SAP Feeding Knowledge

Food crisis in the Horn of Africa

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 09:46:26 +0000

**World Food Programme warns about a change for the worse** Serious droughts are exacerbating the food situation in the Horn of Africa region which is already tense due to high food and fuel prices. As a [report by the UN World Food Programme (WFP) ](http://www.wfp.org/hornofafrica/horn_of_africa.asp)shows, more than 10 million people are affected by a drought in southern, central, western and north-eastern [Ethiopia](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/1072164.stm). According to the WFP's observation, crop production is decreasing and livestock are dying. As a consequence, rural people are forced to migrate to towns for cheap labor, or to sell firewood and charcoal. Another consequence is widespread [child malnutrition ](http://www.wfp.org/hornofafrica/horn_of_africa_stats.asp) which is one of the key problems in the region that needs to be tackled. That's why [support of school feeding programs ](https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/90d1f46a-3240-2b10-ef8b-af828b612ca9) is so significant for the overall development of the affected communities. To give you an impression of how people try to cope with hardships connected to the food shortage, the [story of Daniel Gedisha](http://www.wfp.org/hornofafrica/ethiopia_story_08_2008.asp), an Ethiopian farmer, is a telling example. He has to deal with successive failures of seasonal rains which have destroyed his crops. Basically, the survival of his family would be threatened if it wasn't for outside assistance - much of it provided by the WFP.

Money well spent - how the donation of only 10€ benefits children threatened by hunger

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:59:36 +0000

The global [rise of food prices ](http://documents.wfp.org/stellent/groups/public/documents/newsroom/wfp179628.pdf) certainly made it harder for international help agencies to tackle the problem of hunger and the far-reaching negative effects for individuals and communities affected by it. However, the [World Food Programme's ](http://www.wfp.org/english/)updated figures about the impact of a 10€ donation (equalling not even 15$) illustrate that even such a little amount of money has a significant impact. The contribution of 10€... - Feeds one school child for 63 days in Laos. - Feeds one school child for 70 days in Colombia - Feeds one school child for 73 days in Nicaragua. - Feeds one school child for 77 days in Ghana. - Feeds one school child for 92 days in Kenya. - Could feed one school child for 112 days in Ethiopia. If these facts encourage you to [donate ](https://secure.my-websites.org/supporter/donatenow.do?n=gbss&dfdbid=1068674)you are most welcome to do so!

"SAPlings - Together for our Community"

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:44:15 +0000

It is SAPlings time again! In Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and Prague the next SAPlings day will take place on September 20, 2008! For Budapest and St. Ingbert the volunteer day will take place in October. In [previous events](http://www.sapfeedingknowledge.com/corporate_volunteering_at_sap/), the help of the SAPlings was gratefully accepted by local charitable institutions, for example [in Berlin (link in German)](http://www.gute-tat.de/unternehmensengagement/unternehmensengagement_ehrenamtstag.html). For all interested SAP employees at the locations in Walldorf, Rot and Bensheim this SAPlings day is part of a larger campaign entitled "Wir schaffen was!" ("Let's get things done!") in which the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region is inviting all citizens to participate in the area's first-ever volunteer day. Here you can have a look at [the German website](http://www.wir-schaffen-was.de/). If you are a committed SAP-employee and if you would like to make a difference in the community you are living in, do not hesitate to get involved!

HungerBytes - The race is on: spread the word!

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 10:43:51 +0000

Raising awareness about the fact that more than 850 million people in the world suffer from [hunger ](http://www.wfp.org/aboutwfp/facts/index.asp)is the aim of a [new campaign ](http://www.wfp.org/english/?Key=2903&ModuleID=137)launched by the World Food Programme.

Podcast about the School Feeding Initiative in Colombia

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 09:56:11 +0000

To give you a first-hand impression of the [World Food Programme's ](http://www.wfp.org/english/)School Feeding initiative and its beneficial effect for the children of internally displaced families in Colombia, this podcast is very helpful: SchoolFeedingColombia.mp3. What becomes clear is that fighting hunger and enhancing the children´s education go hand in hand - to the long-term benefit of not only the children but of the whole country. If you would like to learn more about the political situation in Colombia and the fate of internally displaced people (IDPs), please have a look at the documents of the [United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)](http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home/opendoc.pdf?tbl=NEWS&id=4061b4614&page=events) as well as the [Brookings Institution](http://www.brookings.edu/articles/2003/0603humanrights_sanchez-garzoli.aspx) and the [International Crisis Group](http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=3556&l=1).

SDN/BPX Recognition Program - Story 5 from Columbia

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:21:34 +0000

**Education is everything** Erika is 10 years old. She attends fourth grade at the Roberto García Peña Primary School, in Girón, province of Santander, Colombia. Erika lives with her family in a very poor household. However, she says they share a beautiful house, because her mother keeps it comfortable and clean. Her father lost an arm in an accident a long time ago, even before she was born. After that, he has constantly been struggling trying to find a job. The family used to live in a small town up north of the province. Her father owned a small farm and they had a decent and normal life. But unfortunately, armed conflict in the region forced them to move out and then they settled in Angulito neighborhood, a marginal area in Girón. Erika goes to the school every single morning. Similar to [David](http://www.sapfeedingknowledge.com/2008/08/sdnbpx_recognition_program_-_story_3_from_columbia.html), she and her sister receive a daily meal provided by [WFP ](http://www.wfp.org/english/)[School Feeding Programme](http://www.wfp.org/food_aid/school_feeding/Index.asp?section=12&sub_section=3). "Having the lunch at school is great, because we don't feel we have to be begging for food", explains Erika. For that reason, the sisters can go to classes regularly, without spending precious time earning an additional income for their family's survival. Erika is happy to have the opportunity of learning. "Education is everything" she says. "With education you can compete, you can improve. We have a lot of needs, and probably education is the only way out of this situation. My parents are making an extraordinary effort to keep me studying, but we are sure it is worth the investment". After school, in the afternoon, Erika baby-sits a small child. "It is not a proper job", she says, "but in my family we appreciate the extra income. It is not too much, but is enough to help. When I grow up I want to be a doctor, so I can help people. My father didn't have the chance to see a good doctor when he lost his arm, and that's why I want to be a doctor. Doctors help, and I definitely want to help." Erika looks nice and neat with the school uniform. She says that it was a gift from a lady her mother knows. "Being poor is one thing, but we still have dignity", adds Erika with a big smile. "As my mom says, poverty is a state of mind. We have needs, but we are working to fulfill those needs. That's why I am going to school!"

SDN/BPX Recognition Program - Story 4 from Columbia

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 11:31:34 +0000

**Food for A Better Life**

David is 7 years old. He is attending second grade at the "Concentración Educativa El Salvador", a small school located in El Pozón, a poor and marginal area located in Cartagena, [Colombia](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/country_profiles/1212798.stm). David is one of Colombia´s over 3 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) which makes the displacement crisis in Colombia one of the worst in the world. Most of the IDPs live in city slums where unworthy physical and social infrastructure, lack of labor opportunities and stigmatization make it extremely difficult for them to satisfy their basic needs. In David´s case, his neighborhood is mainly inhabited by displaced people from different regions of Colombia - people from Chocó, from Antioquia, from Bolivar and from all over the country. David knows he is displaced, but he doesn't remember the time when he and his family came to Cartagena. He says he was too small when his parents decided to flee because of the unsafe situation in his hometown Corozal. His mother is constantly looking for a job. Sometimes she finds short shifts as a maid, but this is very unusual. Most of the time she is at home taking care of David and his brother and sister. David´s father has an informal job at Cartagena´s market. He moves bulks from one truck to another. It is a hard and low-paid work. In a good day he can make two or three dollars, but normally after a 12 hours shift he barely receives one dollar. Despite all these hardships, David is a happy child. He enjoys going to school every day. It is a place where he can play and learn where he has a lot of friends. Best of all, he and his 110 schoolmates receive a nice meal every day, thanks to the [World Food Programme's School Feeding](http://www.wfp.org/food_aid/school_feeding/Index.asp?section=12&sub_section=3) initiative which is supported by the [SAP Developer Network and the Business Process Expert Community Recognition Program](https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/index?rid=/webcontent/uuid/007928c5-c4ef-2a10-d9a3-8109ae621a82). David knows that with education everything is possible. That's why he and his parents are proud of the fact that he is going to classes every morning.

Positive feedback to the SAPlings volunteering day

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:04:58 +0000

After the volunteering initiative [SAPlings has taken place on April 19th 2008](http://www.sapfeedingknowledge.com/2008/04/saplings_freiwilligentag_der_s.html#more), it is time to have a look at the feedback to this event. Both SAP employees and representatives of the involved organizations were asked about their opinion with regard to the success and possible shortcomings of the activities. The overall positive feedback may encourage more employees to take part at the next initiative on September 20th while at the same time providing some valuable inputs with regard to the organisation of coming events. Below you find an overview of some facts and figures of the recent SAPlings event: A total of 313 SAP employees together with their friends and families supported a variety of social and environmental projects. In the Metropolitan Region Rhine-Neckar, 28 projects were supported by 225 helpers. Besides, the SAPlings were active in Hamburg, Berlin, Munich, Prague and Budapest. Altogether 2291 hours were spent on voluntary work to the benefit of approximately 1900 people. According to the commentaries of SAP employees, 96% would recommend their colleagues to join the activities of which more than 71% would even "strongly recommend" to do so. Furthermore, a vast majority of more than 89% is very likely to participate at SAPlings again. On the part of the participating organizations, a convincing 75% rated the SAPlings event with "1" on a scale from 1 (best) to 6 (worst) and the remaining 25% rated it with "2". Perhaps more telling, however, are the comments of the organizations' representatives. They indicate that one of the goals of SAPlings, which is to foster networks of trust between SAP employees and the local communities and institutions, has largely been achieved: "*Young people working in a ultra-modern area who still have interest for people in a nursing home, the necessary sensitivity and no fear of contact whatsoever - that impressed us very much*." "*We didn't expect this kind of commitment*." "*In conversations during breaks we got an impression of how diverse and colorful the composition of employees is at SAP. Also, we could get a first idea of everyday work at the company*." By and large, the encouraging feedback to this event makes us look forward to the next event of that kind.

How the creative use of Web 2.0 can alleviate hunger

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:07:39 +0000

Soaring food prices are affecting virtually everybody these days. However, in countries such as Somalia, the DR Congo, and Ethiopia where the World Food Programme's help is [urgently needed](http://www.wfp.org/english/) the effects are most devastating. When thinking about creative new ways to tackle global problems which cannot be solved easily by national governments, [Web 2.0 or social media is likely to become more and more relevant](http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/15cf29aa-4e60-11dd-ba7c-000077b07658.html?nclick_check=1). The initiative of the [SAP Developer Network and the Business Process Expert Community Recognition Program ](https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/index?rid=/webcontent/uuid/007928c5-c4ef-2a10-d9a3-8109ae621a82)is an appealing example. Here, contributions by the members of the community - through blogs, articles, codes samples, tutorials, videos or forum posts - are turned into donations for the World Food Programme which uses the money to fund international school nutrition programs. Of course, these contributions won't prevent global food prices from increasing. But it shows how powerful the tool of Web 2.0 can be in the realm of Corporate Social Responsibility.

Update on World Food Programme´s high profile emergencies

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 09:57:19 +0000

The World Food Programme recently announced ['hunger´s global hotspots' ](http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2880)and gives an overview of the hunger-related problems in specific countries. It also depicts WFP´s efforts to improve the situation against the background of the global increase in food and energy prices.

'Sustainability and Web 2.0 Dialog' at SAPPHIRE conference 2008

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:12:07 +0000

At this years SAPPHIRE conference in Orlando, the topic "Sustainability, Web 2.0 and the enterprise" was discussed by a group of SAP-internal and external panel participants. This roundtable was recorded by a film-team and can be accessed through the following [link](http://wwwmedia.sap.com/replay/global/sapphire/orlando08/080506_1_30pm_SAPPHIRE_Roundtable_200k.asf). Within the course of the conference a collaborative [Wiki](https://openaccountability.pbwiki.com/) has been set up to discuss the topics furthermore. If you are interested to become a member of it, please send an e-mail to citizenship@sap.com.

The success-story of freerice.com

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 12:04:17 +0000

The website [www.freerice.com](http://www.freerice.com/), as presented in the Blog-Post of [February 5th, 2008](http://www.sapfeedingknowledge.com/2008/02/play_and_feed_a_hungry_person.html), has grown amazingly since its launch in October 2007. More than 500.000 people each day use the vocabulary-site to improve their English-skills by simultaneously supporting the UN World Food Program with grains of rice. Paid is this rice by sponsor-companies, like YUM! and Unilever. Users of the site are school children, students and office workers around the world. All together they could achieve 1.8 billion right answers, which are around 37 billion grains of corn and 3.75 million meals for the hungry in the world. This rice is helping in the following regions: Myanmar, Uganda, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. This website, recently selected by Time magazine as one of the top 50 websites of the year, is really innovative and a great way to combine education with the fight against hunger. So come and [play](http://www.freerice.com/) and be a part of this great initiative!

China and Myanmar: Update on SAP's donation efforts

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:27:21 +0000

More than a month has passed, since natural disasters affected China and Myanmar. Despite the support of international relief organizations, the regions are still in state of emergency. So, supporting the affected is still necessary and important!!! As mentioned in former blogposts, the SAP Solidarity Fund is also calling for donations. So if you are an SAP employee and want to make your contribution please donate to [SAP Solidarity Fund e. V](https://portal.wdf.sap.corp/irj/go/km/docs/corporate_portal/Company/News/Corporate%20News/SAP%20News/2008/Local%20News%20Walldorf/May/Help%20for%20Cyclone%20Victims%20in%20Myanmar.html). If you are not at SAP, you can donate directly to the [UN WFP](https://secure.my-websites.org/supporter/donatenow.do?n=gbss&dfdbid=1060435), [Red Cross Germany](https://spenden.drk.de/spenden/3000/cgi-bin/onlinespende.cgi) or another international aid organization of your choice. The intermediate donation-results for both regions to the SAP Solidarity Fund are about 20.000 € as yet. Thanks to all which already donated! For further information about the supporting-efforts, please watch out [www.wfp.org](http://www.wfp.org/english/).

SDN/BPX Recognition Program - Story 3 about Ethiopia

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 10:46:43 +0000

As in the [first](http://www.sapfeedingknowledge.com/2008/04/sdnbpx_recognition_program_sto_1.html) and [second](http://www.sapfeedingknowledge.com/2008/04/sdnbpx_recognition_program_sto_3.html) story about Ethiopia explained, the group of SAP' Executives visited various 'School Feeding' projects with members of the UN WFP. A further stop of their visit was a 'CHILD-School' in Hawzien, which is around 2 hours distance from Mekele. A member of the group described the location as "in the middle of nowhere" and said that she hadn`t expected a school in that deserted region. But around 200 girls and boys are visiting this school. Half of them are taught in the morning and the others in the afternoon. Some of the children have to walk one hour or more to get to school and therefore receive the children the WFP-supported meal before school starts. Then the lesson begins: maths, languages, politics, biology and sports are important subjects on their schedules. Due to a lack of books and papers most subject matters are painted on the inner and outside school walls, as you can see in the picture below. Another exercise the children have to do at school is the maintenance of the school garden. To water the plants, every child has to bring 1 litre of water every day. The aim of this exercise is for the school to become independent from external help and to feed the students through the 'students-cared school garden'!

Walk the World 2008 with Ernie Gunst in London

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 08:02:28 +0000

Apart from Ladenburg, there were other 'Walk the World'-locations around the world where SAP employees, including Ernie Gunst, SAP Corporate Officer and President of EMEA, once again took to the streets to raise funds and awareness for the hungry of the world. SAP TV walked with them in London 'Windsor Park': Worldwide, 471 SAP employees participated on this year's Walk the World or showed their contribution through a donation to the WFP. By adding 10 Euros from SAP for each engaged employee, the final donation-result ended up by 16.812 Euros. Overall, around 250.000 people in 70 countries participated on the Walk the World 2008 and rose up more than $500.000 for the fight against hunger.