Our Share and Care Program supports global humanitarian and child welfare organizations

Thriving communities are the foundation for a sustainable future. Through our Global UPM Share and Care Program we support local initiatives, provide humanitarian aid where it’s needed most, and empower employees to volunteer.

Our focus is clear: we invest in youth and education and advance science-based solutions for biodiversity and climate. In addition, we stand by children and families during crises.

In 2025, we have supported globally recognized humanitarian and child welfare organizations. Through them we can ensure the most impactful and persevering support in various crisis situations and in promoting the welfare of children and youth.

UNICEF Finland

With our emergency aid in Ukraine could, for example:

provide essential school supplies for 8,800 children
ensure access to clean water for more than 156,000 people for a year
distribute warm blankets to 11,000 children

Our support to UNICEF’s global emergency aid could, for example, provide life-saving treatment with nutritious peanut paste to 3,570 children suffering from severe malnutrition.

SOS Children's Villages

This year in Finland, with the support of UPM, more than 1,300 children received homework help through the LäksyApuu chat, and the majority received all the support they needed directly from the service. LäksyApuu is one of the many domestic programs of SOS Children’s Villages, reaching more than 65 000 children and young people annually.

In Germany, around 1,000 people each month participated in courses promoting child protection at the Family Centre in Hamburg-Dulsberg, including postnatal recovery, baby massage, early musical education, and holiday day-programs for children.

In Poland, with the support of UPM, SOS Children’s Village Ustroń carried out renovations, organized a trip to Gdańsk, provided meals during the trip, and offered cinema visits for the children.

SOS Children’s Villages: the Family Centre in Hamburg-Dulsberg

Save the Children Finland

With the support of Save the Children Finland, children and their families received vital help, including food, water, medicine, shelter, and cash assistance. Child protection and children’s opportunities to continue their schooling amid crises are at the heart of the organization’s humanitarian work.

In 2024, the organization’s humanitarian aid reached millions of people.

Some examples:

Gaza:

703,729 people received nutrition and health assistance
156,419 people benefited from child protection activities
216,441 people received economic support

Ukraine:

1,314,959 people received food, water, and medicine
144,759 people received economic support
146,660 people benefited from child protection services
322,969 children received support for education and learning
- In addition, nearly 90 Digital Learning Centers were opened, and more than 750 shelters were set up at schools.

Save the Children Finland: Twins Shadi and Basil (8) play football close in Gaza

Save the Children Finland: Denis (2) eats lunch at his temporary home in Ukraine

Plan International Finland

Plan International emphasizes that education is a fundamental right for every child and pays special attention to girls’ rights. In 2024, the organization’s work reached over 43 million children and provided support in 87 humanitarian crises.

With our support Plan International Finland secured the continuation of schooling in the middle of humanitarian crisis. In Nigeria they built and renovated temporary learning spaces, classrooms, and toilets, trained teachers, and distributed teaching materials - reaching more than 14,000 children and nearly 400 teachers in 2024.

In Ethiopia, a new project supports the schooling of Sudanese refugee children, for example. Altogether, 34,624 refugees and 57,293 local inhabitants benefit from this project, including 5,000 children supported in schooling activities.

Our warmest thanks!

All these humanitarian and child welfare organizations do extremely valuable work to improve in many ways the living conditions of children and families in crisis areas and in many local communities close to our operations. We are pleased to have been able to support their efforts.

We also thank our shareholders for their trust. With the authorizations granted by the Annual General Meeting in April, we have been able to support various Share and Care projects with €1 million during the past financial year.

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