28 May 2014 - Germany’s largest software company SAP generously donated a total of 325,000.00 Euros (approximately 442,665 USD) to support Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) reconstruction projects in Bantayan Island, Cebu through its non-governmental organization (NGO) partner Habitat for Humanity Germany (HFHG).
Philippine Ambassador to Germany Maria Cleofe R. Natividad received the symbolic check from SAP CFO Dr. Werner Brandt at the SAP Deutschland AG & Co KG Branch Office in Berlin.
Ambassador Natividad expressed her heartfelt appreciation to SAP and the SAP Solidarity Fund e.V., as well as to Habitat for Humanity Germany, for “rebuilding homes, communities and lives” in the Philippines.
Dr. Brandt spontaneously started a call for assistance after learning of the devastation caused by Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines. Within 24 hours, the independent SAP employees organization SAP Solidarity Fund e.V., which Dr. Brandt chairs, raised over 50,000.- Euro.
When the call for donations ended, the management of SAP matched the donations from SAP employees, doubling it to 325,000.00 Euro. “The response was unprecedented. Never before was our call for donations received with such intensity and speed,” Dr. Brandt added, to emphasize how great the resonance was among SAP employees. “I am deeply impressed by their enormous response, and am very proud of their willingness to help,” he said.
The SAP Solidarity Fund was organized in 2011 by Dr. Brandt and founding SAP employees as a response to the 9/11 bombing in New York City. They wanted to create a means for concerned SAP employees to help in any calamity or emergency situation.
Since its establishment, SAP has donated over 3 million Euros to various humanitarian projects Pakistan, Mosambique, Tajikistan, China, Chile Haite and Japan. But the call for donations to the Philippines last November beat all past records in terms of amount raised and immediacy of response.
In practice, SAP usually splits its donation among several NGO partners who are working on a reconstruction site. But in the case of the Philippines, SAP has decided to make the whole amount available to HFHG for its reconstruction project in Bantayan Island.
“We will use the funds to rebuild a whole village in Bantayan Island for almost 100 families. The project includes homes, a civic center, a health center, and fishing boats for their means of livelihood”, said Mr. Marco Witzel, Chairman of the Board of HFHG. The German NGO is working closely with the Philippine Chapter of Habitat for Humanity under the “I build my city, I build my Philippines” campaign. The new homes will be earthquake-resistant and can withstand winds up to 275 kilometers per hour, according to Mr. Witzel.
Dr. Brandt informed Ambassador Natividad that volunteer SAP employees from Germany and other HFHG officials including its Ambassador for Goodwill, German actress Ms. Alexandra Neldel, will travel to the Philippines and help in actual reconstruction work by summer next year.
“We want our employees to see for themselves where their donations go, and personally experience reconstruction work there,” Dr. Brandt said. “We at SAP are greatly honored that the community will be called ‘SAP Solidarity Fund Village’.”
Founded in 1972, SAP has continuously innovated to become the multinational company it is today. Some 253,500 customer companies in 188 countries use its products worldwide. With over 66,000 employees and locations in more than 130 countries, it is the world’s third largest independent software manufacturer in terms of market capitalization, and the world’s leader in terms of revenues in business applications and related services. END