With their projects in Benin, Nepal and France, three student associations received the Veolia Foundation Student Solidarity Award on June 9. Each winning project will receive not only financial support, but also the support of a Veolia sponsor in order to bring their project to fruition. For this 14th edition, 106 associations from 14 different countries responded to the call.
The Student Solidarity Award was created in 2008 in collaboration with the Veolia Foundation, to encourage and support students who have projects of general interest. The award ceremony took place at Veolia's headquarters in Aubervilliers in the presence of the Group's CEO, Antoine Frérot:
The 3 winners in 2022
People's Choice Award
"Eau Bénin (Water Benin)" - from the "PC Coup de pouce" non-profit of l'ESPCI Paris
Project to rehabilitate 2 water wells and build water towers and standpipes equipped with photovoltaic panels for the 1500 inhabitants of the rural village of Agolèdji in southern Benin. Obtaining water takes up 5 hours of the village women's day, which prevents them from developing other income-generating activities. The primary school will be connected to the water supply and training will be offered to the village women. This project will improve the living conditions of women and children.
Veolia Sponsor:
Emeric Malefant, Corporate Strategy and Innovation Department - EV Battery Reuse & Recycling
Jury Award
"Tri-haut pour l'Everest (High Sorting for Everest)" - from the "Tri-haut pour l'Everest" non-profit of ENSE3 in Grenoble
Project to build a waste collection, sorting and recycling plant in the village of Pangboche, Nepal, at an altitude of 4,000 metres and 20 km from the Everest base camp. For the past 30 years, with the development of sports tourism, waste has ended up in an open-air landfill that pollutes the soil and water courses. The waste treatment unit will use a shredder, pyrolysis and two Precious Plastic machines in order to ensure that the project will be autonomous.
Veolia sponsors:
Danielle Gerentet, Liquid and Hazardous Waste segment and Martin Champelle, Business Support & Performance Department.
Student Solidarity Award
“Kanndi Karr” - from the Sowers non-profit of the ESCD 3A Rennes
Kanndi Karr, (literally "mobile laundry" in Breton) is a van fitted out with two washing machines and two dryers. The aim is to offer people experiencing financial insecurity a mobile laundry service and a moment of social interaction and sharing. The town hall of Rennes, France, has allowed it to be set up at the market place every other week, with access to water and electricity.
Veolia Sponsor:
Armelle Perrin-Guinot, Sustainable Development Deputy Director - social commitments • Quality/Environment/Sustainable development
Antoine Frérot concluded the ceremony by pointing out:
"Kanndi Karr is a key hygiene project for the health of the most vulnerable, but hygiene is also an important element for self-esteem and social integration. With this project, students from the 3A school in Rennes, which focuses on the development of countries in the Global South, are also interested in those who are 'at their doorstep', close to home.”
Antoine Frérot (CEO of Veolia):
Isabelle Calvez (Veolia HRD):
Thierry Vandevelde, General Delegate of the Veolia Foundation,
The 2022 jury and its selection criteria
The projects fall into three areas: outreach, professional integration, and environmental protection. The jury brought together representatives from the non-profit sector, schools and universities, and from Veolia:
-Guillaume Aubourg, Deputy Director - Solidarité Eau [Water Solidarity] Programme
-Céline Hervieu, head of partnerships and relations with companies, Télécom Paris
-Clara Bercovici, Project Manager (Project appraisal and monitoring), Veolia Foundation
-Valérie Robin, Veolia Foundation
-Inès Abbas, HR Development Officer, Veolia
-Caroline Geoffrois, Young Talent Sourcing Manager, Veolia
8 selection criteria:
● The quality of the application: clarity of formulation, proposed methodology, overall readability.
● Professionalism: understanding the local context, involvement of public authorities.
● The feasibility of the project: technical and financial feasibility, quality of the institutional set-up.
● The impact of the project: relevance of economic, social and/or environmental indicators.
● Synergies: ability to mobilise co-funding.
● The nature of the aid requested: priority for acquisitions and training expenditures.
● Sustainability: taking into account long-term human development issues.
● Innovation: implementation of the project through an innovative approach.
The winning non-profits for 2022 receive an endowment of 3,000 euros and benefit from the support and expertise of their sponsors.