The 2017 CMA CGM Corporate Foundation Prize was awarded to the SOS Villages d’Enfants organisation, which provides children with difficult home lives a nurturing place to live. The organisation does not separate siblings and the children live with «SOS Mothers». Parents can visit their children at the Family Home, which was furnished by the Foundation in 2017 (see the interview with Charline Bergeron). In Lebanon, the Foundation Prize was given to the SESOBEL organisation, which helps children living with disabilities.

Could you tell us about your organisation?

Founded after World War II, SOS Villages d’Enfants is an international association that comes to the aid of children in danger. Orphaned and abandoned children and those removed from their families due to abuse or severe educational deficiencies find a home in our villages. There are 22 villages in France (and many more worldwide), usually with ten houses that are home to up to five children each. We do not separate siblings and the children live with our SOS Mothers, professionals supported by a team of psychologists and educators. Our residents bond with these surrogate mothers during their stay with us.

How has the CMA CGM Foundation helped you?

In 2017, the Foundation funded the furnishing of a «Family Home» for our Marseilles village. This is where parents who have been separated from their children by court order can visit them and try to repair their relationships by playing with them or cooking meals, for instance. The parents can even sleep in the house, if they need to. We are very pleased and proud to receive assistance from the Foundation (we were awarded a grant of €5,000 along with €20,000 from the Foundation Prize). The recognition of the work our teams do every day to help these children means a great deal!

The foundation prize: “SOS VILLAGES D’ENFANTS” AND “SESOBEL”.

INTERVIEW Charline Bergeron Partnership Manager, SOS Villages d’Enfants

20CSR