Volkswagen India donates bus for children’s home

Volkswagen Group India donated a bus for a shildren's home in a village in Paud in Pune. Dr. Horst Neumann, Member of the Board of Management at Volkswagen AG with responsibility for “Human Resources”, Bernd Osterloh, President of the Volkswagen Global Group Works Council and Dr. John Chacko, Volkswagen Group Chief Representative India, President and Managing Director, Volkswagen India Private Limited, handed over the keys of a brand new school bus equipped with requisite safety features to Timothy Gaikwad, Director of IMCARES Agape children’s village at Paud (Pune). This marks a step forward in Volkswagen’s initiatives as a good corporate citizen focused in supporting social projects in communities in and around its production facilities. An NGO focussed on changing the lives of destitute and providing family based care for orphaned and vulnerable children, IMCARES is concerned with the overall development of children, most of who belong to AIDS affected families. Volkswagen establishments globally have a tradition to support social projects in the regions around its production facilities. This initiative has been taken to provide the children of IMCARES with a much-needed mode of transport. The bus can be used to pick-up and drop the children to & from school. It can also be used to take children to the hospital or pick-up provisions from the city, and also for various excursions. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Neumann emphasised, “Volkswagen engages in social projects at all of its sites worldwide. With this school bus we are supporting an organization that looks after the development and education of children in special need of protection. Their future is something that is very close to our hearts.” Addressing the gathering, Dr. Chacko said, “Along with providing superior value, a strong sense of social responsibility is a hallmark of Volkswagen’s corporate culture. We firmly believe that children’s education is a key to their personal success later in life. I hope this small gesture will make their further way a little easier.” “All over the world, Volkswagen not only stands for outstanding automobiles, but is also always seen as a global company that assumes social responsibility at its sites. We hope this donation will help many boys and girls toward a better life.” said Mr. Osterloh. According to Timothy Gaikwad, Director, IMCARES, “We would like to thank Volkswagen for this noble initiative which I am sure will bring smiles on the faces of the children of our village and make their lives here much better. I would like to thank the Volkswagen Group for this heart-warming gesture.” Inter Mission Care and Rehabilitation Society (IMCARES) is registered charitable Society headquartered in Mumbai. Over the years IMCARES has grown to be an organization with about 60 personnel. IMCARES has been a pioneering organization in its work among the dying destitute, providing family based care for orphans and vulnerable children, responding in times of natural and manmade disasters and the HIV & AIDS Intervention program. Today, it takes care of over 1200 persons daily with 60% of its beneficiaries being children. The various initiatives include Agape Joy Clubs, Agape Impact and Agape Sparsh which are concerned with the overall development of children.