Beiersdorf and Ashoka Join Forces to Fight COVID-19 Consequences

This article originally appeared on Changemakers United

Hamburg, November 4, 2020 – COVID-19 keeps hitting the whole world hard – and its ultimate socioeconomic consequences cannot be foreseen today. Against this background, Beiersdorf launched its global “Care Beyond Skin” aid program with a volume of 50 million euros at the very beginning of the COVID-19 crisis. The program comprises two pillars: Immediate aid such as the production and donation of one million liters of disinfectant to hospitals and health care professionals around the world, and long-term support to fight the pandemic’s consequences.

Among the long-term initiatives, Beiersdorf is now setting up partnerships with international NGOs to provide sustainable medium- and long-term support to vulnerable communities who have been hit particularly hard by COVID-19. Ashoka, with a specific focus on supporting social entrepreneurs, has now been chosen to receive substantial funding. Innovators with a social mission are vital first responders to the COVID-19 crisis and uniquely positioned to pioneer a new approach for today’s change leaders and governments.

“Entrepreneurship and innovation are embedded in our company DNA – and they are also the idea driving Ashoka. Ashoka is seeking to tackle the world’s social issues with the ideas of individual citizens that can be scaled up to a broader level. The aim of our collaboration is to fund innovative solutions that tackle the socioeconomic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. We want to foster positive change and provide our support across the countries and regions that need it most,” explains Stefan De Loecker, Chief Executive Officer of Beiersdorf AG.

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Ashoka insight

Social entrepreneurs are the engine that drives social innovations. But they often lack access to important resources and networks. This has been especially so during these times of COVID-19, in which many countries’ socioeconomic problems have further increased. Together with Beiersdorf, we will be able to support where help is most urgently needed – and roll out effective solutions on a broad scale based on the innovative ideas of our social entrepreneurs.