msc-foundation-annual-report-2020

CONTENTS

“We all have the duty to leave a better world for future generations”

Captain Gianluigi Aponte - MSC Foundation Chair of the Board

CHAIR’S MESSAGE

Moreover, we shall maintain this commitment, as we have done to date, remaining constant in our established programmes and without losing focus on populations impacted by other disaster situations.

The year 2020 was noteworthy for MSC in its combination of a unique threat and a major milestone: the global COVID-19 pandemic and the 50th anniversary of the MSC Group, marked by our Cargo Division growing to become the largest container shipping line in the world.

With this consolidated strength, the Foundation has been able to provide prompt emergency assistance throughout the pandemic despite the harsh and unpredictable economic environment. We have stood side by side with afflicted communities worldwide and shall not cease in these efforts for as long as the pandemic continues to be a threat.

MSC’s offices worldwide have strengthened the Foundation’s actions with vigorous local support thanks to their history of philanthropy. The networks they have established consistently enabled the MSC Foundation to act as a catalyst, bringing business partners, communities, government departments, NGOs, researchers and frontline workers together in concrete actions to alleviate suffering, improve health outcomes, transform young lives and build a better future for our planet. That is another feature of how we operate.

It is said that great challenges call for a great response. Well, we are in an age of great global challenges that can only be overcome by a combined response. So it is a matter of pride that our young foundation has already established a distinctive role in bringing different parties together so effectively in pursuit of its Mission.

You may rest assured that our commitments shall not waver whatever the challenges, just as they remained steadfast this year.

Captain Gianluigi Aponte Chair of the Board

CHAIR OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE’S REPORT

In his second full year as Chair of the Executive Committee, Pierfrancesco Vago reflects on 2020 and the challenges ahead.

2020 was a year like no other. The COVID-19 pandemic took a terrible toll on the lives of people around the world, and the ripple effects disrupted health systems, forced entire countries into lockdowns and triggered economic disruption from which the world is still to fully recover. It also halted our Cruise Division’s fleet as the entire industry agreed to a voluntary global stop to operations early in the pandemic.

As we took action to lay up our cruise ships and repatriate tens of thousands of passengers and crew members, we also joined efforts to combat the pandemic right from the outset through the MSC Foundation. Our deep sense of responsibility for the planet immediately compelled us to put our resources at the service of humanity during this unprecedented period.

It quickly became clear that we would have to change the Foundation’s short-term plans, priorities and grant-making approaches to deploy more capital for emergencies around the world, prioritising those initiatives most able to directly mitigate the impacts of COVID-19.

Thanks to MSC’s global cargo network, we were able to send thousands of antigen tests, high-quality protective masks, gloves, glasses and other items of safety and medical equipment to hospitals, public health facilities and NGOs worldwide, while many tonnes of foodstuffs were donated to the most vulnerable communities.

Although tackling COVID-19 became an essential part of our work, it could not be our sole focus. We maintained a solid commitment to our ongoing programmes around the world and continued responding promptly to other emergencies wherever they occurred.

The figures speak for themselves: in 2020 we assisted more than 183,000 direct beneficiaries worldwide

The pandemic has reminded us in no uncertain terms that even advanced societies can rapidly find themselves on shifting sands, and this in a year that produced dramatic evidence of how climate change is now a very real and present threat across the globe.

We are, therefore, strengthened in our conviction that preserving and restoring the health of our planet is humanity’s overriding priority, and dedicated with greater determination than ever to the task our

foundation has set itself: to restore the critical balance between people and nature within a generation

We have focused all our resources on this goal and shall continue to do so, steadily increasing our commitments and efforts to achieve more, more effectively. Because we are all one family and have only one world

In 2021, we are continuing the fight against COVID-19, providing targeted support for various different charitable causes around the world, and look forward to updating you again in our next report.

Thank you for your interest in and support for our Foundation’s work to bring this blue planet and our future generations a brighter future.

Pierfrancesco Vago Chair of the Executive Committee

2020 OVERVIEW A YEAR OF ACHIEVEMENT IN ADVERSITY

9 PROGRAMMES, 7 COUNTRIES, 6 PARTNERS

20 EMERGENCY RELIEF INITIATIVES SPANNING 22 COUNTRIES WORLDWIDE

MORE THAN 183,000 DIRECT BENEFICIARIES AROUND THE WORLD

RENATURING PROJECT SUCCESSFULLY CREATED A TIDAL CREEK AND POOL ON THE RIVER ELBE (HAMBURG, GERMANY)

SCALABLE REPLICABLE PROGRAMME TO ADVANCE CORAL AND MARINE RESTORATION

AWARENESS-RAISING CAMPAIGN MOBILISED OVER 300 MILLION PEOPLE TO SAVE CORAL REEFS

MSC FOUNDATION CENTRE ON BOARD MSC VIRTUOSA TO INFORM AND MOTIVATE THOUSANDS OF GUESTS EVERY YEAR

CHF 1,730,402 PROGRAMME FUNDING

100% OF DONATIONS GIVEN TO PARTNERS AND CHOSEN PROGRAMMES

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT

organisations, while also providing support for communities impacted by the Beirut port blast and natural disasters in Central America, as well as those rebuilding in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian in The Bahamas.

Benefiting from sustained and flexible support, our ongoing programmes all made solid progress. We successfully completed a renaturing project on the River Elbe in Germany and enabled the launch of Africa’s first plastic brick factory, consolidating our innovative programme in Côte d’Ivoire with long-term partner UNICEF to build 21 modern new eco-classrooms in the year. Likewise, our pioneering marine conservation programme in The Bahamas neared its implementation phase, benefiting from an awareness-raising campaign that mobilised over 300 million people to save the coral.

Those are just some of the achievements you will read about. Achievements to be proud of at any time, but even more so during an unprecedented global health crisis in what was only our second operational year.

Welcome to our 2020 annual report!

Reading on, you will discover how we were able to achieve great impact in 2020, despite the challenges of the pandemic, thanks to the determination and resourcefulness of our partner organisations and our colleagues across the MSC Group.

Overall, we progressed 9 programmes with 6 longstanding partners in 7 countries and launched 20 emergency relief initiatives around the world. These included extensive actions to combat and mitigate the impact of COVID-19 worldwide through 30 beneficiary

Looking to the future with renewed optimism, therefore, I would like to thank our Foundation and Advisory Boards, partners, colleagues, MSC Cruises Guests, donors, MSC Group business partners and volunteers for the continued support which made it all possible.

We are proud to have honoured your determination to make a concrete difference and welcome all feedback, being committed to continuous improvement so we can act to even greater effect in the future.

Daniela Picco Executive Director

FOR OUR BLUE PLANET AND ITS MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES

The non-profit MSC Foundation was established to implement the MSC Group’s marine conservation, humanitarian and sustainable development commitments worldwide, utilising MSC’s global reach and unique knowledge of the sea to protect and nurture our blue planet, its peoples and our shared heritage.

Focusing on four areas – the Environment, Community Support, Education and Emergency Relief – the Foundation promotes the restoration and sustainable management of ecosystems, empowers vulnerable communities around the world to realize their full potential, supports equitable and inclusive quality education to foster enduring individual and collective development, and helps disaster-struck populations toward recovery.

Vision

To restore the critical balance between people and nature within a generation

Mission

To utilise MSC’s global reach and unique knowledge of the sea to take immediate action that contributes to protecting and nurturing the blue planet and all its people

The Foundation works to achieve this both independently and with dedicated partners: independently, by leveraging MSC Group engagement in designing and managing projects, connecting communities, raising awareness and mobilising the financial support of thousands of people, and together with trusted partners selected for their expertise, solid reputation, strong innovative vision or track record for effective action.

The MSC Foundation is family-led and reflects the vision and values of its founders.

OUR VALUES

Our values inform our culture and define the character of our Foundation. They guide how we behave and make decisions, underpinning all our operations.

The MSC Foundation’s culture is rooted in our Group’s seafaring heritage and strong family ethos, expressed not only in our Vision, Mission and Values, but equally in our advocacy of and engagement in partnership.

Learning as we travel and sharing our partners’ goals, we are deeply aware that the urgency of the problems our planet and its people face today means that only by joining forces and working together can we rise to the challenges. The power of together is thus at the heart of our culture and shapes our strategies and future direction. It is also a driver of our Values, inspiring us to strive to always be:

RESPONSIBLE

Our love and inherent sense of responsibility for the seas and oceans represents the core values that define the MSC Group, nurtured over centuries of seafaring experience and driven by an active sense of care that comes from being a family-owned and family-run business. For us, this active responsibility is a fundamental duty, a mission to protect the seas, our blue planet, and also to care for all those who depend on it.

RESPECTFUL

Everything that we do is driven by our deep care and concern for the planet; its waters, seas and oceans and – of course – its people, both now and into the future. This respect underpins all our efforts and actions to help build a more positive, sustainable future and a better world. Knowing we cannot do this alone leads us to welcome and encourage others to join us in our vital work.

RESPONSIVE

We understand that the situation humanity faces is urgent, and that immediate intervention and change is required if we are to have a chance of restoring the critical balance between people and nature within a generation. This sense of urgency drives our responsiveness, committing us to prompt, effective action with energy and determination worldwide - leveraging our reach, scale and breadth of partnerships to make a real difference.

RESOURCEFUL

The challenges we face are enormous and often unpredictable. Yet we remain undaunted. Our global scale and reach ensures we cover every corner of the world and – crucially - our local knowledge is unparalleled. Our understanding of the countries, cultures and places where we are present, combined with our experience on the ground, means we harness an innovative resourcefulness to actively respond to the situations and emergencies we face, on both a local and global scale.

COMPLEMENTARY FOCUS AREAS

The work of the MSC Foundation is focused on 4 core areas: environmental protection, in particular of aquatic and marine ecosystems, support for the most vulnerable

communities around the world, emergency assistance for populations affected by natural disasters and quality, inclusive education

CONSERVATION

COMMUNITY SUPPORT

CONCEIVED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

The MSC Foundation is uniquely positioned to make a difference thanks to MSC’s global reach and unique knowledge of the sea, which enable us to achieve rapid impact across the world and to act as a catalyst, bringing a variety of partners together for maximum effectiveness – from governments and international bodies to NGOs and scientific experts.

We see this not only as a strength but also as a responsibility, and have introduced rigorous organisational procedures to ensure we always operate to maximum effect. We identify which programmes to launch and support by analysing the most pressing problems and areas of greatest need, while dispassionately assessing the feasibility of making a concrete difference either through direct action in the field or financial support.

In each case, our aim is to act as a catalyst for the development of effective, innovative solutions, supported by systematic data collection to monitor the achievement of programme goals and continuous dialogue with all parties.

At every stage, our resources are focused on achieving the maximum enduring impact for our planet and programme beneficiaries, including in pursuit of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

BUILDING A BETTER AND MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR ALL

GOVERNANCE

The work of the MSC Foundation in pursuit of its Vision, Mission and purposes is overseen by the Foundation Board (Conseil de Fondation) with the supervision of the Swiss Supervisory Authority in Bern, the support of the Secretariat, the contributions of an independent Advisory Board and regular external auditing.

The Foundation Board and its Committees

The Board is the Foundation’s supreme authority, overseeing its development and providing the strategic direction of its bodies. It meets twice a year to consider strategic matters, analyse programme progress, assess new initiatives and validate the operational approaches followed. It is composed of six members:

• Gianluigi Aponte (Chair of the Board)

• Alexa Aponte Vago (Vice Chair of the Board, Treasurer and Chair of the Finance Committee)

• Pierfrancesco Vago (Chair of the Executive Committee)

• Elâ Soyuer Aponte (Member of the Finance Committee)

• Rafaela Diamant

• Diego Aponte

The Board has established a Finance Committee and Executive Committee from among its members to manage and report on all related matters.

Advisory Board

The Foundation Board is assisted by an Advisory Board of independent experts who provide strategic guidance on the Foundation’s programmes. Acting as a resource to ensure the MSC Foundation’s effectiveness and

sustainable development, the Advisory Board contributes strategic, scientific, partnership and project evaluation advice and inputs, and assists in the development of new activities.

• Matthew McKinnon (Chair)

• Prof. David Smith (Chief Scientific Advisor), Professor of Marine Biology at the University of Essex (UK), Chief Marine Scientist Mars Inc.

• Carl Gustaf Lundin, Mission Blue Managing Director, former Principal Scientist of the Global Marine and Polar Programme of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Switzerland.

The Secretariat performs the administrative, finance and operational functions of the MSC Foundation and manages its inter-institutional relationships. Composed of highly experienced professionals, it is responsible for the day-to-day management, supervision and in certain cases implementation of the Foundation’s initiatives and programmes, including their Monitoring & Evaluation.

• Daniela Picco (Executive Director)

• Marina Anselme (Secretary General)

The Secretariat benefits from the support of MSC Group services and divisions and committed volunteers.

Independent auditors

Ernst & Young is the MSC Foundation’s external auditor, appointed in accordance with the applicable legal provisions to review the Foundation’s accounts and submit a detailed report to the Board.

https://www.ey.com/ch/en/home

2020 brought an unprecedented crisis for the whole globe with the COVID-19 pandemic, which profoundly affected the business operations of the MSC Group as well as the MSC Foundation. A shift in focus of the Foundation’s work to pandemic response interventions, leveraging especially the logistical capacities of the cargo arm of MSC, has ensured relevant contributions from the foundation throughout this period.

Although several Foundation project activities have also been affected, each of the key partnerships for impact to support vulnerable communities and address marine challenges that were established prior to the pandemic have still been maintained. Fortunately, much groundwork has gone into further developing the Foundation’s unique Super Coral Programme anchored around Ocean Cay in the Bahamas.

Because the world has also been increasingly grappling with a second major crisis of the climate which calls into question the survival of much of the world’s coral reefs, home to a quarter of all marine life.

We must save coral reefs from the threats of climate change to save the oceans which are the backbone of life on this blue planet nearly three quarters of whose surface consists of the World Ocean.

We certainly hope and are actively working towards the MSC Foundation, like the MSC Group, emerging stronger from the pandemic, uniquely positioned to take on the threats of the climate crisis for the Oceans through our ambitious programmes to safeguard coral reefs, in addition to furthering its support to vulnerable communities.

MATTHEW MCKINNON CHAIR OF THE ADVISORY BOARD MSC FOUNDATION

PROCEDURES & CONNECTIONS

Throughout 2020, the MSC Foundation acted to consolidate the strong governance foundation laid in our first operational year, 2019. The actions completed included the recruitment of new expert staff with highlevel experience in the non-profit sector, the drafting and implementation of our By-Laws (approved October 2020), the development of our grant making procedure and all its technical tools, our Travel, Communication Conflict of interest, Data Privacy and Compliance & Privacy Policies, and our Code of Conduct.

We likewise continued to pursue an active Networking approach to strengthen our relationships with advisors, community leaders and others, with a view to building synergies, enhancing our programmes and leveraging our philanthropic commitments. Lastly, we renewed our partnership agreements with CAF (Charities Aid Foundation America) and TGE (Transnational Giving Europe), non-profit corporations that enable the MSC Foundation to raise funds for its approved charitable purposes from countries outside Switzerland, where we are based.

Institutional Representation

The MSC Foundation builds strong institutional partnerships with organisations and distinguished specialists to ensure it maintains the highest levels of expertise, transparency and accountability:

PHILANTHROPY ASSOCIATIONS

Swiss Foundations swissfoundations.ch

CAF America cafamerica.org

Transnational Giving Europe

transnationalgiving.eu

DAFNE (Donors & Foundations Network Europe) – PEX Community, https://dafne-online.eu/pex/

RESEARCH AND ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS

Intl. Union for Conservation of Nature iucn.org

Global Center on Adaptation gca.org

Nova Southeastern University cnso.nova.edu

University of Miami rsmas.miami.edu

Perry Institute for Marine Science oceanconservancy.org

Centre Scientifique Monaco centrescientifique.mc

Center for Ocean Research and Education coresciences.org

2020 didn’t just bring unprecedented challenges to the non-profit sector due to the global pandemic. It also presented opportunities for organisations such as the MSC Foundation to further strengthen their internal governance and administrative systems.

We leveraged these to maximise our use of resources, creating synergies with MSC Group companies and local and national entities, while also adapting our programme approaches to better mitigate the impact of the crisis on those in greatest need.

Throughout the year, we also focused on paving the way towards installing a culture of learning, benefiting from the extensive philanthropic experience of the MSC Group, our solid partnerships and our relationship building through engagement in new networking spaces.

This was accompanied by establishing the standards for our project and programme monitoring and evaluation, which will generate the insights to measure our steady progress in pursuit of MSC Foundation’s Vision and Mission.

Overall, 2020 found us more committed than ever to collaborating with relevant parties to address global imperatives shaped by climate change issues and man-made hazards, as well as pressing emergencies.

Drawing on the strengths and learnings developed with the support of our partners and stakeholders, we are set to continue growing steadily and sustainably in the years to come.

MARINA ANSELME SECRETARY GENERAL, MSC FOUNDATION

MSC FOUNDATION CENTRE

The first onboard MSC Foundation Centre was created on MSC Grandiosa in 2019 to welcome cruise guests of all ages into an informal environment where they can learn about the Foundation and our programmes. The second one followed on MSC Virtuosa in 2020. The aim is ultimately for there to be a Centre on every ship in the MSC Cruises fleet.

A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF THE MSC FOUNDATION

Featuring a cosy lounge area with sofa and seats focused on a giant LED screen, each Centre transforms the MSC Foundation from a name into an experience and a face – that of the fully-trained member of Foundation staff available to provide friendly help at all times.

The service they offer extends from complete information on our partners and programmes, to from complete information on our partners and programmes to assistance with the stylish MSC Foundation merchandise on sale, the proceeds of which are used to help fund our programmes.

The Centre’s youngest guests can drop in as they please for an educational interactive game experience. Playing from one of the dedicated tablets provided, they first draw their own avatar, tracing a finger over the screen, and then control it tablet computers, making it swim through a 3D aquarium on the giant LED screen. Cleaning up waste on the seabed, they have to dart about rapidly to avoid colliding with other fish and bubbles.

With this light-touch personal experience, the MSC Foundation Centres create powerful opportunities for the Foundation to reach out to millions of people, raising awareness of some of the most urgent problems worldwide and motivating them to action.

2020: SOLIDARITY WORLDWIDE

SuperCoralPlay awareness campaign launched with MSC Cruises, Miami Super Bowl and NFL players reaches millions of people in USA to help save coral reefs.

MSC Foundation enables launch of Africa’s first recycled plastic brick factory under UNICEF programme in Côte d’Ivoire. 21 classrooms built and equipped by December 2020.

COVID emergency support in Switzerland and Portugal, supplying 10,000 masks to Geneva Emergency Network and 10,000 to Lisbon and Tagus Valley Region Department of Health.

NauticinBlu programme with Marevivo continues teaching marine conservation in Italy during the Covid pandemic through distance learning.

Covid emergency support in Brazil and Costa Rica, donating masks to São Paolo hospital and 2 containers for food & medical storage for vulnerable communities in border and remote areas of Costa Rica.

COVID emergency support in Africa, donating 15,000 masks to the Guinea National Health Agency and financial support for unemployed families in Madagascar.

COVID emergency support in China, donating 100,000 surgical masks to the Chinese Ministry of Transport in a prompt first-wave initiative in Hubei.

Africa Mercy leaves Africa after 8 months, 796 life-changing surgeries, 3,178 dental treatments and training for 143 healthcare mentees and 748 professionals across 8 countries.

COVID emergency support in France and Italy, donating 5,100 kg of food in Marseille and 46,600 kg in cities in Italy, plus 5,000 Easter eggs for children in hospital.

COVID emergency support in Haiti with the Andrea Bocelli Foundation, providing 5 schools with hygiene protocols and 2,588 children and youths with basic healthcare and education supplies.

The Blue Corner arrives in 22 schools on 10 Italian islands, bringing the Guardian Dolphins programme to life in lockdown and beyond with 70 classes able to reach over 900 pupils aged 8-10.

Hurricane disaster relief in the Bahamas, donating 20 container houses to vulnerable families from Sweeting Cay as temporary homes with plumbing, lighting, kitchens, toilets and air conditioning.

Design work begins on the Parco Del Mare family park in Genoa as part of the regeneration of the area under the city’s new bridge, including the Glade of Remembrance.

Completion of the Kirchwerder Lifeline Project to help restore the River Elbe’s unique natural habitats and biodiversity in Germany

Fighting malnutrition in Africa with UNICEF, enabling the successful treatment of 3,011 children with Severe Acute Malnutrition in Malawi in the year.

Hurricane emergency relief in Central America, assisting 2,200 family members in Nicaragua, Guatemala & Honduras, and providing container homes for 107 Honduran families.

COVID emergency support in Africa with Mercy Ships: free transportation of 81,430 items of protective medical equipment to hospitals and Ministries of Health in 7 African countries.

Delivering Healthcare in Sierra Leone with Mercy Ships and Aberdeen Women’s Centre to provide 300 fistula surgeries, plus assistance with 3,000 childbirths for vulnerable women, and with healthcare for 12,000 children.

Beirut Port explosion emergency response, including USD 200,000 medical, hygiene and psychosocial supplies, plus 14 containers used as Port offices and spare parts stores.

Covid emergency support in Freeport, donating foodstuffs such as rice, bread, flour and water to the community and all five Urban Renewal Centers on Grand Bahama.

MSC Foundation and University of Miami and NOVA University experts set up a remote task force to design and plan a coral reef restoration programme suited to the pandemic situation.

COVID emergency support in Italy, donating 30,000 antigen tests to the Fondazione Sorrento to benefit the area’s most vulnerable residents.

Mobile Clinic with the Andrea Bocelli Foundation in Haiti, reaching 3,211 people in 5 communities in the year with free healthcare.

Partnership with the Red Cross in Geneva for the “Festive Smiles” solidarity initiative, donating around 400 gifts to children of families in need.

PROGRAMMES AND ACTIVITIES AROUND THE WORLD

SUPER CORAL PROGRAMME

Bahamas: Ocean Cay

COVID

Bahamas: Freeport

HURRICANE DORIAN Bahamas

HURRICANES ETA AND IOTA

Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

COMMUNITY SUPPORT

EDUCATION

EMERGENCY RELIEF

COVID

Costa Rica

COVID

Brazil: São Paulo, Santos

COVID

WITH YOU THEY CAN Haiti

COVID

Portugal, Lisbon

Switzerland: Geneva COVID

France: Marseille

SHIP OF HOPE

Senegal

IL PARCO DEL MARE

Italy: Genoa

ELBE FORESHORE DEVELOPMENT

Germany: Hamburg

COVID

Italy: Genoa, Livorno, Rome, Naples

TOGETHER FOR THE SEA

Mediterranean Sea

INCREASING ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE

Sierra Leone

COVID

China, Hubei

PORT EXPLOSION AND COVID

Lebanon: Beirut

PLASTIC WASTE GOES TO SCHOOL

Côte d’Ivoire

COVID

Benin, Cameroon, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Madagascar, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo

SAVING CORAL REEFS IN THE BAHAMAS

Faced with the threat of the imminent loss of coral reefs, largely due to climate change, the MSC Foundation has developed its own initiative to restore, protect and nurture coral reefs in a way that will help secure their long term future: “the Super Coral Programme”.

TIMEFRAME: 2019 - 2024

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

BAHAMAS

MARINE CONSERVATION

The reefs of The Bahamas, like those in many other countries across the world, face multiple threats, including large scale coastal development, reduced water quality, reef-based fisheries and diseases. These major issues have combined with those brought about by climate change to threaten the very existence of coral reefs.

It is possible to find a new balance between one of the world’s most biodiverse and precious ecosystems and humankind, but before we can do this, we must first repair the damage already done. In doing so, we have the opportunity to restore coral reefs in a way that better equips them to deal with climate change.

At the same time, the decline of coral reefs is also due to other major threats, such as overfishing, rising water temperatures, mostly due to climate change, and pollution caused by certain human economic, livelihood and leisure activities.

COASTAL DEVELOPMENT

SEDIMENT AND POLLUTION OVERFISHING

MARINE HEATWAVES DISEASES

Programme implementation challenges

The global COVID-19 pandemic impacted the implementation of this programme, with the related travel restrictions delaying the start of on-site work and the wider activities planned for 2020. We have adapted our operational plans to ensure the short and long term viability of the programme.

Goals

• Restore the coral reefs around Ocean Cay

• Pioneer the use of hardy Super Coral species and varieties to increase the resilience of the reefs to environmental change

• Develop a scalable replicable model and share scientific understanding to advance successful coral and marine restoration worldwide

• Promote public awareness of marine conservation and coral reef restoration

Promoting

Partnerships to Pioneer Reef and Tropical Marine Resilience in the Caribbean

The MSC Foundation’s Super Coral Programme is supported by long-terms partnerships, and together, we are able to restore biodiversity and regenerate ocean health. Our aim is to leverage the work done by others around the world and combine this knowledge with specific research undertaken by our partners working on Ocean Cay to find real-life workable solutions for restoring coral reefs using climate-resilient species at ecologically relevant scales. We will take the best science from the laboratory into the field to ensure these critical ecosystems have a future.

“We are working to research, develop and test methods that will save coral reefs in the marine reserve area around Ocean Cay. We will rebuild reefs with coral that is more resilient to ocean warming.

The future of the coral is up to us!”

DAVID SMITH PROF. OF MARINE BIOLOGY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX AND CHIEF SCIENTIFIC ADVISOR ON THE MSC FOUNDATION ADVISORY BOARD.

PIONEERING CORAL REEF RESTORATION

2020 Super Coral Programme on Ocean Cay

As a result of the global health crisis, we adapted our 2020 programme of activity to focus on:

Developing a scalable programme to deliver our core objectives despite the uncertainty of the pandemic.

Engaged with our partners at the University of Miami and Nova Southeastern to develop and implement a unique graduate internship programme to support our research and education activities.

Raised additional private and corporate funds to help support our research, education and restoration programme.

Evolved the research facilities on Ocean Cay so that they are best able to deliver research that will underpin our approach to restoring reefs.

“Coral reefs are among the most diverse ecosystems in the world and home to more than 25% of marine species. They serve as a food and economic resource for half a billion people and protect coastal communities from storms and erosion. According to the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, scientists predict that 70-90% of coral reefs are in danger of dying out within the next two decades (2030-2050).”

CARL GUSTAF LUNDIN

MANAGING DIRECTOR MISSION BLUE AND MEMBER OF THE MSC FOUNDATION ADVISORY BOARD

“I’m extremely proud of this collaboration with MSC Foundation, which enables us to offer MSC Cruises guests a unique conservation project experience, where they can visit cutting-edge research facilities and witness pioneering coral restoration techniques first-hand, increasing their awareness and understanding of the threats of climate change.”

GIANNI ONORATO CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER MSC CRUISES

2020 #SUPERCORALPLAY RAISING AWARENESS TO SAVE CORAL

The MSC Foundation launched a powerful partnership with the 2020 Miami Super Bowl called #SuperCoralPlay Together, we produced a catchy coral song performed by Super Bowl celebrities, engaged with millions of people and raised funds through the sale of bracelets made from ghost nets salvaged by scuba divers to clean up the ocean, save marine life and help coral survive.

Results

• More than 352 million global media impressions.

• 18+ million engagements.

• 60 influencers empowered to share commitment to reduce their carbon footprints.

• Inspiring music video by Emmy-nominated songwriter and producer Alexander Star.

• Video has achieved over 100,000 YouTube views to date.

• Event with over 1 million attendees.

This is my era (remix), the Super Coral Play video

Alexander Star

Larry Fitzgerald, Mark Sanchez and Jarvis Landry, NFL players

BRINGING YOUNG LIVES A BRIGHTER FUTURE

The MSC Group and MSC Foundation’s partnership with UNICEF has been thriving for over 11 years, during which we have supported 5 life-changing programmes and 3 emergency initiatives in countries as diverse as Malawi, Brazil and China, saving over 115,000 children’s lives.

SUPPORTING CHINA’S FOOD SUPPLEMENT PROGRAMME TO PREVENT CHILD MALNUTRITITON FROM 2018 TO 2019

REDUCING CHILD MALARIA MORTALITY IN AFRICA IN 2013

126

PROMOTING EDUCATION IN VULNERABLE BRAZILIAN COMMUNITIES FROM 2009 TO 2013

PROVIDING LIFESAVING TREATMENTS AGAINST SEVERE ACUTE MALNUTRITION FOR

115,668

CHILDREN IN ETHIOPIA, SOUTH SUDAN, SOMALIA AND MALAWI FROM 2013 TO 2020

ADDRESSING PLASTIC WASTE POLLUTION, EDUCATION AND WOMEN EMPOWERMENT IN THE IVORY COAST FROM 2019 TO 2022

5 life-changing programmes and 3 emergency initiatives between 2009 and 2020

“Our journey has been long and meaningful. We’re proud of the important milestones that we achieved together. MSC Foundation is a wonderful partner for our programme in Ivory Coast, which not only addresses plastic pollution but also strengthens education and women’s empowerment.”

BETTINA JUNKER COMMITTEE FOR UNICEF SWITZERLAND AND LIECHTENSTEIN

FROM PLASTIC WASTE TO CLASSROOMS IN CÔTE D’IVOIRE

COMMUNITY SUPPORT EDUCATION ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

IVORY COAST

PARTNER: UNICEF

TIMEFRAME: 2019 - 2022

In mid-2019, the MSC Foundation became the first private non-profit institution to invest in the development of an innovative, environmentally friendly and self-sustaining programme in Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast).

This programme aims to increase vulnerable children’s access to quality education while simultaneously enhancing women’s socio-economic empowerment and combatting plastic pollution. It is achieving the latter by establishing the first African plastic waste recycling value chain equipped to manufacture building bricks, based in Abidjan. Under the programme, the bricks are being used to build classrooms and educational facilities in remote areas of Côte d’Ivoire.

The Côte d’Ivoire Government’s national strategic plan has identified the need to build 15,000 additional classrooms nationwide to help the Country achieve this goal.

UNICEF – with the support of the MSC Foundation and other donors – has partnered with the social enterprise Conceptos Plásticos to recycle plastic collected in and around Abidjan, where more than 280 tonnes of plastic waste is produced every day, and transform it into innovative building bricks.

Together, they will build more than 500 classrooms for 25,000 of the country’s most disadvantaged children.

With MSC Foundations support 152 classrooms will be built by the end of 2022.

“2020 was a good year for the Plastic waste goes to school” programme: Africa’s first plastic brick manufacturing facility was built and fully equipped with electricity and machines.

The first test production run of plastic bricks was completed successfully and we began building the first MSC-funded classrooms. None of these important milestones would have been possible without the generous support of the MSC Foundation.

Thank you for sharing our vision from the beginning and your continued support.”

MARC VINCENT UNICEF IVORY COAST REPRESENTATIVE

“I have 4 children and I support my family with the money I earn by collecting plastic.”

Mariam collects plastic waste in Abidjan, in the south of Côte d’Ivoire.

2020 Background

On the 23rd of March 2020, the President announced the closure of all schools in Côte d’Ivoire with immediate effect, impacting approximately 6.5 million children from preschool to secondary school level.

The presidential election held on 31 October 2020 was marked by considerable tensions, which led to civil unrest and security incidents. There were protests across the country, roads were blocked and outbreaks of ethnic conflict and violence occurred.

The combined effect of COVID-19 and these electoral tensions halted a range of activities linked to the project for several months. Construction companies had to leave building sites, plastic waste collection and processing were suspended, and monitoring missions could not be conducted due to travel restrictions.

The complex plastic market in Ivory Coast involves multiple actors and power interests, and this – coupled with the need to recycle only a certain type of plastic – impacted the pace of production. The programme suffered from supply chain bottlenecks and the insufficient quantity of plastic collected by the women who form part of the programme (socio-economic empowerment component). This has been addressed by strengthening the local partner’s ability to source plastic from different suppliers.

Challenge

46% OF HOUSEHOLDS LIVE BELOW THE POVERTY LINE

1.6 million CHILDREN ARE OUT OF SCHOOL, MAINLY DUE TO POVERTY AND LACK OF CLASSROOMS

288 tonnes OF PLASTIC WASTE ARE PRODUCED IN THE CITY OF ABIDJAN EVERY DAY

Only 5% OF PLASTIC WASTE IN CÔTE D’IVOIRE IS RECYCLED

2020 results

By early March 2020, Africa’s first plastic brick manufacturing facility had been built and fully equipped in Abidjan thanks to the pre-purchasing of construction kits with MSC Foundation funds.

• 115 kg of plastic recycled to produce plastic bricks.

• 21 classrooms built and equipped.

• 1204 vulnerable children already benefiting from a quality education environment.

LIFE-CHANGING BRICKS

These recycled bricks last 50 years longer than clay bricks, are 30% cheaper, 20% lighter and much easier to build with. It takes 3kg of recycled plastic to make each large brick.

“I’m very happy to be part of a team of women who make bricks from recycled plastic waste. It’s amazing that plastic waste can become a school for children. It makes me happy.”

Yvonne works at the Conceptos Plásticos factory in Yopougon, a suburb of Abidjan, in the south of Côte d’Ivoire.

YVONNE KOFFI

22 years old

“Ever since school closed because of the coronavirus, we’ve come here to play in the school playground. We watch the workers build the new classrooms.

They look so beautiful, so big and clean.

We’re very excited. We’d never seen bricks like these. It’s cool inside and no dust or rain can get in. We hope that school starts soon because we like it very much.

Look at the old classes, Mister: they’re hot and there’s too much dust. The whole village is talking about it. I wish my father could build a house with these bricks.”

MIAMO DIOMANDE

14 YEARS OLD

HEALTHCARE AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT IN HAITI

The MSC Foundation has partnered with the Andrea Bocelli Foundation since 2018 to assist vulnerable populations in Haiti, helping provide free medical care to children and young people at 5 schools in remote areas, together with their families and communities. It does this through funding ABF’s unique Mobile Clinic, together with its medical and technical staff. The ABF Mobile Clinic visits these communities, setting up its facilities in their schools to provide regular healthcare support in rotation through the year.

COMMUNITY SUPPORT EMERGENCY RELIEF

HAITI

PARTNER: ANDREA BOCELLI FOUNDATION

Background

According to the World Bank, Haiti remained the poorest country in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2020, and among the poorest countries in the world, with a Human Development Index ranking of 170 out of 189 countries. Of its estimated population of around 11.4 million, some 6 million were living below the poverty line and 40 per cent of the population were food insecure. The situation deteriorated in 2020 with the country’s protracted political and economic instability, accompanied by high levels of criminality and violence. The governmental authorities have so far proved unable to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis, which was exacerbated dramatically by the arrival of the COVID19 pandemic. The resultant school closures from March to August deprived at least 300,000 children of access to a daily meal and healthcare.

Challenges

School closures due to the pandemic jeopardised the education of vulnerable students while depriving them of basic healthcare.

Lack of family Internet access or poor connectivity prevented children from pursuing their education during the lockdown.

The COVID-19 restrictions and severe political instability impacted the frequency of Mobile Clinic visits to remote areas.

The education and healthcare programmes had to be delayed due to the restrictions imposed by the situation

“Thanks to the MSC Foundation’s support we have been able to provide continuity of support to students at our ABF schools in Haiti, along with their families and communities. Being able to access education, security and regular health and hygiene services has transformed their situation, especially during the Covid emergency”.

ANDREA BOCELLI FOUNDER, ABF

5 COMMUNITY CENTRES IN HAITI

Partners in care

The ABF Mobile Clinic funded by the MSC Foundation plays a crucial role in the WHEAT Project (Water Health Education Action Time), a partnership between the Andrea Bocelli Foundation and St. Luke Foundation for Haiti which operates 5 schools in underserved remote areas of the country: St. Augustin in Abricot Jeremie, St Philomène in Kenscoff, Notre Dame Du Rosaire in Croix des Bouquets, Manitane in Dame Marie and St. Raphael in De Varenne Grand Rivière.

ABF covers the schools’ annual costs, including building maintenance, insurance, teaching materials, uniforms and teacher training. All the schools follow the national state school curriculum and provide training and counselling as well as seminars that support sustainable health development, in addition to providing life-changing healthcare through the Mobile Clinic’s regular visits.

KENSCOFF

In a country like Haiti, quality schooling not only offers the opportunity of emancipation through education, but also provides a sense of stability and normality for children whose families face significant challenges in meeting their basic needs. The schools and Mobile Clinic that serves them are thus a source of hope for a better future and a safe place from the many risks street children face daily.

2020 results

• 5 schools (primary and secondary) were equipped with hygiene protocols and PPE to combat the spread of COVID-19 and other contagious diseases.

• 2,588 children and young people were supported with basic healthcare, including COVID-19 related consultations and education supplies.

• 1,481 children and 782 adult community members received medical treatment.

• 131 teachers and 67 workers accessed basic healthcare services.

• Almost 1,000 adult community members benefited from medical consultations provided by the mobile clinic, which referred those with specific needs to complementary health services, including for minor surgery.

• Students and family members were offered health education focused on sexual and reproductive health for adolescents, on hygiene and on balanced nutrition.

INSPIRING CARE FOR THE SEAS

Understanding the crucial importance of the seas and oceans for our lives is the essence of the Ocean Literacy that the MSC Foundation and Italian marine conservation NGO Marevivo have been building in schools since 2015, informing and enthusing young people across the world to adopt behaviour that supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and ecological transition.

Challenges

3 billion PEOPLE DEPEND ON MARINE ECOSYSTEMS AND THE CONSERVATION OF THEIR BIODIVERSITY

5 % OF WORLD GDP ACCOUNTED FOR BY MARINE AND COASTAL RESOURCES AND INDUSTRIES

40 % OF THE OCEANS HAVE BEEN DEGRADED BY POLLUTION, OVERFISHING AND LOSS OF COASTAL HABITATS

134 ANIMAL SPECIES ARE VICTIMS OF THE INGESTION OF PLASTIC WASTE AT SEA

4.5 trillion CIGARETTE BUTTS END UP IN THE ENVIRONMENT AND SEAS EVERY YEAR

FEWER EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTHS ON ITALY’S ISLANDS

428

4,420

The COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted school attendance, with schools being officially closed for most of the year or only opened intermittently for short periods to combat the spread of the virus. Our Marevivo Programmes had to be adapted to remote teaching methods, which caused some delays in their implementation. Despite the challenges involved, Marevivo staff and schoolteachers transitioned to the new and partly unknown methods with great success.

2,300

NAUTICAL INSTITUTES STUDENTS AND TEACHERS SINCE 2017

210

Direct beneficiaries of MSC support in Italy since launch

“Our core mission has always been to provide environmental education that guides us to make major changes in our habits and adopt sustainable lifestyles that listen to the Planet. Thanks to our valued partnership with the MSC Foundation, our programmes have become part of students’ lives over the years, allowing them to understand the importance of protecting the environment and the seas in particular.”

ROSALBA GIUGNI PRESIDENT, MAREVIVO

GUARDIAN DOLPHIN OF THE ISLANDS AND TEACHERS SINCE 2015

GUARDIAN DOLPHINS OF THE ISLANDS: THE BLUE CORNER

The MSC Foundation and Marevivo programme Guardian Dolphins of the Islands provides educational initiatives for young people on Italy’s islands that raise awareness of the need for marine biodiversity, sustainable development and the restoration of marine protected areas, and which actively combat pollution and illegal fishing.

EDUCATION ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

PARTNER: MAREVIVO

TIMEFRAME: 2015 - 2022

ELBA

AEOLIAN EGADI MILAZZO

The Blue Corner facility was designed to support the primary schools participating in Marevivo’s Guardian Dolphins of the Islands programme. Providing a display and study unit made of sustainably-sourced wood, supplied complete with teaching equipment, basic scientific instruments and educational materials, it helped compensate for the impossibility of getting out of the classroom for activities such as field trips and beach clean-ups due to the COVID-19 emergency.

Blue Corner Guardian Dolphin 2020 Results

• 70 classes were involved in the Guardian Dolphins programme, reaching over 900 pupils (8-10 years old) in 22 schools who benefited from the Blue Corner activities on 10 islands: Lipari, Salina, Vulcano, Stromboli, Panarea, Alicudi, Filicudi, Favignana, Marettimo and Elba, as well as in the city of Milazzo.

• More than 100 teachers received guidance on implementing the Blue Corner facility and were successfully involved in the initiative.

• 100% of the pupils enrolled successfully completed the activities.

• 3,600 family members were indirectly impacted by the programme.

“The Blue Corner was greatly appreciated not only for its value as a teaching aid in the Guardian Dolphins programme, but also as a practical tool that teachers can use independently in teaching the recently introduced civic education subject in the Italian school curriculum.”

LAURA GENTILE

MAREVIVO GUARDIAN DOLPHINS PROJECT MANAGER

“During a difficult year full of fear and obstacles, the project has shown that even painful moments can turn out to be growth opportunities. So, the Blue Corner – a strong expression of our determination to restart – will remain a sign of hope for everyone.”

ALESSANDRO GRECO HEAD TEACHER AT THE ISTITUTO TERZO, MILAZZO

“Seeing crabs and fish swimming free is beautiful. But when I saw them and didn’t know anything about them, it wasn’t that satisfying.

Now that Cinzia, our Marevivo staff member, has explained how animals and plants live, it’s beautiful, so much more beautiful.”

LUCA BARZACCHI

CLASS IV B, CASA DEL DUCA SCHOOL, PORTOFERRAIO

NAUTICI IN BLU

Nautici in Blu is an innovative programme co-designed by Marevivo and MSC to bring environmental conservation and marine sustainability into the curricula of nautical institutes throughout Italy, building the environmental knowledge and awareness of future maritime professionals.

EDUCATION ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

PARTNER: MAREVIVO

TIMEFRAME: 2017 - 2022

GENOA LA SPEZIA ANCONA BARI PALERMO MILAZZO

PIANO DI SORRENTO CIVITAVECCHIA

PORTO S. STEFANO TRAPANI PORTO EMPEDOCLE

The MSC Foundation and Marevivo have been close partners in Marevivo’s Nautici in Blu programme since 2017.

This programme is part of the renewal of Italian school curricula, delivering highly-focused training to teachers and students through direct lived experience and outdoor and indoor activities. It also leads the Nautical Institute students involved to take greater personal responsibility for the environment and ecological transition, developing knowledge, skills, values and behaviours that empower them to contribute to increasingly sustainable development. Italian Nautical Institutes are secondary level technical schools with a vocational focus on the Marine Transport and Logistics sector that are part of the Italian state education system under the Ministry of Education.

Nautici in Blu 2020 results

• 775 youths aged between 15 and 17 (12% female) from 11 schools in 11 localities took part in the Nautici in Blu programme.

• 92% of the youths enrolled successfully completed the Nautici in Blu curriculum.

• Over 70 teachers and 11 head teachers trained on the Nautici in Blu programme curriculum and expected learning outcomes.

• 18 of the 40 Nautical institutes in Italy (45%) included the Nautici in Blu programme in their annual curricula. 11 of these institutes’ participation was funded by the MSC Foundation in: Ancona, Bari, Civitavecchia, Genoa, La Spezia, Milazzo, Palermo, Piano di Sorrento, Porto Empedocle, Porto Santo Stefano and Trapani.

• Indirect impact: 2,800 family members and acquaintances.

• Each student received 90 hours of lessons.

“Thanks to the Nautici in Blu programme, we can contribute to shaping an Ocean Generation of marine professionals, the main actors of change towards a better and more sustainable future in harmony with our planet“

MARIA RAPINI MAREVIVO

SECRETARY GENERAL

“A heartfelt thank you to Marevivo and the MSC Foundation from the teachers at the EuclideCaracciolo Institute of Bari for your commitment and efforts to raise awareness, protecting the life of our beautiful Blue Planet!“

IGNAZIO DRAGONE

TEACHER AT ITN

F. CARACCIOLO, BARI

“I had the opportunity to follow the Nautici in Blu programme, during which the Marevivo staff opened our eyes to a much broader vision of our future. Following this experience, I believe the programme is what youngsters and adults need to be part of change.“

CECILIA MIGLIARINI

STUDENT AT I.T.T.L. NAUTICO

SAN GIORGIO, GENOA

PROVIDING ACCESS TO LEADING-EDGE HEALTHCARE IN AFRICA

A partner of Mercy Ships since 2011, we worked closely together throughout 2020 both on longstanding programmes and to help meet the exceptional health challenges of the year.

The resultant achievements included the transportation of thousands of essential medical supplies across the world to provide access to free and safe surgery, supporting vulnerable women’s access to health services in Africa, delivering protective medical equipment during the COVID pandemic, and the construction of the world’s first custom-built civilian hospital ship, which will more than double Mercy Ships’ capacity.

20,062

TOTAL SURGERIES

13,148 MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS

635 MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS MENTORED AND COMMUNITY LEADERS TRAINED

Total impact of MSC support in Africa since 2011

“The MSC Foundation is an ideal partner from our perspective. We couldn’t ask for a more qualified, more experienced, more professional or more passionate partner.

The MSC Foundation is a lifeline for our patients and volunteers living aboard our hospital ships.”

DON STEPHENS FOUNDER OF MERCY SHIPS

TRANSPORT & LOGISTIC SUPPORT ADVANCING THE RIGHT TO QUALITY HEALTHCARE AND COMBATING COVID

The MSC Foundation’s container delivery and logistics support has continued to provide a vital lifeline, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, when global shipping and supply chains were deeply impacted.

Providing transport and logistic support together with prompt assistance, we enabled Mercy Ships to concentrate its resources on providing free professional healthcare and surgery for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged, together with training, monitoring, capacity building and infrastructure renovations.

PARTNER: MERCY SHIPS

TIMEFRAME: 2011 - 2022

COMMUNITY SUPPORT EMERGENCY RELEIF MADAGASCAR

SIERRA LEONE

SPAIN TENERIFE SENEGAL GHANA TOGO REPUBLIC OF CONGO LIBERIA BENIN

CHINA

Challenge

The global COVID-19 pandemic impacted logistics, supplies, food access, travel and more. As Mercy Ships worked to ensure the safety of patients, volunteers and community partners, the MSC Foundation played a crucial role in its success, getting resources to its ships and into countries in desperate need of life-sustaining equipment.

An enabling partner

The MSC Foundation played a crucial role in Mercy Ships work in 2020, providing support in three key areas:

• The construction of Global Mercy, the world’s first custom-built civilian hospital ship in China.

• The field service of the ship Africa Mercy in Senegal and its maintenance in Tenerife.

• The supply and delivery of Protective Personal Equipment (PPE) in Africa to support the Ministries of Health, Gamal Abdel Nasser University of Conakry, Freedom from Fistula clinics and the Mercy Ships teams.

2020 results

• 751 Mercy Ships’ volunteers received the food and supplies they needed every day to keep serving aboard its vessels and in its shore programmes.

• 792 patients gained the food and medical supplies needed for life-changing hope and healing.

• Global Mercy is nearing completion, a task that would not have been possible without the logistical support and container delivery of supplies needed to build the ship.

The MSC Foundation facilitated the safe delivery of 84 containers to and from 15 ports across 4 continents The contents of the containers directly assisted:

• Volunteers serving on Africa Mercy in 2020, bringing food and supplies while they worked in Senegal and Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

• The Ministries of Health, hospitals and clinics in 7 African countries, providing PPE to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

• The renovation of a building with classrooms, offices, a simulation lab and staff and faculty areas at the Gamal Abdel Nasser University of Conakry.

• Barthimée Hospital in Senegal with vital medical equipment.

• Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toamasina in Madagascar with equipment for the maternity unit, operating theatre, recovery area, sterilisation room, delivery area, ward and outpatient clinic.

“We value the blessing of the MSC Foundation partnership and seek to maximize every container. For example, in 2020, the MSC Foundation facilitated the safe delivery of 84 containers, including PPE shipments to eight African countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. The gift is not just the shipment of containers and logistics support: each container holds many items, and each contributes to Mercy Ships’ lifesaving work in Africa.”

HILES

CRAIG

SUPPLY OPERATIONS DIRECTOR MERCY SHIPS

“The successful operation of a hospital ship providing access to safe free surgery requires the transportation of thousands of essential supplies across the world”.

LIFE-CHANGING HEALTH SERVICES FOR VULNERABLE WOMEN

Thanks to the assistance of the MSC Foundation, Mercy Ships and the Freedom from Fistula Foundation were able to provide crucial financial and expertise support to the Aberdeen Women’s Centre in Sierra Leone, the only comprehensive fistula repair centre in the country.

The project also provided medical equipment, supplies and personal protective equipment, helping the Aberdeen Women’s Centre increase its capacity and improve patient care and safety.

Aberdeen Women’s Centre

TIMEFRAME: 2020 - 2021

PARTNER: MERCY SHIPS & THE FREEDOM from Fistula Foundation

SIERRA LEONE

Description of the Project

The Aberdeen Women’s Centre is critical to the community as the only medical facility in Sierra Leone offering complete care and resources for women, girls and their children. Providing fistula repairs, safe caesarean section deliveries and primary healthcare for women and children, Aberdeen provides a place of protection, recovery and hope within the community.

The Aberdeen Women’s Centre also provides education to the broader community to increase knowledge about fistulas and prevention measures.

Context

Sierra Leone has one of the poorest records for gender equality globally, ranking 153 out of 162 in the world (UN Development Report, 2018).

The UNDP measures inequality in reproductive health by maternal mortality and adolescent birth rates. Sierra Leone ranks poorly for both metrics:

• Sierra Leone has the world’s highest teen pregnancy rate, with 113 births per 1,000 adolescents (World Bank, 2018)

• The country also has one of the world’s highest maternal mortality rates, at a staggering 1,120 deaths per 100,000 births (Global Citizen, 2020)

• Sexual and Gender-Based Violence is rife, with 1 in 3 girls experiencing violence in their lifetimes and 90% experiencing female genital mutilation (28TooMany, 2018)

2020 results

In an average year, the Aberdeen Women’s Centre’s direct beneficiaries include:

• 300 women receiving free fistula repairs.

• 3,000 babies delivered at the Centre.

• 12,000 children treated in the paediatrics outpatient clinic.

“Mercy Ships made me forget about the past two years of suffering.

I hope Djimby transforms people’s lives the way Mercy Ships transformed hers.”

NDEYE

GRANDMOTHER OF 6-YEAR-OLD

DJIMBY, SENEGAL

“Thank you, MSC Foundation, for your strong commitment.

Our partnership so powerfully demonstrates what can be accomplished when focusing on a shared vision of making hope and healing real and tangible in the many African nations that we serve.”

CORNE

BLOM

VP MERCY SHIPS PROGRAMS

“The MSC Foundation and family of companies have been a beacon of light in making possible the life-changing surgeries provided by Mercy Ships for more than a decade.

We are incredibly thankful for this partnership that brings hope and healing to the many communities that we serve in Africa.”

CECILIA VILLA SENIOR DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT MERCY SHIPS

PROVIDING PROMPT HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE WORLDWIDE

The MSC Foundation is uniquely placed to respond promptly and effectively to emergency and disaster situations on every continent, while also acting as a catalyst for relief and rebuilding efforts thanks to MSC’s global reach, with 524 offices and networks in 155 countries worldwide.

Mobilising and making donations while also moving large quantities of emergency relief and rebuilding materials swiftly around the world, we work to achieve both immediate and lasting impact.

Bahamas, Benin, Brazil, China, Costa Rica, France, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Honduras, Italy, Lebanon, Liberia, Madagascar, Nicaragua, Portugal, Republic of Congo, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Spain Switzerland, Togo.

TIMEFRAME: 2020

22 COUNTRIES

EMERGENCY INITIATIVES

12 MORE THAN 30 PARTNER ORGANISATIONS COVID RESPONSES

5

20 HURRICANE DISASTERS

Concrete support for communities impacted by emergencies

Since the very beginning of the pandemic, we have provided prompt support to combat COVID-19 worldwide and help mitigate its impact on disadvantaged groups in some of the most affected countries.

Our efforts include providing financial support to families whose heads of household are unemployed due to the pandemic, donating and distributing antigen tests, highquality medical masks for affected populations, foodstuffs to support those whose livelihoods are impacted by the pandemic and personal protective equipment for health workers.

Alongside this, we continued providing disaster relief and rebuilding support, assisting the communities devastated by Hurricane Dorian in The Bahamas in late 2019, and the Beirut port blast and Hurricanes Eta & Iota in Central America in 2020.

3 BEIRUT PORT EXPLOSION INITIATIVES

“The MSC Foundation has taken prompt action since the beginning of the pandemic to provide swift support worldwide to combat COVID-19 and help mitigate its impact on disadvantaged groups. Our efforts will continue for as long as the pandemic is a threat.”

CAPT. GIANLUIGI APONTE CHAIR OF THE BOARD, MSC FOUNDATION

Emergency initiatives in 2020

FILLING EMERGENCY RESPONSE GAPS DURING THE PANDEMIC

Despite the budgetary impacts of the pandemic, the MSC Foundation committed itself to swift action to combat COVID-19 from the very beginning of the health emergency. As the pandemic spread worldwide, the MSC Foundation provided support for local and national initiatives across every continent, helping to mitigate its impact on the most disadvantaged groups.

The sudden halting of MSC Cruises operations in March, for example, resulted in 97 containers of food and other items ordinarily required for the fleet being returned to MSC’s warehouse in Genoa. For those items with a limited shelf life, we worked with local organisations to ensure the rapid distribution of foodstuffs to those in need. For instance, the MSC Foundation in partnership with MSC Cruises donated roughly 40 tonnes of perishable goods to NGOs, hospitals and other institutions in Italy and sent six tonnes of food to local organizations in Marseille, France.

The MSC Foundation has also supported the provision of medical equipment for health workers - including masks, caps, eyewear, surgical gowns, gloves, shoe covers and thermometers - through Ministries of Health, and for vulnerable populations through other public entities.

Driving this commitment was the knowledge that timely delivery of proper protective equipment to medical centres and hospitals is vital to save patients’ lives and protect the health of the professionals caring for them. Likewise, we were acutely aware that facilitating access to surgical masks for people living in areas where the virus is actively circulating can mitigate its impact on those most vulnerable due to chronic illnesses, age and other factors.

Food donation in Marseille

Loading donations to the Lebanese Red Cross for victims of the Beirut port explosion

Food donation to the Government of The Bahamas

COVID: A SUSTAINED GLOBAL RESPONSE

12 emergency relief initiatives in 22 countries, partnering approximately 30 beneficiary organisations (NGOs, hospitals and other institutions) to directly impact many thousands of people.

March

• Donation of 100,000 surgical masks to the Chinese Ministry of Transport (Hubei). China

April

Donation of:

• 10,000 medical masks to the Lisbon and Tagus Valley Region Department of Health. Portugal

• 10,000 medical masks to the Geneva Emergency Network (GEN). Switzerland

• Foodstuffs to the Red Cross (2,900 kg), La Banque Alimentaire food bank (700 kg) and Marine Fire Service (2,200 kg) (Marseille). France

• 46,600 kg of perishable foodstuffs to Caritas (Genoa and Livorno), the Giannina Gaslini Paediatric Hospital (Genoa), Mondo Nuovo Onlus (Civitavecchia), San Paolo Hospital (Civitavecchia), Istituto Spallanzani Institute of Infectious Diseases Hospital (Rome) and Campus Bio Medico University (Rome). Italy

May

• Donation of 1,000 medical masks to Associação Hospitalar Casa de Saúde de Santos hospital (Sao Paolo). Brazil

June

• Donation of 2 containers to the Ministerio de Gobernación y Policía (MGP) por medio de su institución adscrita la Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería for the storage of food and medical supplies. Costa Rica

July

Donation of:

• 15,000 surgical masks to Guinea National Health Agency. Guinea

• USD 2,700 to a basket fund led by the Madagascar Chamber of Commerce (GEM), The International Labour Organization (ILO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) to support unemployed workers and their families. Madagascar

September

• Donation of foodstuffs including rice, bread, flour and water to the community of Freeport and all five Urban Renewal Centers on Grand Bahama. The Bahamas

November - December

• Donation of 30,000 antigen tests to the Fondazione Sorrento (Naples). Italy

• Partnership with Mercy Ships for the donation of free transportation of Protective Personal Equipment (PPE) to Hospitals and the Ministries of Health in 8 African countries (Madagascar, Benin, Liberia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, the Republic of Congo and Ghana). In 2020, 81,430 items (gloves, masks, caps, shoe covers, surgical gowns, glasses, isolation gowns, thermometers and goggles) were donated to hospitals, ministries, and clinics, reaching 58,500 direct beneficiaries. Africa

Donation of Masks to the Chinese Ministry of Transport, Hubei Handover of PPE donation to the General Secretary of the Benin Ministry of Health

COMPREHENSIVE DISASTER AROUND THE WORLD

BEIRUT PORT EXPLOSION, Lebanon

The MSC Foundation responded immediately to the Beirut disaster in August, providing approximately 13,000 survival items, including medicines and medical supplies for hospitals, 1,000 psychosocial kits for children and youths and 500 hygiene kits for families. Most of this was shipped in three 40 HC containers while the vaccines were transported by air.

The Foundation partnered with the Lebanese Red Cross in this initiative to reach those most affected by the emergency, while also assisting the Port Authorities with the free leasing of 14 containers for use as offices and storage units.

In addition, we partnered with the Geneva-based NGO X-Patria, donating the free transport to Beirut of 930 crates of clothes, school, hygiene and medical items and powered milk.

HURRICANE DORIAN, Bahamas

Following on from the large first emergency response operation led by the MSC Foundation with the support of the MSC Group in 2019, we focused on supporting the Bahamian authorities’ reconstruction efforts in 2020, providing 20 container homes.

In June, the container homes were donated to families in Sweeting Cay whose housing had been severely damaged or destroyed by the hurricane.

Each container provides 160 sq. ft of living space complete with plumbing, lighting, a kitchen, toilet and air conditioning.

This rapidly deployed semi-permanent housing thus provides comfortable, sanitary family accommodation that requires minimal maintenance, enabling the local authorities to focus their resources on the rebuilding efforts.

HURRICANES ETA AND IOTA, Honduras, Nicaragua and Guatemala

In November 2020, hurricanes ETA and IOTA struck Central America and part of the Caribbean within just weeks of one another. The resultant landslides and floods left dozens dead or missing, while displacing thousands of families whose homes were destroyed.

The MSC Foundation partnered with the national nonprofit organisations Word Vision (Nicaragua), Esperanza de Vida (Guatemala) and Operation Smiles (Honduras) to provide rapid vital relief aid, including food, medical, shelter and hygiene kits for almost 2,200 vulnerable family members.

We then also loaned 50 containers free of charge to the Mayor of Puerto Cortés in Honduras for use as semipermanent housing for 107 families (including 150 children and teenagers) who had lost their homes in the disaster.

Shipment of donation to the Lebanese Red Cross for victims of the Beirut port explosion

Hurricanes Eta and Iota, Honduras

Task force deployed for Hurricane Dorian, Bahamas

A LIFELINE FOR THE BIODIVERSITY OF HAMBURG’S RIVER ELBE

Renaturing with a tidal creek in the Kirchwerder dike foreland.

Restoring unique natural habitats.

Planting endangered endemic plant species.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

HAMBURG Germany

PARTNER: THE ELBE HABITAT FOUNDATION

TIMEFRAME: 2019 - 2020

The impact of human activities in the Elbe estuary, including the creation of river embankments in the 60s and 70s, as well as more recent fairway deepenings, have resulted in many tidal systems no longer being connected to the sea or able to fulfil their ecological purposes. As a result, crucial habitats have been lost.

The funds that the MSC Foundation raised through a Gala concert event in the Elbe Philharmonic Hall in November 2019 have supported an Elbe Habitat Foundation initiative to address these problems: the “Kirchwerder Lifeline Project”.

Implemented throughout 2020, the project successfully developed the river’s tidal habitats to restore the endemic flora and fauna typical of the area, in particular the Elbe water dropwort (Oenanthe conioides) which is threatened with extinction.

2020 Background

The project area covering around 4.68 hectares is located in the Hamburg-Kirchwerder dike foreland.

The Kirchwerder Lifeline Project was lconceived to create new habitats, including a tidal creek with flat slopes in the

Kirchwerder dike foreland. Bordered by willows and reed, the creek has been designed to provide a valuable habitat for endemic plants such as the endangered Elbe Water dropwort and form a food-rich refuge and breeding ground for fish. The project also features a tidal pond to provide a habitat for dragonflies, other insects and amphibians to combat biodiversity loss.

“We are very pleased that the tidal creek has developed so well this year.

Vegetation has become very well established on the banks and we found many flowering Elbe water dropwort specimens. We could not have hoped for more.”

DR. ELISABETH KLOCKE DIRECTOR OF THE ELBE HABITAT FOUNDATION

Renaturing Kirchwerder

The MSC Foundation supported the Elbe Habitat Foundation’s Kirchwerder Lifeline Project to create a new tidal creek and pond in Hamburg’s Kirchwerder dike foreland and improve the Elbe’s biodiversity, providing new habitats for a wide variety of flora and fauna.

Challenge

DRASTIC LOSS OF SHALLOW WATER NATURAL HABITATS

MASSIVE DECREASE IN FISH SPAWNING GROUNDS AND REFUGES

90 % OF RIVER BANKS EAST OF HAMBURG HEAVILY REINFORCED

HABITAT QUALITY OF MANY TIDAL CREEK SYSTEMS LOST DUE TO DEEPENINGS OF THE ELBE AND DIKE EMBANKMENTS

RIVER DYNAMICS INHIBITED BY BANK PROTECTION SYSTEMS

2020 Results

• Creation of a tidal creek approximately 310 m long and between 20 m and 42 m wide, opening into a sandy bay downstream.

• Creation of a tidal pond with a diameter of approximately 20 m as a refuge providing abundant food for fishes.

• The Kirchwerder Lifeline Project has contributed a comparatively large area of habitat for Elbe water dropwort, a species endemic to this part of the Elbe that is severely threatened with extinction.

• 117 rosettes of Elbe water dropwort were planted in groups of 9 to 15 just below the mean high water level on the Elbe-side bank of the tidal creek and another 13 on the dyke-side bank. In addition, 37 rosettes were planted on a large sand berm on the dike-side bank and another 8 in the shade of a willow. In addition, a large number of seeds were sown.

• 75 Elbe water dropwort rosettes were planted in the new tidal creek.

• 82 Elbe water dropwort plants, most of them flowering, were counted on the site in June 2021.

2020: THE YEAR OF THE PANDEMIC

The MSC Foundation’s second operational year was dominated by the COVID-19 health emergency, which impacted millions of people and businesses around the world, including the non-profit sector. The tourism and cruise sectors were particularly hard hit. Lack of income generation and resources, combined with the effect of anti-COVID restrictions on programme implementation, prevented us from putting our full 2020 action plan into effect.

The Foundation adapted by tapering core programme activities and increasing emergency relief initiatives. Our commitment to our partners and ongoing programmes remained undiminished, but all additional in-cash or in-kind support was deployed to combat COVID-19 and mitigate its impact on vulnerable groups.

From a financial standpoint, 2020 was a further year of transition, distinguished by substantial advances in the development and implementation of Monitoring & Evaluation procedures to support continuous improvement in the effectiveness of our programmes and initiatives, and to increase the depth and transparency of our reporting.

2021 outlook

The global economy and health situation is still marked by uncertainty, tempered by optimism following the introduction of vaccine programmes that have underpinned the success of government recovery strategies to date.

It is, however, likely that anti-COVID restrictions and the related ongoing shortfalls in income generation and resources will continue to hamper our partners’ programme implementation activities.

9 PROGRAMMES IN 7 COUNTRIES

MILLION SWISS FRANCS ALLOCATED FUNDS

6

1 PARTNERS

1.4 AWARENESS-RAISING CAMPAIGN

20 EMERGENCY INITIATIVES IN 22 COUNTRIES

PROGRAMMES & PROJECTS

The Super Coral Programme (Bahamas), Plastic Waste Goes to School (Côte d’Ivoire), Guardian Dolphins (Italy), NauticinBlu (Italy), The Ship of Hope (Senegal), Aberdeen Women’s Centre (Sierra Leone), Mobile Clinic (Haiti), Il Parco del Mare (Italy), Elbe Habitat Lifeline Project (Germany)

PARTNERS

UNICEF, Marevivo, Mercy Ships, Andrea Bocelli Foundation, Helpcode, Elbe Habitat Foundation

KEY FIGURES

• CORPORATE DONATIONS

Income: CHF 2’061,000

41% EMERGENCIES

• ONBOARD FUNDRAISING SYSTEM

• MSC DONATION MATCHING SYSTEM

• MSC FOUNDATION MERCHANDISE SALES

Funding allocated: CHF 1’471,000

91% PROGRAMMES, PROJECTS AND EMERGENCIES*

7% RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

2% MONITORING & EVALUATION

*Funds allocated to Programmes, Projects and Emergencies in 2020, with a portion of restricted funds (CHF 381,490) not granted due to implementation delays.

The Financial Year covers the period Jan-Dec 2020. Audited MSC Foundation financial statements are available on request.

EYES ON THE FUTURE

As the world moves on with the COVID pandemic rather than from it, there are nevertheless grounds for cautious optimism, with new vaccines and novel antiviral therapies in the pipeline to accompany proven prevention and containment measures.

The only certainty, however, is that COVID-19 will continue to impact societies as the months unfold. The MSC Foundation stands ready to assist them, responding promptly worldwide as we have done throughout the pandemic.

We will likewise continue to provide relief and rebuilding support in natural and other disasters, wherever they occur, benefiting from the knowledge acquired in our interventions to date.

Our ongoing programmes will progress with a special focus on building the Parco del Mare family eco-park in the area of Genoa impacted by the bridge collapse disaster, and the first phase of the building works for our Marine Conservation Centre at Ocean Cay in The Bahamas.

We are in the process of formalising a transparent operational approach to work in closer and more effective coordination with all MSC Group entities, moving from a transition to a consolidation phase. This will see us pursuing our vision with greater long-term focus and ambition, working as closely as ever with our established partners while simultaneously striving to increase the sustainability, scalability and global impact of our work.

This is an evolution already seen in recent developments and initiatives. For example, our 5-year support and advocacy with UNICEF of ready-to-use therapeutic foods to combat child severe acute malnutrition in Malawi has now been adopted as an ongoing commitment of the country’s National Health Service.

We are similarly supporting Marevivo to grow internationally and advocating for the Guardian Dolphins and Nauticinblu programmes we have supported since their inception to be adopted by the Italian state education system.

Our Super Coral programme was from its inception conceived to pioneer reef and marine ecosystem conservation, resilience and restoration techniques that can be applied worldwide. Over the coming year, we will continue working with coral restoration experts from Nova Southeastern University and the University of Miami, as well as with specialised Bahamas-based organisations, to start translating science into practice for the sake of the threatened coral reefs surrounding Ocean Cay.

We will likewise be extending our support for the holistic and innovative programme Plastic Waste Goes to School led by UNICEF in Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), as well as for Mercy Ships’ outstanding work in Africa, providing quality healthcare and reconstructive surgeries for the most vulnerable.

The MSC Foundation thus looks to the future with optimism and confidence. We are coming into our stride, our resolve strengthened by a year of achievement amid the ongoing challenges of the pandemic, together with the lessons we have learnt in response.

The year ahead will see us clearly evolving our unique ability to act as a catalyst for sustainable, effective action with multiple professional partners, benefiting from the invaluable help of our supporters worldwide while leveraging the MSC Group’s global presence and capabilities.

Together

is the word which best symbolises a year that relearned the importance of joining hands to make a difference, combining resources, visions and creativity for the health of our planet and its people.

The MSC Foundation is on a journey defined by the goals we seek to achieve. But how we get there and the people who join us along the way are equally important, enriching what we are able to accomplish.

Working closely with our partners in a spirit of trust enabled us to rise above the challenges and keep focused on our shared goals.

It is in this spirit that we extend our grateful thanks to everyone who made that possible, giving so generously of their time, energy, guidance, financial resources and open-hearted commitment: our Governing and Advisory Boards, our supporters, volunteers, partners and colleagues.

Every step forward in our programmes this year was thanks to you.

MSC Foundation

Chemin Rieu 12-14, 1208 Geneva, Switzerland

Tel: +41 22 703 88 88 - fax +41 22 703 87 00

For more information: info@mscfoundation.org mscfoundation.org

Copyright © 2020 by MSC Foundation

All rights reserved. This review or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the MSC Foundation except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Photo credits

© UNICEF/UNI364698/Dejongh (cover)

© UNICEF/UN0288185/Frank Dejong (page 9)

© Ivan Sarfatti (page 6, 7, 12, 16, 18, 19, 26, 31, 32)

© UNICEF/MLIA2012-01168 (page 12, 21)

© UNICEF/UN0287727// Frank Dejo (page 15)

© Mercy Ship/Saul Loubassa Bighonda (page 17, 45)

© Moviebox (page 17, 21, 50, 55)

© UNICEF/UNI220350/Frank Dejong (page 20)

© 2011 Mercy Ships/Debra Bell (page 21, 48)

© UNICEF/UN0452570/Dejongh (page 3, 29)

© UNICEF/UN0145493/Chagara (page 28)

© UNICEF/UNI240149/Frank Dejong (page 30)

© UNICEF/UN0206927/Dejongh (page 31)

© UNICEF/UN0206948/Dejongh (page 33)

© UNICEF/Frank Dejongh (page 33)

© UNICEF/UNI364686/Dejongh (page 33)

© UNICEF/UN0452609/Dejongh (page 33)

© ABF/Osme-Julmane (page 34, 37, 64)

© Marevivo/Rossella Murgia (page 39)

© Marevivo/Marianorusso (page 43)

© 2019 Mercy Ships - Photo Credit Lara Arkinstall (page 44)

@ 2020 Mercy Ships - Photo Credit John Seddon (page 45)

© Mercy Ship/Suzanne Scheumann (page 46)

@ 2021 Mercy Ships - Photo Credit Emily Frazier (page 3, 47)

© 2015 Mercy Ships - Justine Forrest (page 49)

© 2021 Mercy Ships (page 53)

© The Elbe/2016 Johannes Arlt (page 57)

© The Elbe/Klocke Elisabeth (page 58, 59)

© Charles Trainor Jr (page 64)

© UNICEF/UN0287412/Diarassouba (page 64)

© 2021 Mercy Ships/Emily Frazier (page 65)

© 2020 Mercy Ships/Lara Arkinstall (page 65)

© John Nussbaum (page 66)

The MSC Foundation invites any image copyright holders that we have been unable to contact to kindly approach us directly.