded up the figureto 10,000 euros as part of HenkelSmile. The ‘Ronald McDonald House’project in Cologne-Riehl officiallygot under way in October 2007. Theopening is planned for 2008.

Safe with Schauma Since 2006, the Schauma brand has been involved in a humanitarian aidproject for children in Africa together with the UNESCO Foundation. Thefirst project was in Namibia, a second project, in Kenya, followed in 2007.

The second part of the ‘GemeinsamKindern Zukunft schenken’ (‘GivingChildren a Future Together’) donationdrive by Schauma and the UNESCOFoundation took place in May 2007.This time they focused on the ‘Bildung& Leben’ (Education & Life) project inKenya. Back in 2003, Henkel employees,supported by MIT, founded the BethsathaChildren’s Home near the town of Kisumufor orphans affected by HIV. The orphan-age is managed by experienced socialworkers and volunteers from HenkelKenya. “We are planning to use the pro-ceeds from the campaign in order to fur-

ther increase this essentialsupport for the orphans,”explains Katharina Jahrling,Marketing Director forSchwarzkopf & Henkel

Cosmetics Germany. It is she and JulieWagana of Henkel Kenya who are coor-dinating the donation drive at Henkel.“Specifically, this money means we willbe able to make sure that the children re-ceive enough food and medical care. Weare planning to build sanitary facilitiesand new buildings that will house akitchen, nursery and dining area, as wellas provide electricity. We also purchaseda vehicle in order to be able to transportseriously ill children to the nearest hos-pital, which is many miles away.”

Vocational training is a vitally impor-tant part of the program. Thanks to thedonation, the children can take practicalclasses in crafts and sewing after theyfinish their primary education.

‘Education & Life’ forchildren in Kenya

Katharina Jahrling (second on theright at the back) visited orphansaffected by HIV and their carersat the Bethsatha Children’s Home,where she was able to promise aidfrom the Schauma donation drive.

W

BRANDS FORPeopleMaking people’s lives easier, better andmore beautiful

33

s a family brand, Persil thanked its consumersfor their trust with a remarkable initiative,launched in its centennial year, aligned to im-

proving the future of children and teenagers in Ger-many. From around 2,500 applications sent to the Persil team, 197 projects were selected to receive grantstotaling 1 million euros in all. More than 40,000 chil-dren throughout the country benefited from this tar-geted support from Persil. Because there is a lack ofoutdoor play facilities for these adults of tomorrow, 40 of the grants enabled the establishment of greenclassrooms, gardens of the senses and adventure play-grounds. In addition ‘Project Futurino’ supported 21music-related schemes so that new instruments could

Project Futurino

For head, heartand hand

To celebrate its centennial in 2007, Persil launchedan initiative aimed at promoting educational,

cultural and leisure activities for children and teenagers. And now there is a repeat

'Project Futurino' for 2008.

be purchased or children could rehearse a musical. Art,culture and book activities, including those aimed atpromoting reading and speech skills (36 projects), theequipping of woodworking and bicycle repair shops(19) and the promotion of the natural sciences inkindergartens (12) were all facilitated by Persil in itscentennial year.

And the initiative is continuing through 2008 – thistime with a total grant of 500,000 euros. “Now we arelooking in particular for projects enabling children todevelop an awareness for nature, experience that feelingof fascination and understand, through play, why it is important to protect the environment,” explainsThomas Toennesmann, Head of Marketing Laundry &Home Care. “An independent jury working hand in hand with the HenkelFriendship Initiative willdecide which projects areto receive Persil’s support.”

Consumers are being in-vited to propose worthy projects related to the topic ofnature for children up to the age of 14. The applica-tion closing date is July 31, 2008.

A project will only qualify for a grant if it has an offi-cial sponsor. More information and an application formare available on the internet at www.persil.de/projekt-futurino. There is also a hotline for specific questions –call 0800 997 89 97 (no charge from within Germany,Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.).

197 Futurino projects all over GermanyA

Children need space to play,dream and discover theworld. Green classroomsand ‘gardens of the senses’are high up on the prioritylist of Persil’s “Futurino projects”.

34 HENKEL FRIENDSHIP INITIATIVE E.V.

“MIT and the Henkel Friendship Initiative are unique and integral partsof the Henkel culture. Together we make a lot of good things happen,alleviate poverty and offer people new opportunities.” – The resoundingwords of Simone Siebeke.

Top > After a serious earthquakein Peru, the HFI emergency aidprogram helped people whohad become homeless.

Left > With the help of the HFI,the employees of the ThomasMorus House youth club in Gen-thin organized a vacation cy-cling trip for children from so-cially disadvantaged families.

All systems go – with HFI

tive Committee often use Henkel’s inter-national presence to their good advan-tage. Whenever possible, a Henkel em-ployee from a site nearest to the disasterarea takes a look at the situation. This isoften done by the managing director ofa particular plant and ensures that the

HFI Executive Committeegets a first-hand account ofwhat happened and whathelp is needed most.

In addition, the HFI hasfor some years supported a large numberof longer-term projects concentrating onsocial issues, education and, in particu-lar, youth work. Thanks to the donation

from HFI, Thomas Morus House in Gen-thin was able to organize a fifth annualvacation trip in the summer of 2007 forchildren from socially disadvantagedfamilies living in the region. Besides pro-viding emergency aid in the aftermath ofdisasters, the HFI also supported morethan 60 projects, most of them with re-peat funding, last year. The money re-quired for the projects comes from do-nations. Everywhere in the world em-ployees organize donation drives in aidof the HFI at departmental and birthdayparties as well as anniversary celebra-tions. The Henkel family members andexecutives and even some business part-ners and shareholders contribute person-ally to the donations from time to time.

After Simone Siebeke had been ap-pointed as head of HR Henkel Cosmet-ics Worldwide, the HFI Executive Com-mittee followed her recommendationand invited Fridtjof Helemann to jointhem. He has been the Head of Corpo-rate Policies and Corporate Donationssince 2006.

he woman, visibly moved whenmaking this statement in the sum-mer of 2007 at the General Mem-

bership Meeting, knew very well whatshe was talking about. As Vice PresidentHuman Resources, managing the MITInitiative and being an Executive Com-mittee member of theHenkel Friendship Initia-tive were part of SimoneSiebeke’s responsibilities foryears. Moreover, it was Simone Siebeke more than anyone elsewho, in 2003, transformed the charita-ble Henkel Förderwerk Genthin, found-ed back in 1991, into an internationalorganization with a reputation of actingfast when the need arises. It very muchlives up to its new name Henkel Friend-ship Initiative e.V. (HFI).

The HFI helps people throughout theworld who lose their livelihood when dis-aster strikes. Two examples from lastyear: When a monsoon caused cata-strophic floods in 75 per cent of the In-donesian capital of Jakarta and around350,000 people in the 12 million metrop-olis became homeless, the HFI providedimmediate emergency aid. It also helpedwhen the most powerful earthquake tohit Peru in 25 years destroyed towns andvillages in August 2007. The HFI Execu-

T

Always ready to actat a moment’s notice – theHFI Executive Committee.

From the left: Winfried Zander, Christel Fehlberg,Fridtjof Helemann, Hans

Dietrichs and Rolf Maassen.

Targeted help for people in need

HENKEL SMILE 35

PUBLISHINGDETAILS

Published by General management

Editorial manager Publishing assistants

Photos

Address

Graphics

DTP

www.henkel-smile.com

Henkel AG & Co. KGaAErnst Primosch Petra GoldowskiChrista Büchler,Claudia Krahn,Anja Schrieber

Olaf Döring, Andreas Fechner,Philipp Hympendahl,Stefano Levi

Henkel AG & Co. KGaACorporate Communications40191 DüsseldorfPhone: +49-211-797-2287Fax: +49-211-798-2149

heringson WuppertalDelia FrickeJörg Jaspert, Düsseldorf

The editorial team would like to thank all Henkel employeesand retirees who have providedphotos and information for thisedition of Henkel Smile.

Henkel Smile is composed of three pillars: the MIT Initiative, the Henkel Friendship Initiative e.V. and theSocial Partnerships program involving various business and brand partners. It is under this roof that all thecompany’s corporate citizenship activities come together. Corporate citizenship is the international termfor the willingness of businesses to act for the common good and hence behave as would a properly responsible member of society.

A roof on three pillars

selection, organization and management;and they actively participate in them.Having signed up to the Global Com-pact in 2003, Henkel has faced the chal-lenge of meeting the requirements em-bodied in the Millennium DevelopmentGoals of the United Nations and adopt-ing an active role in the establishment ofpractical solutions. Through HenkelSmile, the company undertakes variousactivities aligned to these very objectives.While the company chooses to focus itsbusiness and brand partnerships on saidMillennium Development Goals, it doesnot influence the decisions of the em-ployees and retirees who are involved inthe MIT Initiative nor the members ofthe Henkel Friendship Initiative’s Execu-tive Committee. However, when lookingat all the projects and activities under theroof of Henkel Smile, it is apparent that– with few exceptions – they all con-tribute in their own way in to theachievement of the Millennium Devel-opment Goals. So it is quite obvious thatHenkel’s employees and pensioners arethinking along the same lines as the de-velopment strategists of the United Na-tions. They are united in their fightagainst poverty and hunger and in theircommitment to provide better educationand medical assistance.

n order to improve people’s living sit-uation on a long-term basis, HenkelSmile focuses on helping people to

help themselves. Current and retired em-ployees are the driving force behindHenkel’s corporate citizenship activities.They are at the center of all HenkelSmile projects; they are involved in their

I

EIGHT GOALS FOR ALL

Most of the world’s industrial and developingcountries have agreed to do everything in theirpower in order to achieve the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations by the year 2015:

Goal 1: Eradicate Hunger and Extreme PovertyGoal 2: Achieve Universal Primary EducationGoal 3: Promote Gender Equality and Empower

WomenGoal 4: Reduce Child MortalityGoal 5: Improve Maternal HealthGoal 6:Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Other

DiseasesGoal 7: Ensure Environmental SustainabilityGoal 8: Develop a Global Partnership for

Development

Thank you.A big thank you to all the employees and retirees who have been involved in Henkel’s MIT initiative over the past10 years. Their experience and voluntary work are and will remain vital to MIT as it embarks on new projects for the future.

NamastéNamasté is a Hindi term and is derived from Sanskrit,nam = ‘bow’; Namasté = ‘I bow to you’Namaste is the most common greeting in India.It translates roughly as:‘I greet the divine light in your heart’.