Children's walk for a cause

MANILA, Philippines - To commemorate the International Day of the African Child, about 15,000 Roche employees at 103 sites around the world joined the 2010 Children’s Walk to show solidarity to children affected by HIV/AIDS. Now in its seventh year, Roche Children’s Walk last June 16 raised some six million Swiss francs to provide lasting assistance to disadvantaged children in Malawi, Africa and in children’s charities supported by local Roche sites.

“The International Day of the African Child is not just a chance to celebrate children,” says Severin Schwan, CEO of Roche, “it is also an opportunity to raise public awareness of children’s needs. By taking part in the Children’s Walk, Roche employees are expressing their solidarity with children who have not been fortunate in life and have to rely on the assistance of others. Because we know that their efforts deliver tangible aid, Roche doubles the amount of money they raise.”

Every year, Roche employees lead fundraising initiatives and give cash donations to support the day care centers in Malawi which look after more than 3,000 children who have been orphaned by AIDS. The money raised also supports the educational needs of the children in Malawi. Roche has partnered with UNICEF and the European Coalition of Positive People (ECCP) to build, equip, manage, and maintain orphan centers in rural southern Malawi.

The money raised for the Roche Children’s Walk has led to the construction of 18 classrooms, related hygiene facilities, and teachers’ rooms as the first phase. Now, the focus has shifted to assessment, planning, and creation of a teachers’ college.

In the Philippines, Roche partners with the San Lazaro  Hospital HIV/AIDS Center. The hospital’s H4 BL Pavilion is the country’s premier institution on HIV/AIDS under the Department of Health, particularly serving indigent Filipino patients. The San Lazaro Hospital has been the local beneficiary of the Roche Children’s Walk since 2006. Roche’s support has funded the purchase of pediatric beds, diagnostic procedures, improvement of the children’s facilities, and activities of Filipino children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.

For more information, visit www.roche.com.