MAKING A DIFFERENCE
THE L'OCCITANE FOUNDATION
A VIEW OF TOMORROW
Since its creation in 1976, L'OCCITANE has nurtured simple values: authenticity, respect and sensoriality. This is not just our philosophy, it is our commitment to give back, carried on by our founder Olivier Baussan and held by employees. After 30 years of support to associative projects, in 2006, L’OCCITANE created its Foundation to drive these initiatives and support NGOs in two fields of action. We support the visually impaired and promote women’s entrepreneurship in Burkina Faso. Our average annual budget of €1,000,000 enables the L'OCCITANE Foundation to finance around fifteen projects every year. The Foundation works hand in hand with 13 L'OCCITANE subsidiaries that wish to take action in their own countries to help the blind and partially sighted like the United States and China. L’OCCITANE employees play an important role in these actions. Two volunteer associations, supported by the Foundation focus their efforts on Burkina Faso.The Nord et Sud association concentrates on training women in soap making, while Women’s Projects raises funds internally to enable women to set up their own income-generating activities. In addition to its Foundation, L’OCCITANE also supports projects to preserve the knowledge of nature in Provence – to develop strong links with the region where the company was born. Left: A Burkinabé woman selling her products at the Léo market in Burkina Faso. Right: A schoolboy during an ORBIS screening day in Gansu, China.
IN
BRIEF The aim of the L'OCCITANE Foundation is to initiate, drive and finance projects – and ensure their long‑term sustainability
–
in
two
different
fields:
women’s
entrepreneurship & support for the visually impaired.
Donuts’ selling thanks to a microcredit in partnership with the NGO Entrepreneurs du Monde
ONLY 1 WOMAN OUT OF 5 KNOWS HOW TO READ AND WRITE IN BURKINA In the early 1980s, on a trip to Africa, Olivier Baussan discovered the wonderful properties of shea butter – the green gold of Burkina Faso. L’OCCITANE has built a strong relationship of co-development and fair trade with local communities for 30 years. To go deeper in the partnership and enlarge the beneficiaries, the Foundation works during the dry season with women in Burkina on empowerment and entrepreneurship. The actions taken by the Foundation to support these women are based on three pillars: improving literacy, further developing income-generating activities through training and microcredit programs and supporting the development of small businesses. All of these projects aim to allow women to become more autonomous and start up their own businesses when they wish to do so. To date, over 9,700 women have been able to benefit from these initiatives. In 2011, the Foundation created the L’OCCITANE FOUNDATION PEPITE AWARD. In 2013, this €10,000 award was given to 3 Burkinabé women to help them develop their business projects in partnership with the Maison de l’Entreprise du Burkina Faso – a non-profit organization that supports business development in the country.
A PRODUCT TO RAISE FUNDS FOR LITERACY To highlight Women's Day, in March 2013, L'OCCITANE sold a soap made in Burkina Faso. 100% of profits* from the sale of this soap, that is to say more than €57,000, go towards building and running literacy centers for women in that country. * Sales price in store minus taxes, transport and production costs
An eye-screening session taking place with Helen Keller International near Koudougou, Burkina Faso.
15 MINUTES FOR A CATARACT OPERATION Almost 285 million people throughout the world are blind or partially sighted. Yet 80% of blindness is preventable. L’OCCITANE is a sensorial brand and its Foundation focuses its action on the support for the visually impaired. Since 2006, 500,000 people benefited from eye care. At an international level, the L'OCCITANE Foundation contributes to eradicate blindness by financing the training and field work of NGOs like ORBIS, Helen Keller International, Vision Aid Overseas, Light For the World, Medicus Mundi and A Better Life Foundation.We have also built a network of local representatives in our subsidiaries to support the visually impaired in their country and increase our impacts. In 2011, the Foundation handed the €50,000 L’OCCITANE Sight Award to the distinguished researcher Volker Klauss to finance his applied research to fight blindness in developing countries. Early 2014, in partnership with the International Council of Ophthalmology, the Foundation will select the new winner. In France, the Foundation finances training programs and Grants to improve the visually impaired’s chances to integrate the professional world. So far, over 120 people have been able to benefit from these activities by obtaining an internship or employment, or by taking specific training.
UNITED TO SAVE SIGHT Every year on World Sight Day, L’OCCITANE sells a fund-raising soap in its stores. 100% of profits* from the sale of this soap are used for projects dedicated to fighting blindness in developing countries. In 2012, over €190,000 were raised, to launch eye care projects in Burkina Faso. * Sales price in store minus taxes, transport and production costs
© Credits: Jean de la Tour, Shao Hui, Agence V.
fondation.loccitane.com facebook.com/fondationloccitane If you wish, you can help make a difference by making a donation directly to any of the following organizations – the main partners of the L’OCCITANE Foundation.
aide-et-action.org
unwomen.org
orbis.org.uk
light-for-the-world.org
hki.org