01. September 2025 |  NEWS

Achieving Great Things Together

NFON AG employees are getting active in a fitness challenge to support digital education projects for young people in India

Creating the future with every step: The NFON AG team has taken special action to promote digital education opportunities for socially disadvantaged young people. 76 employees took part in a movement challenge and together covered a total of 57.682.773 steps in three months. In doing so, they not only improved their own fitness: with their commitment, the employees are supporting digital education projects run by SOS Children’s Villages in India.

The campaign is much more than just numbers – it is about people taking responsibility together and giving young people a future. 

"I am thrilled by how every single step we take can have such a huge impact! The NFON Movement Challenge combines lots of fun with a great cause and motivates us all to be more conscious of our everyday exercise. With our sponsored digital education project in India, we are not only creating new opportunities for young people, but also generating momentum within the company – a win-win situation for everyone."

Marla Hajnrih, Junior Learning & Development Partner, NFON AG

Kinder lernen an Computern in einem Lernbus in Indien.
Education on wheels: The SOS Children's Villages learning bus brings digital education to children in hard-to-reach regions of India.

"I think the NFON Step Challenge is a great idea. Under the motto ‘Achieving great things together,’ every kilometer I walk brings me closer to my personal goal and helps me give children in SOS Children's Villages programs a better future. The campaign has also been very well received by my colleagues, and we started several internal competitions. Here, commitment really does pay off in more ways than one!"

Michael Schoner, Vice President Finance, NFON AG

 

Since 2022, NFON, a Europe-wide provider of integrated business communications, has been a partner of SOS Children's Villages worldwide. At the heart of this commitment is the goal of opening new perspectives for young people through education – especially in connection with digital participation and career orientation. 

We particularly value that NFON not only demonstrates this commitment at the corporate level, but also actively involves its employees. This combination of corporate responsibility and personal commitment gives the partnership particular depth – and makes it effective in the long term. 

With this year's activity challenge, NFON is supporting a digital education project in India that consists of three components. It gives children and young people access to knowledge, digital skills, and career opportunities:

Ein Junge sitzt vor einem PC.
Digital education opens new perspectives: SOS Children's Villages in India supports socially disadvantaged children and young people in acquiring important digital skills for their future.

Mobile Digital Learning Center

SOS Children's Villages brings digital learning opportunities directly to children in slums and remote regions of India with a bus converted into a classroom.

A pilot project by SOS Children's Villages in India brings digital education to children in slums and hard-to-reach regions. The “Umeed on Wheels” bus, converted into a classroom – Umeed means “hope” in Urdu – has been converted into a classroom and is equipped with 16 computers. Specially trained instructors teach girls and boys - including street children -  digital skills including online safety. The age-appropriate curriculum includes interactive learning content, e-books, and lessons based on the children's school curriculum. Young people are introduced to employment opportunities and training programs, while parents learn how to access government support online. In this way, the project opens new educational and future opportunities for socially disadvantaged families.

Digital Career Training

The digital orientation and qualification program at SOS Children's Villages vocational training centers is aimed at young people, especially school dropouts.  

The goal is to prepare participants for the job market by teaching digital skills and offering targeted training measures (e.g., office administration or web design). They receive individual support and are guided as they begin their career. In addition, the program supports both the transition to further education and the first steps toward starting a business.

Digital Hubs in Schools

Digital learning centers are being set up or expanded in schools. The target group is young people who currently have only limited digital skills. In these hubs, participants acquire important basic digital skills in a practical setting, which serve as a foundation for further learning and professional development. The program takes different skill levels into account and enables young people to obtain certificates that they can use in job applications.

"I have worked with SOS Children's Villages worldwide in the past, and it is always heartwarming to see how even small actions can make a difference in other people's lives. I think the NFON Step Challenge is a very creative and engaging way to support the digital project in India. Especially given the sedentary nature of everyday office life, this challenge is a great motivation to stay active and move more."

Patricia Auricht Barroso, Working Student Learning & Development, NFON AG
 

Every Move Counts

When many small actions come together, real movement is created – not only in the company, but also in the lives of young people. As part of the SOS Children's Villages sports challenge, the NFON team is showing how personal commitment, team spirit, and perseverance can make a big difference. 

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