The official celebration of the partnership kicked off today at the Carlton Hotel in the presence of 200 guests with speeches by Mrs. Aurélie Razafinjato, General Secretary, Ministry of National Education, Technical and Vocational Education, Mr. Siddhartha Kaul, President of SOS Children’s Villages International, Mrs. Monika Schaller, Executive Vice President, Corporate Communications and Responsibility, DPDHL Group, Mr. Jean-François Lepetit National Director, SOS Children’s Villages Madagascar, Mr. Yves Andrianaharison, Country Manager, DHL Express Madagascar, Mr. Ny Riana Rasolofonjatovo, Country Manager, DHL Global Forwarding Madagascar, and Ms. Faneva Raharimanantsoa, Regional Program Manager GoTeach – Indian Ocean and French Africa, DPDHL Group.
Mrs. Aurélie Razafinjato, General Secretary, Ministry of National Education, Technical and Vocational Education inaugurated the ceremony and pointed out that “Under the GoTeach program, the experiences that SOS Children’s Villages youth get from connecting with DHL employees are priceless. Through mentorships, internships, facility visits and training programs all run by DHL volunteers, they gain invaluable insight into the working world. The volunteers have been able to show young people that the professional world should be a field of passion and development and not just a way to earn money. I commend DHL and SOS Children’s Villages for their contribution to the development of Madagascar by helping create a better tomorrow for its youth. Congratulations to both parties for their achievements.”
The GoTeach partnership is designed to help young people in SOS Children’s Villages aged 15 to 25 years old make the transition from the world of education to the world of work. An appreciative Mrs. Maria Raharinarivonirina, President, SOS Children’s Villages Madagascar commented, “The integration of young people into the professional world is a challenge. We are very grateful to DHL volunteers in Madagascar who devote their time to support the skills development of the of the program participants, which is especially necessary for young people who have lost parental care or are at risk of losing it. We have seen great results over the past 10 years of partnership and look forward to continuing this path with DHL to contribute to changing/improving the lives of more youth in the years to come.”
Mr. Yves Andrianaharison, Country Manager, DHL Express Madagascar explained, “In 2009, DHL International Madagascar took the initiative to support SOS Children’s Villages Madagascar and offered coaching to young people to aid in their professional integration. Together, our shared vision for economic and social development has enabled the growth of the program in scale and intensity. We are extremely proud of the fact that we have engaged with over 5,000 youth since the launch, and we remain focused on improving the lives of as many youth as possible.”
Added Mr. Ny Riana Rasolofonjatovo, Country Manager, DHL Global Forwarding, “With poverty rates inching back from 77.7% in 2014 to 75.1% in 2018 we need to be vigilant about helping to upskill our youth. The program by DHL and SOS Children’s Villages in Madagascar has achieved a lot in the last ten years however we cannot rest on our laurels and must continue to effect change, so that future generations can contribute to the growth of the economy through meaningful employment. In the past decade, we have seen 30 youth take up employment at DHL and we look forward to more joining us from the program.”
To date, several global activities and programs have emerged as a result of the successes of DPDHL Group’s GoTeach program. Taking inspiration from the DPDHL Group, SOS Children’s Villages launched YouthCan!, a platform that brings together private sector companies to collaborate on improving youth employability. It has also sparked the idea for a digital platform, Youthlinks, where youth can connect with mentors online thereby breaking down geographic barriers and expanding the impact of mentorship programs. In early 2019, DPDHL Group, SOS Children’s Villages and the Ministry of National Education, Technical and Professional Education, also launched an Olympiad Games program targeting high school students in Antananarivo, Antsirabe, Mahajanga Toamasina and Toliara.
Under the GoTeach program the DPDHL Group also provides support to Teach For All and 19 network partners in Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. In addition, the Group’s corporate responsibility program “Living Responsibility” comprises two other programs focusing on environmental protection (GoGreen), and disaster management (GoHelp).
