BeeOdiversity

The BeeOdiversity project was created in 2012 by Dr Bach Kim Nguyen with the support of the Universities of Liège and Ghent, to protect bees and their ecosystem.

BeeOdiversity's mission is to develop projects and offer advice on how to boost biodiversity, food diversity and the well-being of everyone by protecting pollinators. Pollinators have a great impact in our lives:

• Economic value: 84% of species we cultivate depend on pollinators. These species give us raw materials, medicines, food for humans… The global value of the services that pollinators provide is 153 billion euro a year.
• Ecological value: Conservation of flora and fauna has a direct or indirect impact on the quality of our water, soil fertility and stability, on climate regulation…
• Emotional value: Pollination has a beneficial effect on our health, the quality of our green spaces, the beauty of places…
• Ethical value: Pollinators help to conserve numerous species.
  

Sopra Steria Benelux has joined forces with BeeOdoversity and acquired two beehives in 2014. With this action, the company helps to protect Belgian bees' breeds, local biodiversity and promote honey production. 

Child Focus: Safe & Fun use of the Internet

Child Focus has been partnering with technology companies to raise awareness among fifth and sixth year students about the safe and responsible use of the Internet. In March 2022, the Internet Safe & Fun campaign mobilised 118 volunteers, reaching more than 15.000 pupils. 

Surfing the net offers many possibilities, but at the same time can be a difficult exercise in which our young people must be supervised. It is therefore essential to prepare young people and children for the enriching and creative use of digital means, but also its safe and responsible use.

In March 2022, 14 Sopra Steria Benelux and Sopra Banking Benelux employees, on a voluntary basis, received training by Child Focus and contributed to raise awareness via this campaign. Either by attending schools they have a special connection with or being partnered with one, our volunteers contribute to the social and digital inclusion of our youth. We believe that by raising awareness around the use of the internet we can have a long lasting impact in our communities. 

Handicap International

Handicap International works alongside people with disabilities and populations experiencing situations of extreme hardship. They take action and bear witness in order to respond to essential needs, improve living conditions and promote respect for dignity and fundamental rights. 

FACT: only 5 to 15% of disabled people in development countries has access to rehabilitation.

Each year, Sopra Steria employees can carry the Handicap International flag and run or walk the 20km of Brussels. Through this sporty commitment, we will enable Handicap International to provide crutches, physiotherapy, prostheses and wheelchairs for people with a disability.

In 2022, 25 Sopra Steria Benelux and Sopra Banking Benelux employees participated to run or walk the 20 km.

India Scholarship Foundation

India is an Integral part of our global business strategy, with delivery centers based in Noida, Bangalore, Chennai and Pune. Sopra Steria in India offers a full spectrum of services and solutions to help our customers reach new levels in their development and competitiveness. While India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, it is also one of the most unequal and poorest countries in the world.

Sopra Steria has been committed for over 10 years with an education programme in India aimed at combating poverty and reducing inequality. This programme is aimed at children from poor rural areas, in particular girls, who can benefit from public sector schools located close to the company’s sites. Over 70,000 children and young people, in 60 schools from primary to secondary level, benefit from the programme and are supported in their schooling by hundreds of Sopra Steria volunteers.

To facilitate access to higher education for young children, Sopra Steria has developed a major scholarship programme to provide financial assistance to bright young children from Sopra Steria supported schools to pursue a college/university education. These students come from extremely challenged backgrounds and who otherwise would be left with no option but to drop out after they complete their schooling.

Sopra Steria Benelux is currently sponsoring eleven Scholars, eight of them are young girls, in their road for a better and brighter future. We value and understand the opportunities that come out of having an education. For that reason, we are confident that the India Scholarship Program will open doors for children that otherwise would have been impossible to reach.

International Yehudi Menuhin Foundation

The International Yehudi Menuhin Foundation (IYMF) is an international non-profit association established by royal decree in Brussels by Yehudi Menuhin in 1991.

The mission of the International Yehudi Menuhin Foundation is to remind political, cultural and educational institutions of the central role of art and creativity in any personal and societal development process.

The purpose is to actively contribute to intercultural dialogue and societal integration at both national and international levels through the creative arts, by:

• enabling co-creation and exchange of emerging and established musicians and artists, including minorities;
• promoting and implementing the use of the creative arts to educate children of all backgrounds. 

Sopra Steria Benelux has been an active sponsor of the Menuhin Foundation since 2015. We are convinced that engaging through music, allows children to express and develop in a richer environment. For that reason, we stand behind the IYMF and their mission, hopefully for years to come.

Join For Water

Sopra Steria Benelux is committed to the right to water, convinced that it represents one of the key challenges facing humanity over the coming decades.  Everyone has a role to play to preserve the environment. Today, Sopra Steria Benelux is acting to improve the use of water resources within our own facilities and to promote education and sustainable water solutions in countries in need.

FACT 1: 2.1 billion people globally lack safe water at home

Our action: financial sponsorship to promote education and sustainable water use in countries in need

Together with Join For Water, the only NGO in Belgium that focuses solely on water, Sopra Steria Benelux raises awareness amongst its stakeholders about the challenges people in Uganda face. Contaminated water and poor sanitation are the leading causes of disease and high infant mortality rates in the country. With our support, Join For Water has the ability to make a positive impact in the lives of thousands of Ugandans by providing clean drinking water and sanitation.  

FACT 2: More than 8 million tons of plastic are dumped in our oceans every year.

Our action: improve the use of water resources within our own facilities. By using this reusable bottle, you will be saving 1,460 plastic bottles per year

Plastic pollution has reached unprecedented levels and it has become one of the most pressing issues in today’s world. Sopra Steria Benelux is committed to reduce single-use plastic waste by creating awareness regarding its impact and hopefully inspire people in a positive way to promote long lasting change.

In order to go further and embody these two objectives, Sopra Steria Benelux pledges to donate 1 euro to Join For Water for each bottle distributed. 

Out Of Use

Out of Use is a waste management company specialised in the reuse and recycling of materials. Through the sustainable use of materials and resources, future generations will be able to continue to enjoy our planet as we do. So sustainability is at the heart of all their activities.

Giving Purpose to products and materials by giving them a second life. Today's society is too quick to assume that something has become worthless, or 'waste'. And yet these products can still be of great value to others in our society. After a thorough check and refurbishment/upgrading of the collected materials, Out of Use seeks a new destination and purpose for these products. If ultimately the product cannot be reused, the materials are recovered as far as possible through recycling into secondary raw materials. This way, too, non-reusable products can be given a new use.

'Giving Purpose' also has a social dimension: climate change has made us all aware of the need to use the earth's scarce resources responsibly. As an environmental company we are proud to play our part in a circular, sustainable economy and society. Out Of Use donates reused or recycled materials to Natuurpunt or Natagoria so they can buy m² of forest land to plant trees.

Red Cross

RiseSmart

Regardless of being highly educated, immigrant job seekers can still have difficulties finding good employment opportunities just by lack of knowledge of our Belgian job market and culture. RiseSmart, part of the Randstad Group, offers free job coaching trajectories to these unemployed highly skilled people.

Sopra Steria Benelux employees can volunteer by assisting, coaching and guiding an unexperienced job seeker as a mentor. The purpose is to make the appointed mentee familiar with our job market and work culture, professional codes and sectors during a coaching period of 6 months.