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Roche Children’s Walk

Empowering communities. Transforming futures.

The Roche Children’s Walk is our largest employee-driven fundraising event, dedicated to empowering communities and transforming the futures of children around the world. In 2025, we are proud to present the 22nd edition of this impactful initiative, which has grown from a pilot project into Roche’s flagship employee engagement and philanthropic event.

Since its inception in 2003, over 350,000 Roche employees have raised more than CHF 25 million to support children’s projects in over 75 countries. This collective effort has provided critical funding for over 1,000 initiatives focusing on education, nutrition, primary healthcare, and social development.

The Children’s Walk 2025 official date is on 16 June 2025, and we are determined to make this a record-breaking year, with even greater participation and donations to benefit children in need.

Why we do it

At Roche, we believe every child deserves a chance to unlock their potential and achieve a brighter future. Through the legally independent charity Roche Employee Action and Charity Trust (Re&Act), we partner with trusted non-governmental organizations like UNICEF, the Roger Federer Foundation, and Child’s Dream. Together, we support local initiatives that empower communities to create lasting change for thousands of children worldwide.

Impact highlights

  • 950 orphans and young adults have been supported through care and education by Selam Children's Village.

  • More than 430,000 children have benefitted from educational programmes across Ethiopia, Malawi, Nepal and the Philippines with UNICEF.

  • 8,000 children have benefitted from new classrooms, computer labs or scholarships in Cambodia with Child’s Dream.

  • 168,000 children have been enrolled in the School Readiness Initiative by the Roger Federer Foundation.

Every donation made by Roche employees is matched by the company, doubling the impact of our collective efforts.

For more information on Re&Act,

2024 Achievements

In 2024, the Roche Children’s Walk united employees across the globe in an inspiring show of solidarity:

  • 124 sites participated across 61 countries.

  • More than 18,000 employees joined the Walk.

  • Together, we raised CHF 1.2 million, making a real difference in the lives of children and their communities.

  • our Children's Walk 2024 video, which highlights the remarkable impact achieved by Roche colleagues through their collective efforts.

Our ambassadors

Each year, a select group of Roche Children’s Walk Ambassadors experiences the life-changing impact of Re&Act-supported projects firsthand. From visiting schools built by Child’s Dream in Cambodia to seeing the Roger Federer Foundation’s and ActionAid’s programs in Ethiopia and Malawi, these ambassadors represent the heart of Roche’s commitment to creating positive change.

To date, over 120 ambassadors have witnessed the power of our collective efforts and returned to inspire their colleagues with stories of hope and transformation.

A man speaks at a podium on stage with people seated behind him. The setting is tropical with colorful banners and plants. The mood is formal.
Group of children in green uniforms and adults raise their hands, smiling outdoors in a sunny schoolyard with trees and brick buildings in the background.
Children in matching blue uniforms hold hands, forming a large circle on a schoolyard. Teachers in light blue coats supervise, creating a joyful atmosphere.

Join us in 2025

Let’s continue this journey of empowerment and transformation. The Children’s Walk 2025 is an opportunity for all of us to come together and make a difference for children around the globe. Whether you walk, fundraise, or support in other ways, your contributions matter. It’s All about impact!

Together, we can empower communities and transform futures. Let’s walk for a brighter tomorrow.

Here are some examples of fundraising done by the affiliates.

Ghana
A joyful group of adults and children in traditional attire and T-shirts celebrate Roche Children's Walk in Ghana. Educational supplies are displayed.
In 2023 - Roche Ghana targeted Samsam Presby MA Basic School in Accra's suburbs to enhance its educational resources, leading to the renovation of the kindergarten block and provision of essential learning materials. Their engagement improved the school's infrastructure but also significantly boosted the morale and learning experience of the students.
Algeria
Employees organized several activities to raise funds for a local orphanage during the Children’s Walk 2022.
Morocco
Employees reconnected in person on a volunteering day at the Anaïs Moroco foundation. They managed to do some practical activities like re-building tables, cooking and playing with children with mental disabilities.
Ivory Coast
Employees walked with children ,spent a day with the children and made donations to support the Children’s Walk initiative.
Tunisia, Tunis
Employees walked together to the supported orphanage and handed in person the collected donations
Kenya, Nairobi
Visit of the supported Pediatric Ward 3B at Kenyatta National Hospital
South Africa, Cape Town
Raising funds for local community beneficiaries Lawrence house and Zonnebloem Cottage Foster Home (part of HomeFromHome)

Our partners

Re&Act ensures responsible and effective use of the donations. Re&Act supports children’s projects in developing countries with experienced and trustworthy non-governmental organisations such as:

Child's Dream Foundation is a charitable non-profit organization founded by Daniel Siegfried and Marc Jenni in 2003. The foundation is dedicated to empowering marginalised children, youth and communities in the Mekong Sub-Region of Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia.

Founded in 1946 and mandated by the United Nations General Assembly and guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, UNICEF advocates for the protection of children's rights, helps children across the world meet basic needs and expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. Working in 190 countries and territories to translate the commitment to the wellbeing of children into practical action, UNICEF focuses special efforts on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.

Selam Children’s Village is a non-governmental, non-profit making organization which provides care and support to orphan children in Ethiopia, so that they holistically develop and become self-reliant. Selam Children’s Village provides quality education in its educational institutions, Technical and Vocational College which benefits the orphans and youths and the surrounding community.

The Roger Federer Foundation (RFF) is a charitable Foundation. It works with carefully selected local organisations in long-term partnerships. It supports the development of individual skills, searches for innovative solutions and acts in a targeted way in order to improve the children’s situation over the long term. The involvement is concentrated on a few chosen countries in Africa and in Switzerland.

Re&Act is supporting a school readiness initiative in 19 rural communities in Malawi.

ActionAid is a global federation working for a world free from poverty and injustice. Working with some of the poorest and most remote parts of Malawi, their grassroots engagements tackle the wider problems that lead to poverty. They help people to claim their rights; such as land rights, women's rights, and the right to education. Re&Act is supporting a school readiness initiative in 19 rural communities in Malawi.