On February 6, the world was confronted with a natural disaster: the earthquake that shook the territories of Turkey and Syria. Like other causes, MEO was not indifferent to this reality and called on the solidarity of the Portuguese to exchange their MEOS points for donations to Lar Marista and AMI.
The result? Very positive: in just four days, 65,000 euros were raised for the two institutions, in order to support the affected population with basic necessities such as food, warm clothes and blankets.
In the MEOS program, every euro spent on MEO is worth points that can be exchanged for a range of products, services, experiences and donations that benefit socially responsible causes.
The donation of MEOS points to the Marist Home in Ermesinde will be used to help the community in Syria. Aleppo is one of the cities hardest hit by the earthquake and the Blue Marist volunteers immediately opened the classrooms and bedrooms of their center, welcoming more than a thousand people who sought refuge there in the first hours after the earthquake.
"On behalf of the Marist community, we would like to thank MEO for its immediate availability and commitment to collaborate with the victims of the earthquake through the Syria Earthquake Emergency Campaign. The wave of generosity that it has unleashed in its customers will help to improve so many human lives with a name and a face through goods that provide immediate relief, while at the same time conveying a message of hope and fraternity," says Brother António Leal, from the Marist Home in Ermesinde.
The solidarity of MEO customers through AMI will also be used to support the victims in Turkey. In this natural disaster scenario, AMI, in collaboration with its direct partner Syrian Relief & Development (SRD), is providing support on the Turkish ground to the victims of the earthquake - in the city of Gazientepe , which is located in the south-east of Turkey and which was heavily affected.
Isabelle Romão, AMI Administrator, thanks "Altice for organizing this campaign and its customers for the generous donation of their MEOS. This is essential help to support the population affected by the earthquake that shook Turkey and Syria. Thank you for not being indifferent and for contributing to this Mission!"
With this solidarity campaign, MEO is reinforcing its commitment to society and its role as a brand for causes, demonstrating that humanization is one of the main pillars underpinningits operations and an unquestionable part of its DNA.
Lar Marista de Ermesinde
The congregation of the Marist Brothers, with which the Lar Marista de Ermesinde is associated, has been present in Syria since 1904, working in the field of education for children and young people. This mission, usually carried out in schools, was redirected to social support centers for children due to various political upheavals , and was later limited to a single center in the city of Aleppo. They currently have 150 volunteers on the ground, the so-called Blue Marists.
AMI
Founded in 1984, AMI is a Portuguese, private, independent, non-political and non-profit Non-Governmental Organization (NGO)whose mission is to provide humanitarian aid and promote human development, taking into account Human Rights and the Sustainable Development Goals in the areas of health, social and environmental issues, anywhere in the world, regardless of race, gender, age, nationality, language, politics, religion, philosophy or social position, looking at each person as a unique, irreplaceable being, worthy of attention and care. With the human being at the center of all its concerns, AMI has already worked in 82 countries around the world and has set up 15 socialfacilities and responses in Portugal (mainland Portugal and the Autonomous Regions).