NEWS

January 29, 2010

Cognis funds building of classrooms in Senegal

Good news for 100 students in Senegal: their school in Mbour, a city of 100,000 inhabitants, now has six new classrooms. This was made possible by a donation from Cognis to the “Water and education for Senegal” program. This initiative was set up by Amat Kane, Cognis’ former head of global SHEQ Management, in 2003, and the company has been supporting it ever since.

Helping people in need. As the name of the program suggests, its aim is to improve the lives of people in the drought-threatened rural regions of Senegal. Nine wells have been dug so far with the help of Cognis and other companies, providing a source of clean drinking water for the local population.

In addition, the program also supports local schools and healthcare institutions. Cognis’ donation funded new classrooms and teaching materials for the school in Mbour, and helps provide financial assistance for children from poor families. “These investments are an important step forward,” says Amat Kane, chairman of the society, who was born in Senegal. “I would like to thank everyone who has made this possible, both from myself and on behalf of the school’s governors.”

The building of the classrooms represents a good start to the new year for “Water and education for Senegal”. 2010 will be the year of education, and Kane hopes to announce further projects soon. Cognis recently made a donation to the initiative equivalent in value to the prizes of the photo competition.

 

If you have any questions, please contact Susanne Sengel, Corporate Communications.

Thanks to Cognis, 100 students in Senegal can now study in new classrooms
 

The school is located in Mbour, 80 kilometers south of the Senegalese capital Dakar