Aquassistance Organization

Purchase of equipment

 

Can we buy equipment from Aquassistance?

 

No. The equipment we make is for our emergency actions

 

Membership

Who can join Aquassistance?

Can join : employees or retired employees of the companies of GDF SUEZ Group or legal entities belonging to the Group (subsidiaries themselves).

People outside the GDF SUEZ Group who want to lend their support can become "Friends" of the association, paying an annual fee of € 20. Friends are kept informed of the life of the association, are invited to the General Assembly, but have no vote. For missions, priority is given to employees / retirees of the Group.

 

The association has how many members?

In September 2008 there were 740 members who had paid their annual subscriptions.

 

Volunteering

Are you looking for volunteers?

The missions are conducted on a voluntary basis by members themselves, or retired employees of GDF SUEZ. We are not seeking volunteers from outside the Group.

 

For those seeking a cause in which to invest, here are some sites that might be useful (in French):

 

http://www.france-benevolat.org

http://www.passerellesetcompetences.org

Linking with associations and volunteers in various areas (management, accounting, communication, etc.).

 

http://www.agirabcd.org  - Association Générale des Intervenants Retraités (actions of cooperation and development)

 

Budget

What is the annual budget of the association?

It is of the order of a million euros, not including volunteer time spent abroad, which is approximately 1300 days

 

Areas of Expertise

In what areas are the projects executed?

They are exclusively related to water, environment and waste.

 

Donations

How to donate to Aquassistance?

 

By sending a cheque payable to Aquassistance at: Aquassistance - 11 place Edouard VII - 75009 Paris, France. You will then be given a receipt that you can attach to your tax return (French Income Tax Regulations).

 

Employment

Looking to hire employees?

Not at present. All positions are already filled.

 

What is the number of Aquassistance employees?

4 permanent people at the headquarters of the association and 3 at the humanitarian store.

 

Members sent on missions

How are they chosen?

They are selected, in order of priority: members of the local section who organized the project, other members or members of the central animation team, “friends” of the association, in particular cases other personnel of the Group.

They are chosen for their ability to act effectively in the project (technical skills, foreign languages, etc..), their involvement in the project, their availability.

To volunteer just check the box on the membership form of the association.

 

Loan of equipment

Do you loan your equipment for humanitarian action?

In principle not. The materials are intended to be used in humanitarian missions. In exceptional cases they may be loaned to partner organizations or members.

 

Projects

Does Aquassistance fund projects submitted to it?

Aquassistance does not have a vocation of donor. Rather, it is an association of professionals, which makes the skills of its members available to disadvantaged populations. It may sometimes accept part of the financial responsibility of the projects it carries out.

 

How to submit a project?

Send the file by mail to the association.

 

What criteria must a project meet to be accepted by the Board of Directors?

 

Mandatory conditions

- concerns water, environment or waste

- corresponds to a humanitarian need

- involves the people concerned

- involves members of the association

- follows on from a preliminary survey in the field (except of course for the preliminary survey itself)

 

Other criteria to be taken into account

- Feasibility

- Security conditions

- The precariousness of the situation of the populations concerned

- Adaptation to local cultures and resources

- Consistency with a request, expectations, effective local motivation

- The degree of involvement of the local people in the action

- The value of the service rendered relative to the cost of the mission

- the probable sustainability of the expected outcome

- The degree of professionalism needed

- Consistency with any third-party programmes

- The lack of interference with GDF SUEZ Group companies

 

Trainees

Do you receive trainees ?

We welcome 1 to 2 trainees per year. The courses take place at the humanitarian store in Nanterre - Mont Valérien. Trainees do not go on missions, except in exceptional cases.

 

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