Sustainability in Troubled Times

From an early stage on, it was clear
that, due to cultural differences, refugee
women have special needs for support.
For this reason, further classes were
launched specifically for female refugees
aged 18 to 30 in September 2016 and
March 2017 at Vocational School 1 in
Ingolstadt. Audi finances 10 hours a
week of instruction in social education
as well as additional tutoring.
Audi is also working with regional partners
to promote safety: In June 2016 the
class sponsored by Audi successfully
participated in the “traffic education
day” pilot project in cooperation with
Ingolstadt Traffic Watch. The project
can also be offered to other groups of
refugees when needed.
Audi production site Neckarsulm
Audi has also already supported about
20 projects at the Neckarsulm site. For
example, the company made language
courses available for asylum seekers in
the Heilbronn area in the summer of
2015 and continued them in 2016.
In the Office of Participation and Integration
in Heilbronn, young migrants
in the VAB/O classes (the year of working
prior to obtaining qualification) at
Heilbronn vocational schools receive
financial support from Audi. The language
courses are aimed at refugees
aged 16 to 21 who have no knowledge
of German.
In cooperation with the Bad Rappenau
Refugee Initiative and Youth Services
of the city of Bad Rappenau, Audi employees
repaired donated bikes, provided
bicycle helmets and locks, and offered
bicycle lessons. Audi apprentices made
efforts too: They built a barbecue area
for unaccompanied refugee minors for
the Johannes Diakonie community outreach
program in Mosbach. Material
for benches, tables, and the grill were
financed by Audi.
Audi production site Brussels
The Audi plant in the municipality of
Forêt (Forest) in the Brussels-Capital
Region of Belgium worked with the
European “think & do tank” Pour la
solidarité (PLS) to develop a comprehensive
project to assist refugees. Various
needs of the refugees were identified and
the existing community service facilities
capable of fulfilling these needs were
supported financially.
Audi production site Győr
The situation for refugees in Hungary
was especially acute in the late summer
of 2015. With the help of funding from
the Audi emergency aid, the refugee
camp near Győr at Vámosszabadi was
readied for winter. To supply the refugees
with warm beverages, a vehicle was converted
for the Hungarian Order of Malta
and used as a tea wagon. In addition,
Audi financed an ambulance including
equipment for the Red Cross and supported
a community service organization
in its cultural and therapeutic integration
work for women and children.
Online volunteer exchange
As part of the “Wir zusammen” initiative
(an integration initiative of more than 90
German companies), Audi is represented
as a brand on the internet platform of the
Volkswagen Group at www.audi-hilft.de.
The platform provides information about
numerous refugee assistance projects
with articles, photos, and videos. In
addition, requests for volunteer support
or in-kind donations are regularly
posted. The open platform thus offers
a no-strings-attached opportunity to
gather information about the needs in
the regions around the company plants
in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm, and to
contact the people listed. Interested
persons outside of the company can also
gather information and are invited to
become involved in community service
projects.
Left: Young refugee women have a special
need for support – in September 2016, a
class designed specifically for women
started at the vocational school in Ingolstadt.
Right: Students from Africa, Afghanistan,
and Pakistan learn about German traffic
rules during a road safety class.
Global Compact International Yearbook 2017 79