Doing Good - Association Solibu - and Fondation d’entreprise Hermès

Credit where credit is due - I urge you to support and commend the charitable work undertaken by Fondation d’entreprise Hermès

All text and images are courtesy of Fondation d’entreprise Hermès.

Association Solibu

Growing spirulina to combat malnutrition in Burundi 

© Solibu – Denis Lavenant courtesy of Herme

Spirulina algae are strategically important in the fight against malnutrition in Burundi. Spirulina cultivation is also creating new jobs. In Bujumbura, the not-for-profit association Solibu supports the establishment of a new spirulina farm, whose output is partly donated to malnourished children.

© Solibu – Denis Lavenant Courtesy of Hermes

Spirulina algae are strategically important in the fight against malnutrition in Burundi. Spirulina cultivation is also creating new jobs. In Bujumbura, the not-for-profit association Solibu supports the establishment of a new spirulina farm, whose output is partly donated to malnourished children.The French not-for-profit association Solibu (Solidarité Internationale Burundi) works with Burundi’s poorest communities, cultivating spirulina as a key component in the fight against malnutrition. The microscopic, protein-rich algae are a highly beneficial food supplement for the weakest sufferers, especially children. Solibu’s small, pilot farm produces around 150 kilos of spirulina per year – inadequate for today’s needs. 

To achieve its target production of one tonne of spirulina per year, Solibu has joined forces with Antenna Technologies France to build a new farm near Bujumbura, meeting the nutritional needs of thousands of children. The operation is self-financing: 35 per cent of production is sold commercially as a health and dietary supplement, while the rest is sold at cost price to not-for-profit associations, and distributed free to orphaned children. 

Spirulina is a growth sector, creating agricultural jobs in Burundi. With support from the Fondation d’entreprise Hermès over a two-year period, Solibu is training new spirulina growers and nutrition directors for local health centres. The Foundation is also supporting initiatives to raise awareness of the benefits of spirulina among local populations.   

The programme is supported by the Fondation d’entreprise Hermès as part of its H³ programme (Head – Heart – Hand).

Doing Good Fondation d’entreprise Hermès - Australian Children’s Music Foundation

As we continue to review some of the good things that the Fondation d’entreprise Hermès helps make possible, here is a look at the Australian Children's Music Foundation.  All text and images are courtesy of Hermès and Fondation d’entreprise Hermès.  Photo credit copyright to ACMF.

© ACMF Courtesy of Fondation d’entreprise Hermès

Australian Children’s Music Foundation

Access to music for disadvantaged children 

Convinced that music should be a right, not a privilege, the trustees of the Australian Children’s Music Foundation work to provide disadvantaged children with access to the world of music as a universal source of emotional expression and personal growth.

Research shows that playing music can significantly enhance a child’s mental development and intellectual well being. In Australia, lack of funding means that 75 per cent of state schools offer no musical education. The Australian Children’s Music Foundation (ACMF) was established in 2002 to provide instruments and music lessons for disadvantaged children in isolated areas, or attending schools with no existing musical resources.

Music offers young people new ways to express themselves and their emotions, channelling their energy and creativity. In the words of the ACMF, ‘playing an instrument really is good for the brain. It enhances reading and arithmetical ability, impacts positively on school results, and develops and enhances self-esteem.’ The Foundation’s programme benefits all children, however lively or withdrawn, academically able or alienated from learning at school.

Active throughout Australia, the ACMF reaches audiences traditionally unengaged with mainstream musical culture, including Aboriginal communities. The Foundation provides free, regular music lessons and makes musical instruments permanently available at partner institutions. 

The Fondation d’entreprise Hermès supports the Foundation’s commitment to promote access to culture, and long-term social inclusion, for the least advantaged in Australian society.

The project was selected for support by the Fondation d’entreprise Hermès as part of the H³ programme: Head – heart – hand.

Learn more about the Australian Children's Music Foundation here:

http://acmf.com.au

Doing Good - Fondation d’entreprise Hermès

No that is not a typo!  Hermès through the work of their foundation does a LOT OF GOOD, and I thought I would take a few moments to tell you about it.