Three women and four men are going to live in a “World of Difference” for one year

“We are proud to introduce other courageous professionals who have decided to bring their know-how from the business to the non-profit sector, which is the principal idea of the ‘World of Difference’ program,” says Ondřej Zapletal, the Executive Director of the Vodafone Foundation. “I appreciate that this year, many of the submitted, and even winning projects involved social companies, for which the transfer of know-how from the business sector is particularly relevant,” he adds.

The winners of the fifth annual World of Difference program and their projects:

Eva Karasová – Open Society Fund

Eva Karasová works as the spokesperson of Tesco Stores CR. For her project, she has chosen the Open Society Fund. She is going to develop the communication and fundraising strategy for the Otakar Motejl Fund, which helps to create a transparent and fair environment and to develop a legal state in the Czech Republic.

Osamu Okamura – the reSITE civic association

Osamu Okamura is the editor-in-chief of an architecture magazine. He wants to use his experience to organize the reSITE international festival, which aims to improve life in cities. 

Pavla Stine – o.s. Náruč

Pavla Stine is going to work for the Náruč civic association, which runs a training café Modrý domeček for the mentally disabled. Pavla would like to start fresh pasta production and a restaurant above the café. She can use her rich experience from Chicago where she worked as a cook and customer care manager.

Markéta Sirotková – Asistence o.s.

Markéta Sirotková works at Santé Network as a PR and CSR project manager. Next year, she is going to change it for the Asistence civic association, helping them increase the number of clients able to get and keep a qualified job position. She would also like to improve the offer of qualified positions for people with severe multiple disabilities.

David Kalika – Portus Praha, social company Goodies with a Story

David Kalika is a graphic designer and next year he is going to work at the Portus Praha civic association. Together, they want to help people live a full, independent life. His project aims to employ the disabled and disadvantaged in a social company producing the “Goodies with a Story”, which are distributed to Prague cafés and restaurants and sold at farm markets.

Michal Dolejš – the Green Doors non-profit organization

Michal Dolejš is going to leave his position of a marketing specialist at Vodafone for one year and change it for the Mlsná kavka vegetarian training restaurant. His task will be to help develop the restaurant so that it can provide perfect service to the guests as well to the mentally disabled clients who are there for working rehabilitation.

Tomáš Kandel  - Junák

Tomáš Kandel is coming to Junák from the Česká pojišťovna communication center. He wants to use his experience to promote the ecological training center of Kaprálův mlýn. Ecological education programs for Czech schools should help the center become financially independent.

Tomáš Kandel, obtained the highest score in the Internet voting on Facebook and www.rokjinak.cz, which qualified him for the advance from the Top 12 among the winners. The other winners have been chosen by a jury, which included Ondřej Zapletal, Executive Director of the Vodafone Foundation, Miroslav Čepický, Head of Corporate Communication at Vodafone, Přemysl Filip, Senior Manager for Corporate Responsibility at Vodafone, as well as a journalist Jan Rybář, a former grant recipient and this year’s ambassador. 

So far, 53 professionals have applied their experience in non-profit organizations as part of the 'World of Difference' program, focusing on all topics from ecology to social issues.

Professionals who want to use their know-how and experience to help the nonprofit sector, yet cannot or do not want to interrupt their career for a whole year, can apply for the kRok jinak ('Step of Difference') program which makes it possible to work for shorter terms, from of one to three months. For more information, please go to www.rokjinak.cz.