Local actions

The 9th edition of our call for projects aimed at encouraging innovation in education. Among the 126 applications received, 18 associations developing particularly innovative education projects in the Southern Region were selected.

The CMA CGM Foundation responds to the economic and health crisis in Lebanon 

At the beginning of 2021, faced with the rapid deterioration of the COVID situation in Lebanon, the Foundation immediately mobilized to respond to the health emergency and help Lebanese families.

This support took the form of:

• A donation of 10 tons of personal protective equipment (PPE) and breathing apparatus to six hospitals and the Lebanese Red Cross.
• Emergency medical equipment on board the CMA CGM BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, the largest container ship to call at the port of Beirut.
• The purchase of 4,000 boxes of powdered milk (7 tons) by the CMA CGM Foundation from the French company Danone, as well as 10,000 pieces of infant nutrition products. More than 1,000 children benefited from this operation through 9 Lebanese NGOs.

Covid-19: The CMA CGM Foundation delivers assistance to the most vulnerable 

As soon as the Covid-19 pandemic struck, the CMA CGM Foundation oversaw a series of outreach initiatives to help respond to the health emergency and support populations in severe need as a result of the health situation.

It established partnerships with organizations well-known for their expertise to provide appropriate and effective solutions right to the front line in Marseille, across France, in Lebanon and around the world.

• Emmaüs Connect to tackle school drop-outs and isolation among young people by distributing digital equipment so they could continue their learning and training programs remotely
• Action Contre la Faim (Action Against Hunger) and UNICEF to help populations living in unsuitable housing in Marseille stay safe during the pandemic by taking the appropriate preventative measures and handing out personal hygiene kits
• The Bouches-du-Rhône department’s Food Bank to secure access to healthy, safe and varied nutritional products for the most vulnerable populations by distributing food and other basic necessities

The Foundation and CMA CGM employees mobilize for solidarity actions in Marseille

In late 2020, at the end of a very tough year, the Foundation again swung into action, working alongside renowned non-profits to meet society’s most urgent needs. 

• L’Escale du Partage: 40,000 meals distributed via the Bouches-du-Rhône department’s Food Bank, with 12 staff members involved in sorting food products in the Food Bank’s warehouse
• La Connexion de la Réussite: donation of 65 computers via the Marseille branch of École de la 2ème Chance [Second Chance School] to young people to help them find a job
• Des bateaux et des sourires: gift of 260 Vilac wooden toy boats to children attending the Parc Bellevue elementary school in the Félix Pyat district of Marseille’s 3rd arrondissement, in the immediate vicinity of the CMA CGM Tower.
• Le Conteneur à jouets: a large collection of toys and books from CMA CGM Group employees organized with Emmaüs so that all children get a Christmas present.

Two solidarity operations conducted by CMA CGM Lebanon employees for the Christmas period: 

The Foundation and the employees of CMA CGM Lebanon have mobilized for solidarity operations to help the Lebanese people deeply affected by the health, social and economic crisis affecting their country:

• Operation "Share a Meal": 7,000 meals were shared with vulnerable families in partnership with 12 NGOs.
• Operation "Gift of Hope": 1000 gifts were distributed to children with the help of 8 NGOs and 20 employees who contributed to the collection, sorting, wrapping and labeling of gifts and meals to the beneficiaries.

The CMA CGM Foundation provides assistance to those affected by the rue d’Aubagne disaster in Marseille

Following the building collapse on Marseille’s rue d’Aubagne in 2018, which claimed several lives and caused severe damage, the CMA CGM Foundation provided immediate support to the initiatives launched by the Red Cross and the Fondation Abbé Pierre to address the housing crisis.

The CMA CGM Foundation and OM Fondation have pledged to help around 30 18- to 25-year-olds not in education, employment or training to find jobs or training - NEET under the #MouvTaVie project.

An innovative support program for young people delivered via the Marseille Mission Locale and the Marseille École de la 2ème Chance that provides a combination of training, sports activities and an induction to the business world lies at the heart of this project.

Volunteer staff members participating in the CMA CGM Foundation’s skills-based sponsorship program provided support and guidance, helping them to overcome the hurdles preventing them from securing long-term employment.

The project aims to make it easier for the young people to find their way in society and the workplace and to provide a joined-up approach between the various local partners—authorities and non-profits—specialized in training and broadening access to employment.

Since 2008, the CMA CGM Foundation has supported the educational program of the Aix-en-Provence Lyrical Arts Festival, an event dedicated to opera and classical music held since 1948.

As part of a partnership with the French ministry of education and the Aix-Marseille Academy, the festival runs a diverse range of innovative artistic and cultural programs, which have been enhanced and scaled up over the years.

As a result, initiatives for school students have been launched informing them about music and the arts, showcasing potential jobs in opera and providing a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the Festival and the chance to see a number of the Festival’s performances.

These measures are tailored to each of the relevant targets: teachers in all branches and disciplines, students at all levels, schools in both urban and rural areas, schools operating under the Priority Education program and higher-education institutions.

Most of the initiatives operate in the area covered by the Aix-Marseille Academy and its neighbors, entrenching the Festival’s roots in its local community.