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KPMG supports the communities it operates in, and Russia member firms regard communities to be at the heart of the corporate citizenship agenda.
The social sphere across Russia is relatively underdeveloped, and much is hampered by bureaucracy, indifference, ignorance and formality. Of course, the national social welfare system cannot be transformed overnight, but we can make some difference.
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Children with debilitating diseases often have to spend long periods of time in hospitals far away from home and apart from their loved ones. Whatever the diagnosis, the child is firstly a child and only then a patient. The aim of this program is to make the time spent by the child in the hospital walls more bearable. We partner with federal clinics where children from all over Russia receive treatment. Over the past two years KPMG's volunteers have redesigned and repaired the children's play areas and wards at the NII (Scientific Research Institute) Pediatrics, the play areas at the NII Urology and NII Roentgenology and Radiology.
We also assist with the organization of individual treatments for children from regional orphanages in Moscow clinics. We identify the best specialists for a child, who cannot be treated locally, and ensure this child receives duly surgical and other treatment. We aid with all the logistical arrangements to make that happen.
Another one of our projects, “Art Therapy for Sick Children”, was launched at the NII Roentgenology and Radiology with the support of KPMG and MSUPE (Moscow State University of Psychology & Education). The art therapy lessons, conducted on a regular basis by MSUPE psychologists, help children get their mind off their illness and discover their creative side. These sessions also reduce the stress experienced by the children after the painful procedures and enable them to make more rapid recovery.
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Every year several donor campaigns are held at the firm’s offices, in partnership with the Blood Service of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency with the support of the “Give Life” Charity Foundation. |
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This New Year project allows each of our employees to invest in society and support professional services that provide help for vulnerable children and their families, to ensure that the children can stay with their loved ones, support their development, and give them the chance to achieve more. At the same time, their mothers and fathers receive assistance to help them cope and to be better parents. Under the project, all KPMG employees can choose any of four ways of helping:
• Paying for the services of child development specialists, for clients of the Center for Curative Pedagogics;
• Paying for the services of a lawyer or psychologist, for clients of "Volunteers for Orphans" Charity Foundation;
• Paying for a family lunch at a Prime Star café, for clients of the Center for Curative Pedagogics;
• Paying for a visit with their mother to Detsky Mir to buy a present, for clients of "Volunteers for Orphans" Charity Foundation.
Each employee can choose the present they think would be of most value in supporting vulnerable children and their families.
The technical partner for the project is the charity the “DetskieDomiki” Charity Foundation. |
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KPMG is cooperating with the successful non-profit organizations that help children from social and biological risk groups. We support activities of these organizations financially, provide professional services to them on pro bono basis and develop joint corporate volunteering programs. Our key partners are the “Downside Up” Charity Foundation that helps children with Down Syndrome, the Center for Curative Pedagogics (CCP), “DetskieDomiki” Charity Foundation, “Give a Life’ Charity Foundation, “Volunteers for Orphans” Charity Foundation, Russian children's Palliative care foundation, Maria's Children Studio and the “Pro-mama” NGO. |
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The Phoenix project serves as an additional development resource for specialists in the helping professions working with socially and physically disadvantaged children and their families. It also fulfils a support function and helps to prevent professional burn-out, bearing in mind that helping professionals have to contend with exceptional levels of psychological and emotional pressure and stress in their work. At the group's weekly meetings, helping professionals discuss the most difficult situations they have come across in their work with children and their families, as well as within their organisations and in their dealings with third parties. Professionals from state and not-for-profit service organisations take part in the group's work. By talking about their experiences and feelings, they help each other to look at situations from a different point of view, to find available resources in their community, not just at work, to expand their circle of support and social contacts, and to become more flexible and feel protected. |
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Initially, this project was thought up as a partnership between the Otkazniki fund, the Public Interest Law Institute (PILI) and KPMG. Its main goal is to bring lawyers together to solve specific problems faced by specific children in the most vulnerable social groups. Lawyers from top international law firms, plus corporate lawyers, have responded to the request for help from the fund and KPMG. All the experts provide their services on a pro bono basis. They analyse individual issues of Russian legislation, as well as global best practices, in order to develop recommendations on changing and improving child protection legislation overall and bringing it into line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The group's volunteers act as consultants in the search for solutions to specific problems faced by the children and families helped by the fund. In addition, the fund actively works with the Public Chamber, the Ministry of Economic Development and other governmental and non-governmental organisations on child protection issues. |
 We are determined to bring about meaningful changes. It’s important for us to understand what and how can be improved in the lives of children whom we are helping. Our efforts are driven and supported by outstanding KPMG professionals, aided by leading NGOs and experts in the local market.
We are also supporting NGOs – to enable them to become more independent of corporate sector and stronger as able as peer partners. KPMG and NGOs have a lot in common – mutual aim towards effectiveness and sustainability. Experience has shown that most complicated of problems can be addressed collectively – by joining up resources, goodwill of people involved, their backgrounds, diversity and energies.
Julia Bogdanova
Lead Manager,
Communities and Education
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