March is dedicated to celebrating Women’s History Month, and this year, we shine a spotlight on the remarkable women ambassadors of the Acronis Cyber Foundation Program. While many incredible individuals contribute to this noble cause, we’d like to introduce you to someone truly special – Sabine Mende.
Sabine has been an unwavering supporter of the Acronis Cyber Foundation Program since its inception in 2018. Her commitment to giving back to society is nothing short of extraordinary. From participating in our first school construction trek in Senegal to engaging partners in giving back, such as joint school construction projects in the Dominican Republic with RNT Rausch and in Sierra Leone and Guatemala with GoDaddy Pro, teaching digital skills to the immigrant population of Switzerland with Backup ONE, to the impressive launch of their own CSR projects for her partners.
Here is what she says about her volunteering experience: ‘Why do I volunteer? I grew up in a poor family, even in Germany they exist, and foundations allowed me to get access to something that I couldn’t reach without any support: programs, development. So I grew up in a system like that, and since I am 15, I’ve been allowed to support foundations: bringing computers to children from difficult families, teaching them at a young age how to use them and develop themselves. When Acronis started the Acronis Cyber Foundation Program, it only made me prouder to work for Acronis, to be honest. And I am not just saying it, I really feel it. It is so cool that we are doing it, and we can also be part of it.
I have been volunteering teaching for Acronis IT Skills Program for several years already. The cool thing is that it is not only about teaching students – you meet people from different cultures, always taking something back for yourself. It’s not always about giving something to them. We are in contact with some of the students; we help them with their CV, connecting them. And the cool thing is if you are in sales, it always helps you if your partners are searching for employees. You can connect them, ask ‘Hey, do you have internship opportunities? I have some students here who are interested in marketing, IT, maybe something totally different.’ Just ask your partners, ‘Can you offer a traineeship for some of the students?’ and connect them, see how it goes.
To mention, it’s really important, you don’t have to be a professional trainer. A cool thing about the Acronis Cyber Foundation Program is… first of all, it’s about MS Office – we use it every day, but there are people who don’t know how to use it. The Foundation also provides you with the content – you don’t need to search for it and spend a lot of time on it. They will give you slides and other stuff that you can use for your course.
So, my personal exciting experience is that also through the Acronis Cyber Foundation Program, my partners perceive Acronis as a more valuable vendor, which is really important. Together with my partners, I can support the Acronis Cyber Foundation Program. Last year, some of them joined us in teaching our students in Schaffhausen 😊 And the students of today can be our business customers tomorrow 😊 It’s cool to have this kind of experience. Just try it out! You don’t need to be a professional teacher to do something locally in your region.’
As we celebrate Women’s History Month and honor extraordinary women like Sabine Mende, we recognize the profound impact they have on inspiring and empowering others. Sabine’s six years of dedicated contributions exemplify the importance of such remarkable women, serving as a beacon of inspiration for all ladies to make a difference in their communities. Sabine, thank you for being part of our DNA!
