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Donation to SOS Villages d'Enfants Monde

Published On 09.06.2010
At a reception on 8 June 2010, Eric Martin, BNP Paribas Country Head and Chairman of the BGL BNP Paribas Management Board, presented a cheque for €7,553 to Sophie Molitor, Director of SOS Villages d'Enfants Monde.

This donation rewards the participation of some 200 staff members in the Luxembourg Marathon on 15 May. Backing their efforts, the Luxembourg management of BNP Paribas promised to make a contribution based on the number staying the course. This is the fifth year in a row that employees have shown their support for the activities of SOS Villages d'Enfants Monde.

The funds collected this year will be used for the association's programme of emergency aid for some 10,000 children and their families in Niger, faced with a threat of renewed famine. The Sahara desert covers two-thirds of the country and the failure of the rainy season has devastated crops, with the result that reserves will not suffice to feed the people until the next harvest in autumn. The UN estimates that some 7.8 million people face an acute food crisis.

Receiving the donation, Sophie Molitor thanked Eric Martin warmly and congratulated the runners on their efforts and the continued faith in the association they demonstrated with their fifth year of support for the cause of abandoned children in need. In reply, Eric Martin expressed admiration for the work of SOS Villages d'Enfants, saying how pleased the bank was to be able to contribute alongside its staff members and thus testify to the values of the business.

SOS Villages d'Enfants Monde
SOS Villages d'Enfants Monde is a Luxembourg association belonging to SOS Children's Villages International, the worldwide federation of SOS Children's Villages associations.
A non-confessional, non-governmental organization, it is dedicated to helping orphans and other abandoned and destitute children in 132 countries. Over 59,000 children and young people have found new homes at the 491 SOS Children's Villages and the 396 SOS Youth Facilities. It also helps over 449,000 people – mainly children and their families – through 575 Family Strengthening Programmes providing material, psychological and educational support. Over 160,000 children and young people receive an education through 185 SOS Schools, 231 SOS Kindergartens and 61 SOS Vocational Training Centres.
In operation for 35 years, SOS Villages d'Enfants Monde has drawn on the support of Luxembourg's Ministry for Cooperation and Humanitarian Action and the generosity of its many donors, sponsors and friends to undertake concrete projects in developing countries.
In addition to the construction of SOS Children's Villages, schools, kindergartens and social and medical infrastructure, these include family-strengthening programmes and emergency aid.

About BGL BNP Paribas
BGL BNP Paribas is one of the largest banks in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, with a balance sheet totalling EUR 43.2 billion at 31 December 2009. Now a leader on its domestic market, it offers an especially wide range of financial products to individuals, professionals, private banking clients and businesses. BGL BNP Paribas is Luxembourg's number-one provider of banking services to professionals and small- and medium-size companies, and number two in services for individuals. It is also the leader for bancassurance.

About BNP Paribas
BNP Paribas is one of the six strongest banks in the world according to Standard & Poor's* and the largest bank in the eurozone by deposits. With a presence in more than 80 countries and more than 200,000 employees, including 160,000 in Europe, BNP Paribas is a leading European provider of financial services on a worldwide scale. It ranks highly in its three core activities: Retail Banking, Investment Solutions and Corporate & Investment Banking. In Retail Banking, the Group has four domestic markets: Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg. BNP Paribas is rolling out its integrated model across the Europe-Mediterranean zone and boasts a large network in the United States. BNP Paribas Personal Finance is the leader in consumer lending in Europe. In its Corporate & Investment Banking and Investment Solutions activities, BNP Paribas also enjoys top positions in Europe and solid and fast-growing businesses in Asia.

*Within its peer group