Walmart Foundation Donates $25,000 to CARE
Provides Funds to Support Girls’ Education, Leadership in 20 countries
BENTONVILLE, Ark., March 13, 2009 – The Walmart Foundation announced a $25,000 donation to CARE’s “Power Within” program at Walmart’s International Women’s Day celebration today. The program specifically focuses on girls’ education and leadership, helping more than 10 million girls complete primary school and develop leadership skills in 20 countries around the world.
“We applaud Walmart's commitment to increasing awareness and support for women and girls in the developing world, and look forward to continuing to explore ways that we can combine our efforts to advance this important work,” stated Helene D. Gayle, President and CEO. “This day shines a much needed and deserved spotlight on women in the developing world, inspiring us all through their amazing stories of strength and perseverance.”
Throughout March, Walmart is celebrating International Women’s Day around the world by offering in-store promotional products for the female shopper, work/life balance seminars, healthcare workshops and women leadership forums.
Doug McMillon, president and CEO, Walmart International, said “At Walmart, we are proud of the programs we have in place that develop our associates and help us better serve our customers. We are committed to supporting women and the organizations of importance to them.”
A few examples of Walmart’s current female initiatives include the following:
Mexico: The “Giving is also an Art” program supports the local Mazahua and Tarahumara communities by selling handiwork made by the women in our Superama and Sam’s Club locations. One hundred percent of the proceeds are returned to the communities where the merchandise is made.
Asia: Through the Asia Foundation, Walmart provides migrant women workers in the Guangdong Province with scholarships to attend vocational school or a university. As a part of the scholarship agreement, recipients make a commitment to support other students through the development of an alumni network that will provide both mentoring and financial support to fellow students during and after their course of study.
El Salvador: The “Female Entrepreneurs” program supports income generation projects for female entrepreneurs in the area surrounding Caluco, one of the poorest towns in El Salvador. All products are sold in Walmart’s stores in El Salvador.
Brazil: Walmart Brazil Institute’s “Income Generation Project” sponsors projects focused mainly on women that are head of household or who have been domestically abused, helping to teach them a profession and support the local handicraft culture.
United Kingdom: ASDA’s “Tickled Pink” program is a cause-related marketing campaign for breast cancer care. By selling profit-free products in store fundraising campaigns, ASDA has raised US $37 million since the program began in 1997.
Lesotho: Through the Apparel Lesotho Alliance to Fight AIDS (ALAFA) prevention and treatment programs, the Walmart Foundation works exclusively with the textile and apparel industry. Approximately 85 percent of the employees in this industry are women.
Latin America, Africa and Asia: Through Mobility International USA (MIUSA), the Walmart Foundation empowers women with disabilities by strengthening their leadership skills and providing the tools to expand employment opportunities for women and girls with disabilities in their communities.
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About Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT)
Walmart operates Walmart discount stores, supercenters, Neighborhood Markets and Sam’s Club locations in the United States. The company also operates in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Japan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom. The company's common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol WMT. More information about Walmart can be found by visiting www.walmartstores.com. Online merchandise sales are available at www.walmart.com and www.samsclub.com.
About Philanthropy at Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) and the Walmart Foundation are proud to support the charitable causes that are important to customers and associates in their own neighborhoods. Through its philanthropic programs and partnerships, the Walmart Foundation supports initiatives focused on creating opportunities in education, workforce development, environmental sustainability, and health and wellness. In 2007, Walmart, Sam’s Club and the Walmart Foundation gave $296 million to communities across the United States. To learn more, visit www.walmartfoundation.org.
About CARE
CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. Last year, CARE programs improved the lives of more than 55 million people in 66 countries. CARE tackles underlying causes of poverty so that people can become self-sufficient. Recognizing that women and children suffer disproportionately from poverty, CARE places special emphasis on working with women to create permanent social change. Women are at the heart of CARE's community-based efforts to improve basic education, prevent the spread of HIV, increase access to maternal health services, expand economic opportunity and protect natural resources. CARE also delivers emergency aid to survivors of war and natural disasters, and helps people rebuild their lives. To learn more, visit www.care.org.