By Josephine Akaerr

Siemens delivered 3,000 personal masks to Sudan’s Ministry of Health last month to assist in the battle against Covid-19, the company’s latest humanitarian investment initiative aimed at improving living standards in Sudan.

Siemens – in partnership with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ), which is working on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), as well as HELIOZ, and Plan International – has developed multiple programs that deliver humanitarian, economic and educational benefits to the marginalized people of Sudan.

“Serving the societies in which we work is one of our core values at Siemens,” said CEO of Siemens in Southern and Eastern Africa, Sabine Dall’Omo. “Through our partnerships, we are working to address the basic human needs and improve the quality of life of Sudan’s rural and marginalized communities.”

Sudan declared an economic state of emergency on September 10. This crisis demands an even greater response from the private sector to fulfill its social responsibility duties to help the people of Sudan wherever it can, especially those living in marginalized communities.

In addition to the delivery of protective gear, Siemens is executing the following humanitarian projects in the country:

Siemens signed an agreement on July 31 with HELIOZ, a social enterprise active in the field of water disinfection and development of climate proj­ects, to develop a multi-year water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) program for marginalized residents of Khartoum, as well as Kosti in White Nile State where there is no access to potable water.

In partnership with Germany’s BMZ and GIZ, Siemens is investing EUR 500,000(US$588,160) to train 30 Sudanese trainers at the Um Haraz Training Center in Khartoum, who will train another 190 Sudanese trainees to become technicians and engineers, able to provide essential infrastructure to those who need it the most.

Siemens is investing another EUR 500,000 in partnership with Plan International, a development and humanitarian organization that advances children’s rights and equality for girls, to modernize and expand two schools, one in Kosti and the other in Al Kashafa refugee camp in White Nile State, which hosts 170,000 refugees, the majority of whom are women and children.

The schools project also includes the installation of off-grid solar systems, which will provide energy and increase the potential for economic activity. These green energy systems will become teaching tools for students on renewable energy infrastructure. The initiative will also develop rainwater catchment facilities to ensure the availability of potable water in the dry season.

Siemens has been active in Sudan since 1922 and is dedicated to improving the lives of all Sudanese people.