One by One

All over the world, children dream of becoming doctors, lawyers, pilots and government leaders. The children of Johannesburg, have these aspirations too, but they also have many obstacles along the way.
One of the chief obstacles is a basic one: they have no desks or tables at school or in their homes where they can do their studies. This means many students do their writing on hard, uneven, and often dirty floors.

Amway leaders in Europe and South Africa recognized this need and are responding in partnership with the Tutudesk Campaign. Named after Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, the project aims to help 20 million South African and African children by providing portable school desks by 2015.

Tutudesks provide a stable work surface for impoverished schools which have little or no permanent facilities. The hand-held desks display mathematics signs and can be carried to the next classroom or at home for homework. Teachers report a 69% improvement in handwriting skills and 77% reported improved levels of concentration and motivation among students with Tutudesks.

From Scandinavia to South Africa and from Portugal to Russia, Amway, its distributors and employees have been raising funds to support this simple but impactful idea. The first 3,500 Tutudesks were presented in the townships of Orange Farm, Tembisa, Daveyton and Mamelodi in March, and another delivery is expected in April.

Thanks to Karin Schmid for sharing this story.

For parents of a child with a terminal illness or long-term special needs, life takes on a whole new set of prorities. It also can mean a tangled web of doctor visits, medicines, insurance companies and expenses – all of which  overwhem parents who just want the best for thier child.

Twelve years ago, two parents in Slovenia struggled through a terminal illness with their child, and emerged with a determination to help other families like themselves. They created the Foundation to Help Children (Ustanova Fundacija za Pomoc Otrokom Foundation), which provides financial support for medical treatment, as well as mentoring, financial counseling and even legal advice for families who have a child with a terminal illness or extreme special needs.

Amway and its employees and business owners in Slovenia have embraced the Foundation, and each year raise more than US$10,000 for the cause. They also use their voices to advocate for more support and more awareness for struggling families.

At a beautiful event at the Slovenia National Gallery this month, Amway Slovenia General Manager Hedi Kovacs Resnik took the stage with the President of Slovenia, Borut Pahor, to invite other partners to support the Foundation.

The leaders encouraged the attendees to purchase beautiful art pieces and Swaroski crystals to raise funds for the cause, and Amway Slovenia became the proud owner of a colorful painting appropriately titled, The Energy of Love.

 Thanks to Sarah Wellner for sharing this story.

For orphaned teenagers in the Ukraine, the future is uncertain.

Recent surveys in five cities across the country revealed that, while teenagers at boarding schools for orphaned youth are equipped with basic education, they have no clear vision of what they will do after school. Those surveyed expressed low initiative for shaping their own futures, and high expectations for receiving ongoing support from public institutions.

Amway and Amway Business Owners (ABOs) in the Ukraine are stepping up to help. Through a project organized by the Association of New Economic Education, and supported by Amway Ukraine, Erste Bank Ukraine and the Alexander Feldman Charity Foundation, a group of 16 ABOs were recently trained to teach a course on Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurship.

Upon completion, these Amway volunteers become “Ambassadors” of useful new knowledge and life skills for children and teenagers in social and educational institutions across the country – with the program aimed at serving 5,000 youth.

The courses focus on practical assignments rather than lectures. Children learn personal money management, family budgets, and financial and consumer safety. The courses are designed to develop an entrepreneurial mindset among the students, and a clear vision of the opportunities that await them as they become responsible, empowered adults.

Thanks to Elena Yakymchuk and Sarah Wellner for sharing this story. 

We have reached an important milestone.

The Amway One by One Campaign for Children has been transforming lives for 10 years.

What started as a corporate initiative in 2003 has become a grassroots movement of Amway distributors and employees helping children around the world. While Amway affiliates build alliances with local partners, it is the 3 million distributors and 20,000 employees who have helped us to bring our efforts for children to scale.

At the end of 2012, we have counted 10 million children who have been positively impacted through Amway One by One.

Actions include building hospital playrooms in Russia, enabling better nutrition at schools in rural China, providing customized bikes for children with disabilities in Australia, constructing homes in Guatemala and mentoring urban youth in the United States. There are more examples in every region where Amway does business.

Amway One by One has always been about inspiring and encouraging individual actions for children in need. Now, looking back over ten years, we see a beautiful mosaic of hope, inspiration and generosity.

Thanks to everyone who has joined Amway to build better lives for children in our communities.

This year, we celebrate these accomplishments and recognize the work of so many Amway people. But we also challenge ourselves to deepen our efforts, and will close the year with a demonstration of collective support for children in need, around the world.

In a tough economic year, Amway Europe showed both cross-border collaboration, and generous local support.

In Amway affiliates across Europe, there were runs, walks, bikes and swims to raise money for children’s causes. Many were focused on support of UNICEF, a partner that Amway has supported in big and small ways since the early 2000s. And in show of solidarity, Amway and its employees and business owners across Europe raised money to build a third preschool in a remote area of Turkey, in partnership with UNICEF.

Amway Russia continued to grow its Child’s Smile project to equip government hospitals with playrooms for children, adding 16 more this year, totaling more than 100 to date. Amway also expanded its support for children in orphanages and rehabilitation centers, by scaling up a therapy program with local circus troupes. Interactive circus programs helped to speed recovery from abuse and neglect for more than 1,100 children this year.

And play was on the mind of soccer athletes in six cities across Russia who took part in Equal in Sport. This innovative program pairs disabled children with their able-bodied peers to compete in soccer tournaments as equals. In partnership with Amway Russia, Amway Italy and the AC Milan professional soccer team, Equal in Sport tournament winners traveled to Italy for special treatment – and a very special game.

Finally, Amway employees from across Europe gave young refugees a chance at a better life, by spending time sharing helpful knowledge that would help ensure success in daily life in Germany. From woodworking to bike riding, more than 100 teenagers learned some great skills, and made some great friends.

There were many more activities across Europe in 2012 … and many more planned for the upcoming year!

Here are a few ways that Amway people are making during the holidays:

We kicked off the holiday season at Amway world headquarters in Ada, Michigan, with a talent show of Christmas songs, dances and performances. Amway co-founder Rich DeVos read the Christmas story, as he has for many years.

Amway colleagues in Tokyo, Japan celebrate Christmas with an orange ribbon tree lighting ceremony with Santa. Amway Japan collects orange ribbons to raise awareness of child abuse, and makes donations for every orange ribbon received to focus on prevention and treatment of child abuse.

More than 150 Amway employee volunteers organized Santa’s Secret Workshop events for 500 students at Burton Elementary school in Grand Rapids, Michigan. There, students could find affordable gifts for their parents, and volunteers helped them shop and wrap them up for Christmas.

Amway partnered with Ulsan Green Umbrella Children’s Foundation and Amway Business Owner volunteers to organize a Christmas event for children from low-income families in South Korea.

In New York City, Amway announced a donation of $300,000 in gifts for children through the Today Show Toy Drive on national television.

In China, Amway will sponsor the fourth New Year charity concert at the Xinjiang People’s Hall with proceeds from the ticket sales supporting schools for deaf children.

Amway Italy organized the donation of 3,500 jars of Amway pasta sauce to Opera S. Francesco, a national government organization that delivers meals to the those in desperate need.

Fifty children from low-income families had their wish come true when they were given the presents they wished for by Amway staff and Business Owners in Germany. Working through the Multi-Generation House and the Food Bank in Puchheim, children were asked to write down their wishes which were placed on Christmas trees in the Amway head office and experience center, so Amway Business Owners and staff ABOs could choose and fulfill each wish.

Amway Austria donated 10 Euros to UNICEF for every seat sold at a special Christmas concert performed by talented teenage artists. The special musical, “Last Christmas,” was specially written for them and included rock and punk hits, as well as Christmas classics. The matching donations and an additional raffle raised 5,201 Euros.

Finally, Amway employee Kraig Haybarker made Christmas special as he does every year, by volunteering his time as Santa.

We hope you find special ways to give and receive this Christmas. See you next year!

Amway Business Owners are running all around Europe, and raising money for children: 

In the Netherlands, 100 Amway Business Owners and staff ran in the Dam to Dam Run to raise money for African schools through UNICEF. 

In honor of each Amway team participating in the Vienna Business Run, Amway made a donation to Children Cancer Relief in Austria. 

In the UK, Amway’s Team Nutrilite participated in the British 10K Run to raise money for Special Olympics Great Britain to help children with learning disabilities.

Amway sponsored the Bucharest International Marathon in Romania, where 80 Amway Business Owners and employees participated in the events. The marathon raises money for several charity partners, such as Little People, which helps families dealing with cancer.

Amway encouraged children to be the runners in the small town of Zbąszyń in Poland, where 12 runs were organized for children, with awards provided by Amway.

In Germany, Amway Business Owners raised money for children at the UNICEF Run to support water projects for families in need.

Four Amway staff in Denmark ran a half marathon to support the Danish Foundation, Julemærkefonden.

More than 50 Amway teams participated in a relay race in Sweden to support the Swedish foundation Friends, which helps children who are being bullied at school.

Cheers to running for better health and a better world for children!

Thanks to Sarah Wellner for sharing these stories.

Building on the success of last year, Amway UK has launched Britain’s Top Real Role Model 2012.

This year the initiative aims to uncover real role models in society who make a difference in their communities.

Judged by a high profile panel including Jo Fairley (Founder of Green and Blacks) and Melanie Bryan (BTRRM winner 2011), the winner will be awarded £10,000 by Amway UK to start their own social project, and get mentoring support from the Amway Academy.

Amway UK is calling for people to people who stand out from the crowd with a passion for social entrepreneurialism, a strong community/charitable vision and achievements in running a business/community project. 

If this sounds like someone you know, visit the website now to nominate.

Thanks to Sarah Wellner for sharing this story.

Amway employees in Denmark demonstrated a new take on the triple bottom line: environmental, social and financial performance.

They recently closed down the office and all staff members, along with local Amway business owners, set off to the site of a recent music festival near Copenhagen.

They first helped the environment by collecting and sorting recyclables: everything from tin cans to glass bottles to batteries and furniture.

Volunteers also made a social contribution, by partnering with Julemærkefonden, a Danish organization that teaches children about healthy living and self-esteem.

Finally, the financial return on the recyclables could raise as much as 70,000 DNK for children served by Julemærkefonden.

All in a good day’s work!

Thanks to Karin Schmid and Sarah Wellner for sharing this story.

In Turkish, “Küçük Adýmlar” means “Little Steps.”

Little steps can now be heard from 200 pairs of little feet, climbing the stairs to a new preschool in Turkey, through the efforts of Amway Business Owners across Europe and their partners.

The Little Steps Nursery School in Elazig is the third preschool to come together through a partnership between Amway, the Turkish Ministry for Education and UNICEF.

Responding to the challenge from UNICEF that, “Investment in preschool education commands significant returns in long-term and each child in the country should be able to reap the benefits of early education, “Amway made a commitment in 2008 to build preschools in remote, underserved areas of Turkey.

Amway Europe affiliates across 26 countries, along with Amway Business Owners and employees, supported have donated more than $900,000 for all three preschools, giving educational support to 2,000 children.

The newest preschool, which includes a technology laboratory, kitchen, cafeteria and playground, opened in September … to happy little claps and excited little steps.

Thanks to Karin Schmid, Sarah Wellner and Candan Corbacioglu for sharing this story.