Foreword

Chairman of the Achmea Foundation Board

Each year Achmea provides 0.5 of its net profit to the Achmea Foundation. The Foundation uses these funds to support innovative activities that contribute to improving social inclusion. In 2019 we once again implemented a number of wonderful projects, made progress with existing programmes and launched several new initiatives. In this report we are delighted to share our experiences with you. Our Foundation targets two-thirds of its resources at innovative initiatives in Africa that relate to agriculture, healthcare and financial services. It is important to carefully monitor the progress of initiatives, in order to make interim adjustments to our ambitions and approach, thereby improving the chances of success. This year we enhanced our monitoring and evaluation efforts by engaging external experts, with the aim of improving the learning capacity both of our partners and ourselves. We were also able to successfully complete a EUCORD initiative in Mali. Farmers saw their incomes increase and gained access to bank credit, because their harvest – which can now be stored – is being accepted as collateral. At the same time the farmers’ families also began to enjoy healthier diets. In the Netherlands, in partnership with BeBright and Zilveren Kruis, we have given six social enterprises the opportunity to improve their business acumen. All of them are focusing on reducing loneliness in the Netherlands. Many Achmea employees support the work and goals of the Achmea Foundation. They show this support by becoming involved in the initiatives or performing work in the administrative office. The number of employees who travel abroad for temporary assignments has also increased. This possibility has been included in Achmea’s training curriculum. In addition, this year a successful start was made on introducing the platform Voor Elkaar (for each other). This platform encourages employees to get involved in voluntary work. This year for the first time we are presenting our annual report exclusively in the form of a digital magazine. We hope that you enjoy reading it and draw inspiration from its contents.