Our People support our communities in times of crisis

Distributing Masks, Sanitizer and Food to Vulnerable Families in a dozen Countries

In many of our regions, our People collected food and protective necessities to bring relief to neighboring communities affected by the pandemic.

• Our Londrina plant in Brazil – one of the hardest-hit countries by the pandemic – distributed cotton masks to families assisted at our Instituto ADAMA, as well as to other vulnerable families that live close to the plant.
  A recipient said: “I would like to thank the initiative of Institute ADAMA that donated masks for my family and besides of this pandemic continues to work and develop activities for the children. My thanks for the wonderful work that you make and I hope God will return to everyone for the attention and affection given by both the children and the entire population. Thank you very much from my heart.”
• In South Africa, thousands of masks were made and given to farmers to keep them protected, and food parcels were distributed to those hit by financial hardship.
• In Italy, Kollant, we repurposed one of its production lines to produce sanitizer and donated a large quantity to the elderly.
• Our people from Lycored Ukraine (an ADAMA subsidiary), volunteered to sew thousands of masks that were distributed alongside hand sanitizers to the local community near the plant. A donation to a local school enabled meals to be given to children from families in need.
• In Curacao, which lost its main industry of tourism, ADAMA supported the food bank to provide meals for hard-pressed families, and fruit for school children.
• In Ecuador, under the slogan ‘We want you healthy,’ ADAMA Ecuador donated contactless sanitizer dispensers to retailers across the country so that staff and customers could regularly clean their hands. Masks were also distributed to the retail outlets. One potato farmer said after a visit to his retailer: “A smart and practical way to sanitize our hands and make us feel safer, thanks ADAMA.”
• Additional countries that contributed to these efforts include: Argentina, Colombia, India, Korea, Spain, and Switzerland.

Assisting Medical Personnel with Protective Equipment

Many hospitals and health care professionals did not have the necessary equipment, especially early in the pandemic, and ADAMA people stepped in to help in many countries.

• In Mexico, hard hit with the virus, there were donations of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to several health centers. “Healthcare staff in Mexico have done an amazing job,” says Beatriz Alemán of the ADAMA team in the country. “When we donated the equipment, staff were very grateful because they had been struggling to keep themselves safe.”
• In India, ADAMA helped the frontline COVID-19 warriors by donating medical devices to the Sevashram Hospital in Bharuch. These included high-flow nasal oxygen machines and theatre equipment.
• In Italy, ADAMA donated life support machinery to the civil hospital of Bergamo, which has been one of the most affected cities in Italy.
• In Brazil, the local hospital in Taquari, where one of our plants is located, did not have emergency facilities for COVID-19. So ADAMA donated funds to build and equip ten emergency rooms.

Supporting Students with Supplies and Career Advice

Schools around the world have been shut down for months and replaced with remote learning, leading to various challenges.

• ADAMA’s IT team in Israel repaired dozens of company computers that were no longer in use, and distributed them to families whose children didn’t have a computer for video lessons or computer-based homework. The project was coordinated through Elem, an Israeli NGO that assists youth at risk and in distress.
  Our contact at Elem told us: “The computers have reached their destination, the homes of the boys and girls. They are grateful and excited. One of them shared that it will motivate her to invest and make the right choices for herself, rather than staying in risky and non-beneficial places. We feel the love invested in each and every computer. Thank you."
• In Curacao, there were not enough funds for the local school system, so the ADAMA team financed the transportation of a 40-foot container with second-hand school furniture and educational material donated from the Netherlands.
• In Israel, as part of our collaboration with the Israeli non-profit Educating for Excellence, our People shared their professional experience with high school students in a Zoom session, as part of the course “Preparation for the world of work.” Students had the opportunity to ask questions about working life and discover different career paths, practice job interviews, and more. Students shared heartwarming feedback afterward, with comments like: “I'm now proud of my accomplishments and know how to present myself better."

Staying Upbeat with Social Welfare Initiatives

With so many countries in and out of lockdown and fighting a battle for their health, it can be difficult to maintain a positive outlook. Here, as well, ADAMA contributed.

• In Ukraine, ADAMA built special benches in the local park near the plant, designed to enable elderly citizens to spend time together outside while keeping social distance.
• In India, ADAMA continues to support children to fulfil their potential. We have committed to financially support 10 children and two teachers in the Asmita Vikas Kendra residential school near ADAMA’s Gujarat plant. Home to 75 children with disabilities, ADAMA also donated two solar heaters to provide hot water for the school.
• South Korea was not hit as hard as some countries, as strict lockdowns have helped control the spread of the virus. Support for ADAMA staff included their mental wellbeing, with online yoga and fitness trainings. “We believe people are the company’s greatest asset and protecting them and their families’ health is our greatest priority,” says Jewel Woo, responsible for ADAMA South Korea’s Covid-19 response.

• In Israel, volunteers visited the homes of elderly and high-risk people together with members of local youth movements, to ensure they did not fall into severe isolation.

We are proud of our dedicated and motivated people from around the world who have been actively seeking ways to engage with and help our communities.

Our community commitment - see what we did in 2020