Aid for earthquake victims in Nepal

• Evonik donates €200,000 for rebuilding efforts
• Call for donations meets with strong employee response
• Habitat for Humanity to distribute funds

A severe earthquake shook Nepal in early May, devastating major parts of the largely poverty-stricken country. The natural disaster laid some 490,000 buildings, including valuable cultural heritage sites, to waste and damaged another 260,000 houses. The fate of the Nepalese population affected many people, which was reflected in the strong willingness to donate. Evonik and its employees were among those collecting donations to aid rebuilding efforts in the Asian country.

The Group initially announced a contribution in the amount of €50,000 and also offered to match any personal employee donations. At the end of the campaign, employee donations came to exactly €73,772.47. The Executive Board has now matched that amount for a total of €150,000, resulting in an overall donation of €200,000.

Klaus Engel, the Chairman of the Evonik Executive Board, was extremely pleased by the charitable outpouring: "It is my sincere wish for Evonik to be in a position where we can quickly help people in need without red tape. I am grateful to the employees for their impressive commitment."

Evonik had used its global intranet to communicate options for donations to employees. The money will be transferred to the aid organization Habitat for Humanity in early July to benefit one of the following five districts: Sindhupalchok, Kabhrepalanchok (Kabhre), Dhading, Gorkha, and Lalitpur. The organization is currently reviewing which community will ultimately receive the funds. 
Evonik contacted Habitat for Humanity to support projects in Nepal and to assist people with temporary housing and repairs as quickly as possible. The organization, which has been active in the country for almost 20 years, has mobilized all available forces for disaster aid and rebuilding.

Its so-called "shelter kits", modular sets for repairing damaged homes, provide the necessary first survival tools. A shelter kit includes tools, tarps, and hygiene products and costs about €230. The organization also plans to build earthquake-proof homes for thousands of Nepalese families—with each home costing at least €600.
Evonik has already been cooperating with Habitat for Humanity in other areas, including for its Talent Days, a project involving homebuilding for the poor in Vietnam by Group talents.