For more than 30 years, the Orange Foundation has been central to the Group’s social commitment. Many employees volunteer their time and efforts to ensure digital technology helps drive equal opportunities and inclusion, for example among people with autism spectrum disorders.
In 2021, the Orange Foundation reached a 30-year milestone in terms of actively raising awareness of autism, while supporting social care and employment opportunities for 3,500 affected people each year. This equates to €30 million allocated to fund 2,350 projects in France, including more than 200 research programs, 1,450 support facilities and 24 housing initiatives over the past three decades.
Access to education, health, and culture
In addition to autism activism, the Orange Foundation leads numerous initiatives to support the social and professional integration of disadvantaged women and young people. In 2020 alone, it committed €9 million to support emergency healthcare, food aid, digital education, and student funding in 30 countries.
Solidarity during the pandemic
The Orange Foundation has also been quick to respond to challenges linked to the global pandemic. In Poland, for example, it supported the Empowering Children Foundation in setting up a call center and anonymous mailbox to help children struggling with their mental health particularly during the pandemic. In Slovakia, it joined forces with the NGO IPčko to launch a free long-term helpline dedicated to Covid-19 support. In Senegal, teams from Sonatel and the Sonatel Foundation also contributed to relief efforts by refurbishing and equipping an emergency medical center based at Dakar’s Léopold-Sédar-Senghor international airport.
Did you know?
On 8 June 2021, Orange launched the Engagement Makers Awards to promote and reward outstanding employee contributions that will help the company to integrate sustainable development into its business strategy. Colleagues, customers, shareholders, and partners were also asked to vote for their favorite project among the 12 final teams in each of the three main categories: digital equality, net zero carbon and solidarity. The winners will be selected by members of the Executive Committee chaired by Stéphane Richard on 24 November 2021.