Month: June 2023

In the aftermath of Cyclone Gabriele that caused significant damage to farming communities on New Zealand’s east coast, an inspiring initiative called “Commence the Re-Fence” has been launched to provide support to the most affected farmers in rebuilding their fencing. This collaborative effort brings together CNH Industrial brands Case IH and New Holland, who have generously donated two tractors to facilitate the reconstruction process.

Over the next five months, the Federated Farmers “Farmy Army” volunteers, under the leadership of Terry Copeland, CEO of Federated Farmers, will work alongside the donated tractors to rebuild fencing on 100 farms that Cyclone Gabriele severely impacted. Federated Farmers has a strong track record of uniting volunteers and providing invaluable assistance to rural communities during times of crisis.

Stevenson Taylor, represented by Robby Smith, General Manager, will provide essential post rammers to ensure efficient and effective fence installations.

The primary objective of the Re-Fence initiative is to restore critical infrastructure, enabling affected farmers to resume their agricultural activities and rebuild their lives. To support the materials required for the fencing reconstruction, a dedicated donation page has been set up. This platform allows individuals, businesses, and organizations to contribute and make a meaningful impact on recovery efforts by providing much-needed resources.

At the end of the five-month initiative, Case IH and New Holland will demonstrate their commitment to the farming communities by gifting the two tractors to two farmers in the most heavily affected areas. This gesture recognizes the resilience and determination displayed by the affected farmers and aims to provide long-term support for their agricultural endeavors.

“We are deeply moved by the challenges faced by the farmers affected by Cyclone Gabriele,” said Aaron Bett, Case IH Australia/New Zealand General Manager. “By donating our tractors and actively participating in the Re-Fence initiative, we aim to assist the farmers in rebuilding their fencing infrastructure and restoring their farms. It is an honor to contribute to their recovery and provide them with the necessary tools for future success.”

Bruce Healy, New Holland Agriculture Australia/New Zealand General Manager, expressed solidarity with the affected farmers.

“New Holland has always been committed to supporting farmers in times of need. We recognize the vital role that fencing plays in protecting livestock and securing farmland. Through our donation of tractors, we hope to contribute to the recovery efforts and support the farmers as they rebuild their lives,” he said.

The “Commence the Re-Fence” initiative invites individuals, businesses, and organizations to join in supporting the recovery of Cyclone Gabriele-affected farmers. Contributions to the donation page, whether financial or in-kind, will make a significant difference in rebuilding the fencing infrastructure and helping farmers reclaim their livelihoods.

Originally published on Aflac Newsroom

COLUMBUS, Ga., June 20, 2023 /3BL Media/ — Trailblazing University of Virginia basketball legend and South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley teamed up with Aflac Incorporated, a leading provider of supplemental health insurance in the U.S., to deliver My Special Aflac Ducks, a free-of-charge resource created for children ages 3 and up with cancer and sickle cell disease, to patients at UVA Children’s in Charlottesville, Virginia. Coach Staley, Aflac U.S. President Virgil Miller and UVA women’s basketball coach Amaka “Coach Mox” Agugua-Hamilton participated in a special event where 5 patients each received their own social robot as part of Aflac’s 28-year, $168-plus million philanthropic commitment supporting children with cancer and blood disorders.

“The past year working with Aflac confirmed for me that caring on purpose is in Aflac’s DNA and I am honored to continue working with the organization to help close the gaps on and off the court,” Coach Staley said. “Aflac and I have a shared passion for giving back to our communities, particularly when it comes to cancer, sickle cell and children. It was great to be back in Charlottesville to deliver My Special Aflac Duck and bring joy to these patients.”

In consultation with more than 100 children, families and medical professionals, Aflac teamed up with Empath Labs to create My Special Aflac Duck, a social robot that helps provide social-emotional support to pediatric cancer and sickle cell patients above the age of 3 through interactive technology. Designed to help comfort kids during their cancer or sickle cell disease journey, My Special Aflac Duck uses medical play and lifelike movement, and it mimics emotion to help children cope with their treatments.

The event comes following the release of “Dawn’s List” this past March. Created by Aflac in collaboration with Coach Staley, the list aims to address some of the equity issues in women’s college sports, including investment equity, fan experience and community engagement. Aflac committed to several actions to address these gaps for female athletes, their fans and their communities, including efforts to bring awareness to coach and player achievements, enhancements to the on-site experience and the creation of opportunities that help athletes and coaches further establish themselves as role models by helping communities. The My Special Aflac Duck event is one example of how Aflac and Coach Staley are giving back.

“Aflac started the My Special Aflac Duck program five years ago to bring comfort and joy to young patients and their families when they need it the most,” said Aflac U.S. President Virgil Miller. “Our steadfast commitment to support children with cancer and blood disorders has resulted in the delivery of more than 23,000 ducks to children in the U.S., Northern Ireland and Japan. We are honored to continue that legacy by delivering these social companions to patients at UVA Children’s.”

Recipients at the Charlottesville event participated in a My Special Aflac Duck demonstration before taking part in an exciting scavenger hunt — including a clue reveal with Coach Staley — to meet their very own robotic companion. Following the hunt, patients and their families enjoyed various activities like creating a birth certificate and beaded necklace for their duck, coloring and more.

“Spending a lot of time in the hospital can be overwhelming for our patients and emotional for their families,” said Dr. Michael Engel, UVA Children’s Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Division Chief. “My Special Aflac Duck will surely bring happiness to children during their treatments and help comfort them at home. We are thankful that Coach Staley, UVA’s own Coach Mox and Aflac were here with us today to deliver this free-of-charge resource.”

Additional features of My Special Aflac Duck include an interactive mobile app that allows children to virtually bathe and feed their duck, customizable soundscapes that provide soothing visuals and sounds, smart sensors that enable touch and awareness of light and sounds, and a calming heartbeat and breathing vibrations. To help children express themselves, the duck comes with seven feelings emoji discs that, when tapped to a sensor on the duck’s chest, prompt My Special Aflac Duck to emulate each emotion.

Health care providers, support organizations and families can order My Special Aflac Duck for children 3 years or older who have been diagnosed with cancer or sickle cell disease at https://myspecialaflacduck.com.

ABOUT AFLAC INCORPORATED 
Aflac Incorporated (NYSE: AFL), a Fortune 500 company, has helped provide financial protection and peace of mind for more than 67 years to millions of policyholders and customers through its subsidiaries in the U.S. and Japan. In the U.S., Aflac is the No. 1 provider of supplemental health insurance products.1 In Japan, Aflac Life Insurance Japan is the leading provider of cancer and medical insurance policies in force. In 2021, the company became a signatory of the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). In 2022, the company was included in the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index for the ninth year, the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere for the 17th consecutive year, Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies for the 22nd time and Bloomberg’s Gender-Equality Index for the fourth consecutive year. To find out how to get help with expenses health insurance doesn’t cover, get to know us at aflac.com or aflac.com/espanol. Investors may learn more about Aflac Incorporated and its commitment to corporate social responsibility and sustainability at investors.aflac.com under “Sustainability.”

ABOUT UVA CHILDREN’S 
UVA Children’s provides primary and specialty care in more than 30 specialties throughout the commonwealth and beyond. Located within UVA Medical Center, UVA Children’s includes 111 beds, a dedicated pediatric emergency department, a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for infants and a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit for children younger than 18. The UVA Children’s Ambulatory Clinics at the Battle Building, which opened in 2014, provide integrated outpatient care to families from throughout the region.

Media contact: Amy Persons, apersons@aflac.com

Analyst and investor contact: David A. Young, 706-596-3264, 800-235-2667 or dyoung@aflac.com

1LIMRA 2021 US Supplemental Health Insurance Total Market Repor

SOURCE Aflac

On Thursday afternoon, a highly destructive tornado tore through the Texas Panhandle, leaving a trail of devastation in the community of Perryton. Our heartfelt condolences go out to those affected by this tragic event. In the aftermath of this devastation as communities begin to rebuild, we have taken necessary measures to ensure uninterrupted connectivity for our customers during this critical time of need. To support the communities we serve and the network they rely on, we are:

T-Mobile’s Community Support teams mobilized early to bring supplies to Perryton. Emergency response vehicles will offer free Wi-Fi, charging stations, charging cables and more.Our network has remained strong through the storm and our customers can expect to use their services without interruption. Our Emergency Management teams are monitoring the situation as recovery begins.The Emergency Response Team is engaging with numerous state and local officials, first responders and organizations. Agencies needing communications assistance can reach out to our 24-hour emergency hotline at 888-639-0020 or email at ERTRequests@T-Mobile.com.

To check your local store hours, please use our store locator.

See our newsroom for more information on T-Mobile’s 2023 Emergency Response

In rural Brazil, a group of women banded together to gather a wild chestnut called baru. When they had little luck selling the nuts as a snack in local markets, they came up with a plan to turn their harvest into a base for a dark, frothy Guinness-like beer. Despite their ingenuity and hard work ethic, the women were missing a key ingredient for success: access to capital needed for equipment and to distribute their first batch.

The plight of this baru cooperative is common for women entrepreneurs around the world, whether it’s a simple one-woman operation or a hot tech startup with growth potential, women-owned firms are plagued by funding challenges.

Companies with only female founders raised just 2.2% of all venture funding in the first eight months of 2021, according to an analysis by Crunchbase; this is lower than any of the five previous calendar years. Historically, women entrepreneurs are less likely to get approved for bank loans and are often subject to higher interest rates and smaller loan amounts. In developing economies, women-owned businesses make up 23% of micro, small and medium-size businesses but account for 32% of the overall financing gap.

Women entrepreneurs also do not always have banking services or digital tools, which can help grow an informal cash-based business into one with a larger financial footprint. While the proliferation of mobile money in sub-Saharan Africa has boosted financial inclusion for women, the gender gap in account ownership in developing economies overall has fallen but stands at 6%, according to the World Bank, and 740 million women — equivalent to 13% of the world’s adults — still do not have a bank or mobile money account.

Nevertheless, there’s a significant upside to supporting women-led businesses.

On a larger scale, attaining economic parity for women could add $12 trillion to the world economy, according to the World Economic Forum. If women were able to participate in entrepreneurship at the same rate as men, global gross domestic product would rise by an additional 3% to 6%, equivalent to $2.5 trillion to $5 trillion in value, according to one estimate.

Up to $5 trillion

Amount the global gross domestic product could rise if women were able to participate in entrepreneurship at the same rate as men.

Lenders would also do well by investing in women. One study found that even though female-led startups receive less than half the funding that male-founded ones do, they generate 10% more cumulative revenue. This benefits the wider community as well, creating financial security and an asset base for entire family groups and local economies.

Mastercard is working to connect women entrepreneurs to the tools they need. We recently announced the fulfillment of our pledge to connect 25 million women entrepreneurs worldwide to the solutions they need to grow their businesses, two years ahead of schedule. To meet that ambitious goal, we focused on digital acceptance of payments, access to credit and mentorship, as well as networking and other forms of expertise.

In Latin America, Mastercard co-created a new value proposition to digitize small retailers so they are able to accept electronic payments and pay suppliers digitally. For instance, we are partnering with some of the largest consumer packaged goods brands by arming their network of small mom-and-pop distributors with the ability to accept digital payments. That allows these entrepreneurs to get paid almost in real time, giving them funds with which to purchase more stock, while at the same time equipping these brands with insight into which distributors might need additional capital in order to grow.

Meanwhile, for the women harvesting baru nuts in Brazil, help for their traditional business came in a very 21st-century form. Moeda, a social investing platform and veteran of our Start Path startup engagement program, uses blockchain to link worthy entrepreneurs with investors looking for both profit and social good, and it extended a microloan that allowed the cooperative to purchase equipment and turn their harvest into Baru Beer. That beer sold out in a matter of months, netting perhaps five times what the women could have earned by selling the nuts alone. And as those newly converted Baru Beer fans will agree, unlocking the potential of these fierce entrepreneurs will benefit everyone.

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