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ASIA-PACIFIC, 3 February 2005
Since the devastating earthquake and massive tsunami hit Asia a month ago, killing over 225,000 and leaving millions of families homeless, the outpouring of support around the world has been extraordinary. Governments, non-profits/non-governmental agencies (NGOs), corporations and individuals have come forward to pledge billions of dollars in aid.
At HP, the compassion and generosity of our employees* has also shown through. From the hands-on help of individual employees, to the volunteer and fund-raising activities of many, HP employees worldwide quickly united into global and local response teams, providing critical, immediate assistance to the affected people and communities.
To date, employee donations, a fund-matching program and direct corporate contributions from HP total a US$3 million commitment. In addition, donated technology from HP will help rescue victims and rebuild areas devastated by the disaster. It’s all part of a global effort by HP and its employees to help make recovery a bit easier and hope more possible.
'A catastrophe of this magnitude calls for a truly global response,' said Paul Chan, Senior VP and Managing Director, HP Asia-Pacific& Japan. 'HP's employees all over the world have responded quickly and generously to the call for help and support. Our contributions in cash, materials, labor, technology and local knowledge have brought the diverse resources of a global company together in one united and heartwarming effort.'
HP employees in the Asia-Pacific and Japan (APJ) region are giving selflessly to the relief effort to address both critical and long-term recovery issues. Across the region, local HP managers are encouraging employees to participate in volunteer efforts by granting them a day off to lend a helping hand to thousands of victims.
An employee-led Voluntary Task Force is also looking into volunteer opportunities to help rehabilitate the affected people by providing homes, boats and even fishing nets that represent the livelihoods of coastline villages ravaged by the disaster. The taskforce is working with several NGOs to determine the most optimal way for employees to participate in the rehabilitation initiatives.
Several employees have come forward to actively take part in the initiatives. Soon after the tragedy struck, some left immediately for Cuddalore and Nagapattinam, some of the worst-affected areas in India, to assist in immediate relief measures.
In Singapore, an employee volunteer group called the Community Activities Committee (CAC) plans to work with local aid agencies to identify volunteer opportunities that can help boost community redevelopment. This could include rebuilding schools and hospitals, as well as water distillation plants, to address the widespread shortage of clean water.
In Thailand, branch managers and their team members in Phuket have donated personal time to help victims. In Malaysia, HP employees cancelled plans for an office-opening celebration, raising funds for tsunami relief efforts instead.
Many Asia-Pacific HP regions are showing their support through voluntary payroll deductions, donating a portion of their salary towards tsunami relief efforts, and through charitable contributions to qualified NGOs, including the Red Cross/Red Crescent, CARE International, Unicef and Save the Children. In all, as of January 26, 8978 HP employees around the world have given US$1.4 million.
In addition to the contributions of our employees, HP has donated technology to support the massive search and rescue efforts. In the months ahead, affected regions will enter the next phase of crisis recovery — one where technology will be pivotal in rebuilding lives and communities.
In addition to supplying notebooks, printers and digital cameras that could help identify victims and file insurance claims, HP Indonesia helped to re-establish the IT infrastructure in Aceh, a province of Indonesia located in the Northwest of Sumatra. Satellite connections to the remote coastal town of Meulaboh and the isolated island of Simeulue will help monitor medicine and food supplies in shelters.
Responding to a request from the Red Cross, HP New Zealand supplied desktop systems to consolidate queries and donations coming in from across the country. HP Australia also offered the Red Cross notebooks and contacted independent humanitarian medical aid agency Medecins Sans Frontieres (also known as Doctors Without Borders or MSF) about their technology needs.
Heeding an urgent appeal from MSF one night, HP Hong Kong immediately responded with donated notebooks that arrived just in time for one of the doctors departing for Indonesia in the morning. They will be used in MSF field offices to help MSF teams, who are working day and night to provide assistance to people affected in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and Myanmar.
HP regional offices are also actively involved in the rebuilding phase of the relief effort. For example, HP Thailand donated technology to boost local operations. This included systems to help the Jurisprudence Department, Ministry of Justice identify victims, track death tolls and set up computer rooms in schools.
HP India has also joined forces with relevant government agencies, a university and other organizations to suggest technology solutions that could be used by the Disaster Management Agency, set up by the government of India in the wake of the disaster.
In the future, the time and talents of HP employees will continue to make a difference as the region recovers and rebuilds — aided greatly by those who so willingly opened both their wallets and their hearts.
* We have been ensured that our employees currently working in the tsunami-affected areas are safe and that HP APJ offices are secure.
As part of its Asian tsunami relief effort to help those stricken throughout the region, HP provides a Web site that makes donating to some of the world's most established and respected charities easy. Visit: http://www.hp.com/go/relief |
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