Unique 4-year partnership supports development in India and encourages volunteerism at home and abroad
KPMG and Free The Children have forged a partnership to promote community engagement and volunteerism—locally and globally—among their employees. Free The Children is well known for their Adopt a Village progra m abroad, which is designed to assist developing communities by eliminating the obstacles that keep children from accessing their basic needs and helping to break the cycle of poverty. This partnership with KPMG is the first time ever that three villages have been adopted simultaneously.
“We’re so grateful for this incredible partnership with KPMG, which allows us to work together in strengthening communities in rural areas of India through economic development programs,” says, Marc Kielburger, Co-Founder of Free The Children. “Our unique partnership will empower community members to support their families, allowing children to attend school and helping to break the cycle of poverty.”
As a key part of KPMG’s Community Leader Strategy and broader Business Strategy, this partnership is designed to promote active citizenship and family engagement among employees in our local communities and internationally.
“Many of our people already devote much of their volunteer time and vacations to do some amazing community-driven work both locally and globally,” said Bill Thomas, CEO of KPMG. “Our partnership with Free The Children will further build on this to provide all of our people with even more opportunities to learn from, contribute to, and share with a recognized leader in fostering social change in our communities.”
KPMG has established its own Global Development Initiative (GDI) to align with the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which are the world’s targets for addressing extreme poverty in its many forms—income poverty, hunger, disease, lack of shelter, and exclusion—while promoting gender equality, education, and environmental sustainability.
Of the eight MDGs, KPMG is focusing its efforts on the first three, as these are most closely aligned to our values, knowledge, and experience. They are as follows:
- Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
- Achieve universal primary education
- Promote gender equality and empower women.
“In support of these three goals, KPMG’s partnership with Free The Children will place a strong emphasis on alternative income programs,” said Tania Carnegie, Executive Director of Community Leadership at KPMG. “Our professionals already support the economic development and success of local entrepreneurs every day here in Canada. Through this partnership, we will apply these same skills and passion to support micro-businesses in India.”
Other ways in which KPMG and Free The Children are partnering to help them achieve their goals include:
- Sponsoring their annual We Day initiatives for social action; this event celebrates the power of young people to change the lives of others and promotes leadership in our communities at all ages
- Encouraging family engagement among employees through Free The Children’s local programs to help drive social change in our communities and empower young people to become community leaders
- Providing Free The Children with significant pro bono professional Services, thus lending our knowledge and experience to help them advance
- Hosting family workshops in offices across the country for KPMG people and their families to raise awareness of social issues and promote youth leadership and development.
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About Free The Children
Free The Children is the world’s largest network of children helping children through education, with more than 1 million youth involved in innovative education and development programs in 45 countries. Founded in 1995 by international child rights activist Craig Kielburger, Free The Children has a proven track record of success. Through the energy and passion of youth, Free The Children has built more than 650 schools around the world, providing education to over 55,000 children every day. The organization has received the Rights Award from the World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations and has formed successful partnerships with leading school boards and Oprah’s Angel Network. For more information, please visit http://www.freethechildren.com/.
About KPMG
KPMG LLP, the audit, tax, and advisory firm (kpmg.ca), a Canadian limited liability partnership established under the laws of Ontario, is the Canadian member firm of KPMG International. KPMG International’s member firms have 140,000 professionals, including more than 7,900 partners, in 146 countries.
For more information about this partnership, please visit www.freethechildren.com/kpmg
