The Acronis Schools Initiative is not just about building schools – it aims to provide the underprivileged communities around the world with comprehensive educational support. The Acronis Foundation believes that philanthropic interventions must be based on a deep understanding of the needs of aid recipients. One of the best ways to get this understanding is to be on-the-ground and side-by-side with these people.

This year, the Acronis Foundation, together with buildOn, launched construction of a new school in the Soupa Serere village in Senegal. In November 2018, 20 Acronis employees spent their time off in the village. For two weeks, they lived with host families, worked closely with locals on the construction site, and learned about their lives and needs.

With no electricity or mobile data in the village, the Acronis team were able to focus fully on the school construction and building relationships with the Soupa Serere community. Some Acronis employees who spoke French helped local children with their homework, others taught them how to count in English.

During these two weeks in Senegal, the Acronis team saw firsthand just how valuable building schools can be for people who live in such rural areas, but it’s not enough. Schools need notebooks, pencils, solar panels, energy-efficient laptops, and other relevant equipment – something the Acronis Foundation is constantly working to provide.

The goal of the Acronis Foundation is to create a partner ecosystem where different actors can contribute to the Schools Initiative.