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Corporate and social responsibility
TNS has a partnership with UNICEF, which for 60 years has been the world's leading children charity, working on the ground in 156 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence.
Partnering with UNICEF
The global partnership approach that is such a key driver of our service to clients also extends into our community involvement. TNS' and UNICEF's partnership began in 2005, when the group made a donation to UNICEF in response to the tsunami disaster. We then embarked on a 'Imagine' program in Cambodia and Malawi.
BRIGHTER FUTURES
The response from TNS people to this initiative has been outstanding and in 2010, TNS along with the wider Kantar group have renewed their partnership with UNICEF and have committed to raise an additional $1 million dollars by 2014 for the BRIGHTER FUTURES programme.
Through the BRIGHTER FUTURES programme, we are supporting projects in Malawi, Bangladesh and Bolivia:
Currently 2.2 million children and adolescents in Bolivia are victims of violence and many more are involved in juvenile crime, gang warfare and drug abuse. The BRIGHTER FUTURES programme aims to prevent and protect young people in Bolivia against exploitation and discrimination by creating a permanent understanding of child rights. As well as working with government to review protection laws, the project will create nine new special victims units to effectively manage cases of child and adolescents as victims or witnesses of crime
Bangladesh - Tackling Child Labour
13% of children aged 5-14 in Bangladesh are forced to work, often in hazardous jobs, to help support their families. The child protection programme supported by BRIGHTER FUTURES aims to help make much needed social change through providing life skills and opportunities, as well as addressing legislative reform. The project will begin by helping to re-integrate 6,000 working children into education and offer 2,500 families of working children legal support, basic health services and access to drop in centres.
The BRIGHTER FUTURES project will continue to help some of the 600,000 children aged under 15 in Malawi who have lost one or both their parents to AIDS. By creating Children Corner’s, these community centres provide the much needed support, nutrition, education and protection, as well access to dedicated support workers. The project will reach out to 80,000 orphans and other vulnerable children across Malawi through the building and strengthening 150 of these new community-based centres.
Employee Participation
The group recognizes the positive impact that volunteering can have on individual employee development and team building and encourages participation. The BRIGHTER FUTURES programme is almost exclusively supported by employee donations. Our employees find creative ways to fundraise in their local offices and through participation in global initiatives to raise funds for UNICEF.
Last summer a team of Kantar employees, including 3 from TNS trekked up Mount Kilimanjaro in a challenging five day climb that raised more than $85k.This November a group of people from Kantar, including 3 Canadians, will be riding 300km from the Andes to the Amazon in Peru to raise even more money for the BRIGHTER FUTURES programme. UNICEF has also organised field trips for those fundraisers who have shown a high level of dedication to the charity to see firsthand how donations are being used.
TNS is aware of the local communities in which it operates and we encourage local TNS management to play an active part within them.
