Social Engagement

Help where help is needed.

Those who receive a good education have the prospect of a fulfilled life. Schools teach children more than just theoretical knowledge: Education enables them to participate in society, encourages talents and broadens horizons. However, only half of all the countries in the world can offer each child the opportunity to attend an elementary school. Volunteers contribute to giving more children access to education – by making donations at home or dedicating their time in the local facilities.

Across the world, organizations and private initiatives are dependent on people who are willing to volunteer in their free time. In 1998, Henkel became one of the first companies in Germany to launch a program that supports employees in their voluntary work. "Make an impact on tomorrow", or "MIT" for short, encourages employees to take the initiative and supports social engagement. In this way, the family company has supported over 16,800 charitable projects in more than 100 countries so far – with material and financial donations but also with time in which employees have been granted paid leave to make a difference on-site. Active and former Henkel employees are giving a helping hand where help is needed and doing their part for a better world: They are building bridges in Vietnam, teaching children how to play football or working in a Ugandan orphanage.

To create a special environment for elderly people, an idea originated to build a "Wellness Garden" in a nursing home in Turkey. The residents plant colorful flowers and relax in the process. No matter if your appearance ages, the right motivation keeps the heart young.

1 caravan, 1.000 school supply kits and thousands of happy children in recluse regions of the Sahara Desert. Henkel Algeria supports the organization "Telilt Solidarity" to provide school materials as well as training sessions for children who do not have access to education. Volunteers were touring in a "knowledge caravan" through the Sahara to distribute school supplies, organize sports tournaments, and set up libraries.

It has been 17 years since Susanne Volkmann and her friend, Ines von Rosenstiel, a paediatric intensive care doctor, departed on their first humanitarian mission to Nepal. They boarded the plane with 650 kilograms of excess luggage, including countless boxes, chests, and euro pallets filled with medical equipment, disinfectants, bandages, multivitamins, as well as wound and treatment ointments.
Read on to follow their journey of commitment and volunteering in Nepal!

For the past ten years, Henkel employees in Bridgewater, NJ have been volunteering at the Anderson House which helps women recovering from the diseases of alcoholism and drug addiction. Through the MIT program, Henkel funds programs for the residents at the Anderson House within the areas of family education, family counseling, and nutrition. Recently a team of employees helped with upkeep at the home by painting and sprucing up the outdoor garden.

Donations for "1000 smiles." Employees from Henkel China collect clothes and other useful objects to help people in need in Tibet. Our social initiative MIT supports the project which was first initiated by our local adhesive technologies team.

“The greatest reward at the end of my volunteer experience were the children’s smiles.”
Jeimy Barrios and other Henkel volunteers supported the construction of new classrooms for a primary school in El Manzillo, Guatemala together with the organization “Fondo Unido de Guatemala.“ This will enable the children to receive a good education.

From building school houses to purchasing medicine: Henkel employees are helping out orphanages in Uganda. The "Sonrise Ministries" project often means more than social engagement to our volunteers as the children become a second family.

Helping hands around the world: Henkel employee Duff Michowski and his church group volunteer at the St. Leo soup kitchen in Detroit. They serve homeless and low-income residents a warm meal. Additionally, Duff helps to prepare and pack the meals.

Joyful faces in the orphanage “Alegra” in Salamanca: Henkel employees participated in the MIT ‏(Make an Impact on Tomorrow) project by donating toys to children's homes in Mexico.

As part of a MIT ‏(Make an Impact on Tomorrow) project, employees from Henkel Ukraine support the local project "Sensory Room." This room helps families with children with Down syndrome as it encourages them to learn in a playful manner.

Little heroes in nature. Through a MIT ‏(Make an Impact on Tomorrow) project in Düsseldorf, children are encouraged to appreciate the nature around them, for example, through creating biotopes or wildlife habitats under water!

‘Light Up’ is a project that was launched in China in 2014 and aims at spreading education, science, and access to knowledge. Working together with ‘The Library Project,’ new reading rooms and corners for children were established in 10 schools already.