NETWORKERS - dachser.sk

Giving children a future
In the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, Dachser
plays an active role in education and sustainable
development. Spokesman Bernhard Simon
on encouraging people to develop self-initiative.
hMr Simon, the first phase of the joint
aid project sponsored by Dachser and
terre des hommes has recently drawn to a
close. Are you satisfied with the results so far?
Our initial aim was to reduce the number of
school dropouts in the 30 villages we support.
This was way above the national average, especially
among girls. That goal has been achieved.
Many more than the originally envisaged 7,000
children have so far successfully completed
their schooling. Now it is a question of leveraging
this education as a basis for sustainable
development.
What is the main challenge for the second
phase of the project?
We can only succeed in motivating today’s
school-leavers, in turn, to encourage their own
children to pursue their education for a better
future if we can stabilize the emerging new social
fabric. This is what we are now focusing on
in the second phase, while at the same time promoting
an awareness of the local environment.
What does sustainability mean for the
project?
We have to accept that people who in the past
have not had the opportunity to participate
in prosperity are now also quite rightly entitled
to claim a greater share of it, with all the
resources and consumption of resources this
implies. Our task now is to smooth the way and
to the best of our ability accompany this process
with our knowledge about sustainable development.
This is why, in addition to the social
dimension, we are increasingly incorporating
environmental aspects, for example energy
supply or solar-powered light.
How does the Indian aid project reflect
Dachser’s philosophy?
A mother from India once asked me why we
were supporting her village. I replied that 80
years ago, my grandfather, Thomas Dachser,
showed vital entrepreneurial self-initiative
when he founded our company. His ambition
at the time was to take his fate into his own
hands and ensure that even in difficult situations,
we should be able to feed our families and
provide for their future. Bringing this certitude
and this strength, which remain the driving
forces of our company to this day, to India is
what links Dachser and terre des hommes in
this aid project.
What event has most moved you on your
project visits?
Meeting the lady mayor of one of the villages,
a very remarkable and courageous woman.
Together with her husband, the former mayor,
COMPETENCE: SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
she had embraced politics in an effort to
drive her country’s future forward. She was
particularly committed to combating corruption
and in the process had made many
enemies. In one dispute that turned violent,
her husband was stabbed. She had continued
fighting for the cause, became mayor herself
and smartly created structures to ensure the
sustained development of her village. She
became a role model throughout the region
and beyond for what it is possible to achieve
through dedication.
INFO
Targeted aid
Dachser’s aid project in cooperation
with the international children’s
relief organization terre des
hommes has guaranteed regular
schooling for numerous children in
Uttar Pradesh since 2005. To date,
25 schools have been provided
with educational materials and
sanitary facilities. Two vocational
training centres have also been
set up, aimed at preparing 1,500
girls and boys for a working life.
The second phase of the project
began in October 2010. It will run
for five years, over which time
Dachser will contribute a total of
EUR 400,000.
DACHSER magazine 13