May 4 2010
Louis Vuitton and SOS Children's Villages: A New Global Partnership for Children's Futures
04/05/2010 - The luxury house Louis Vuitton and SOS Children's Villages, one of the world's largest non-governmental organisations dedicated to helping children, have signed a five year Global Agreement to develop a programme entitled "Partnership for Children's Futures". The aim of this global partnership is to help form the future of disadvantaged children across the globe: a future founded on security, education and learning.
For more than 60 years, SOS Children's Villages has welcomed children from around the world who have been orphaned, abandoned or whose families are unable to care for them. Children live in SOS Children's Villages and are cared for by SOS mothers. There, they receive the love and security of a real home and access to education until they are ready to be independent. Furthermore, SOS Children's Villages supports local communities with comprehensive social programmes in order to help disadvantaged families to avoid future abandonment and provide a strong future for their children. Worldwide, SOS Children's Villages cares for over 73,000 children and young people in 500 children's villages and some 400 youth facilities. With over 1,300 social programmes (in the field of education, family support, medical care and emergency relief), the organisation benefits over one million children and adults.
Since 1854, Louis Vuitton has valued its heritage, and has cherished the importance of transmitting knowledge, craftsmanship and the passion of creation to future generations. With this global partnership, Louis Vuitton would like to pay homage to the efforts of SOS Children's Villages since 1949 in 132 countries globally, and will now make its own contribution to providing security, comfort and education to children worldwide.
Yves Carcelle, President & CEO of Louis Vuitton comments: "Transmitting savoir-faire and heritage is one of our founding cornerstones. Preserving the past and preparing for a brighter future are fundamental values that have inspired us for more than 150 years. Today, we are proud and pleased to be starting out on this new voyage with SOS Children's Villages."
"We are very honoured to build a partnership with such an esteemed name as Louis Vuitton," said Richard Pichler, Secretary General of SOS Children's Villages International. "Louis Vuitton is a highly respected company which stands for quality and sustainability, values that are very important for our tradition of longstanding support for children. SOS Children's Villages has been an integral part of local communities in 132 countries for more than 60 years and I am certain that each individual project which evolves from this partnership will bring smiles to children's faces and support them with their everyday challenges in life."