Henkel
A UNICEF corporate partner since 2019
Henkel, with its brands Somat and Pril, supports UNICEF’s global nutrition programme to provide children healthy and nutritious diets.
In many parts of the world, children do not receive the diets they need – in quantity, frequency or quality – to survive, grow and develop to their full potential. Diets deficient in vital nutrients are the main cause of malnutrition. Children afflicted by malnutrition in early life face irreversible physical and mental damage for the rest of their lives.
In 2018, about 50 million young lives are at risk due to acute malnutrition (wasting). In addition, only one in six children in low-income and lower-middle-income countries receives a minimum acceptable diet, defined as a diet with the minimum number of meals as well as food from a minimum number of food groups.
As a result, approximately 150 million children under the age of 5 years are chronically undernourished or stunted, compromising their physical growth and brain development. They may never grow to their full height and their brains may never develop to their full cognitive potential. More than half of all stunted children live in Asia and more than one third in Africa.
What the partnership does
Henkel, a German chemical and consumer goods company, has been supporting UNICEF’s global nutrition programme since 2019. The funding from the partnership is used in the regions and countries where it is needed most, particularly in Asia and Africa. The partnership is part of the initiative #enjoytogether, Henkel’s first common global communication platform for the Somat and Pril brands, which builds on social influencer and partnership activations.
“We introduced the #enjoytogether initiative as a global movement building on the belief that nothing brings people closer together than a good meal. But what’s more important: Quality meals are not accessible by everyone – by partnering with UNICEF, we want to contribute to help end malnutrition,” says Nuría Ribe, Head of International Marketing, Home Care, at Henkel. “Through supporting its global nutrition programme, we made almost 30 million contributions to healthy meals for children and communities in 2019 alone.”
Every day, UNICEF is helping children from the start: educating mothers about nutrition, fortifying foods with vital nutrients, and saving the lives of children with severe acute malnutrition. Furthermore, UNICEF works to protect children in crisis situations with the right nutrition. Where nutritious diets are out of reach, micronutrient supplementation can prevent anaemia and micronutrient deficiencies, and food fortification with essential vitamins and minerals can enrich foods for children and the general population.
With good nutrition, children can develop into healthy, bright and engaged members of their communities. Well-nourished children are better able to grow and learn, their brains and bodies can develop fully, and they are stronger and more resilient in the face of crisis.
Last updated 28 April 2021
