When my project becomes a reality…


Sybil Pasquier
Sybil Pasquier
 
Nico Brauer
Nico Brauer

From August until late October 2007, Sybil Pasquier and Nico Brauer, two auditors, donated approximately 50 hours of their time to the Luxembourg non-profit organisation Indesch Patenschaften. This NGO provides development aid and relies totally on the work of volunteers. "Indesch Patenschaften" supports projects to improve the living conditions of India’s poorest residents.
Sybil and Nico tell us what it was all about.


What did you do as part of your assignment?
Nico: I managed the donors’ spreadsheet and created several reporting tools to trackhow often donations were being made. I worked from the PwC office for about a week and a half.
Sybil: I provided my expertise in drafting co-financing applications (wrote the applications, gathered all supporting documents, collected letters of support, etc). My work was spread over several weeks: 3 full days in August and a few hours here and there, whenever I received the documents I needed to work on.

How did you manage to balance this assignment and your job?
Nico: Rather well. The tasks I did for Indesch Patenschaften had a lot in common with the data management work we are used to as auditors. However, the working environment was quite different from that of our regular clients.
Sybil: It was a great experience, especially from a people point of view. I discovered what the volunteering spirit was all about and everyone treated one another with the utmost respect. Without My Project, we would have been unable to squeeze this assignment into our schedules.

Feedback of the association
“I really thank PwC Luxembourg, and especially your two collaborators Sybil and Nico for their work. The harmonisation and organisation of the sponsoring file really helped me out.”
Marie Jeanne Prüm-Wennmacher, Indesch Patenschaften a.s.b.l


Yoann Sapanel


Yoann Sapanel
Yoann Sapanel

During summer 2008, Yoann Sapanel, member of the research unit, took active part in a charity project with the association Swogun Nepal. This project was as useful as it was exotic. Swogun Nepal is a government organisation that works for the development of Nepal through employment, education and training of young people, and offered to PwC this 160-hour project in Bhadrutar, district of Nuwakot, near Kathmandu.



What was your assignment?
Yoann: After a week that I spent becoming familiarized with the new environment and new local culture and getting trained to solar panels techniques, I went to a school to set a 40 watt solar panel. We offered the school an all inclusive solution that supplied the teachers’ room (2 lights) and the class-room (ceiling light from 10am to 4pm) with renewable energy.

What would be your overall feedback?
Yoann: This experience was rewarding on a professional and personal perspective. I now have new skills in solar energy and I keep in mind basic cultural differences.

Feedback of the association
“It was a pleasure to work with Yoann and we appreciated his kindness, the fact that he was helpful and hardworking. We were very impressed by him and in reflection, by PwC Luxembourg for showing such a good behaviour.”
Gokul Khadka, Swogun Nepal


François Karman


François Karman
François Karman

In August 2008, François Karman, senior engineer at the IT services, devoted a week of his work to develop an Access database for the donation management of the NGO Frères des hommes, which is specialised in development programmes in Latin Americam Africa and Asia. François’s mission was mainly carried out at PwC, with a first meeting at the association’s headquarters.




What was your assignment?
François: Their need was quite easy to meet: developing a tool allowing members of the association to track donations, to have a yearly statistic view, and to do some follow-up with targeted former donators. We provided the association with an all inclusive solution, which was programmed under Access and designed according to the association’s rules, as well as user training.

What would be your overall feedback?
François: I am glad to see that our daily team work can be of use to a charity. Our work has allowed the association to get a real professional tool, and I think it really did benefit them a lot.

Feedback of the association
“The communication since the beginning was easy and went well between François and our staff. We were happy with his work and the fact that he respected the rules (ethics, independence, respect) of our association.”
Elisabeth Voyeux, Frères des Hommes

Caroline Greff



Caroline Greff

Last November, Caroline Greff, from the Knowledge and Marketing Communication department, worked 20 hours for the NGO "Frères des hommes". That organisation supports the development of programmes in Latin America, Africa and Asia. The project she picked allowed her to combine her usual job with her passion for South Africa.





What was your assignment?
Caroline: Every year, "Frères des hommes" publishes a 18-page brochure dedicated to one of their target countries. In this publication, the organisation describes the political, social and economic situation of this particular country. In 2008, the Republic of South Africa took pride of place. I first reviewed the French version of the document and then translated it into English.

What would be your overall feedback?
Caroline: This mission was a great opportunity to donate some of my time and translation skills to an NGO. And as fortune would have it, the country selected for this edition is a country where I’ve worked and that I love.

Immacolata Di Marco



Immacolata Di Marco

From January to May 2008, Immacolata Di Marco, tax specialist, worked on a "My project" with the association ASTM – Action Solidarité Tiers Monde, which fights for political, economic and social development of Third World countries. Within the project framework, Immacolata spent 32 hours in Luxembourg and in Cochabamba, Bolivia, and she opened her eyes to a brand new world.





What was your assignment?
Immacolata: I prepared the 2007 policy and financial report of a project that supports the Bolivian Centre for Documentation and Information. Moreover, I had the opportunity to help organizing a day dedicated to the young people of the association.

What would be your overall feedback?
Immacolata: It was a great opportunity to offer my skills to an association whose mission really moves me. I could also include my hobbies and some travels to this project.

Feedback of the association
"Immacolated was highly motivated; she even took on her personal time to end her mission. She is friendly and she quickly and easily integrated into our team."
Dilcia Figueroa et Nicole Ikuku, ASTM

Emmanuelle Demonceau



Emmanuelle Demonceau

From June to September 2009, Emmanuelle Demonceau, Senior Auditor, helped the bio store of ATP asbl to define a marketing strategy and to increase their sale. 120 hours split between an observation phase, an analysis and the follow-up.



What was your mission about?
Emmanuelle: ATP asbl is a Luxembourg association which supports mentally challenged people with therapeutic work and favours their integration. The association has requested PwC’s help through its My project programme to help them show their bio-products store in Ettelbruck at its best. The concept was promising (it sells products from the workers’ activities: woodcraft, basketry, cookery and kitchen garden) but the store did not benefit from a good brand image. We first enhanced the logos and signs near the store, then developed a presentation leaflet to add value to their products and helped them to develop a didactic activity around the garden.

What’s your overall feedback?
Emmanuelle: I was warmly welcomed by the members and workers of the association; they’ve been very friendly from the start. Moreover it was very interesting to present a marketing strategy to the psychologists who coordinate the workers. Our approach has been very pragmatic and to my mind our project did favour communication within the association.

Elodie Cheppe



Elodie Cheppe

For almost 3 weeks, Elodie Cheppe, senior auditor, has shared the daily lives of about a hundred kids and teenagers in Vietnam with the association Volunteers for Peace Vietnam which promotes volunteering and international exchange between Vietnam and the rest of the world. She spent 120 hours from mid-June to early July 2009 in a village close to Hanoi...



What was your mission about?
Elodie: I participated in two volunteering missions with VPV. During the first one, we were working in a centre for kids suffering from heavy physical and mental disorders, further to the "orange agent", a toxic product used by Americans during the Vietnam War in the 60’s. We helped children doing their homework, their physio activities, playing and gardening. The second project took place in an orphanage and we taught English to children aged 5 to 17.

What’s your overall feedback?
Elodie: When leaving for Vietnam, I wanted to go back to the time when I worked in a summer camp, while realising that working with poor children in a developing country would be quite a different experience. And it was! Everything was different in Vietnam: organising the day, defining the daily objectives, dealing with issues.
Once I put aside my European perspective, I really enjoyed participating to this project and I strongly encourage anyone to do the same, if such an opportunity arises.