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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. The event takes place every year, giving Roche colleagues all over the world an opportunity to come together and participate in creative fundraising activities to raise money for children in need.

Since its inception in 2003, over 370,000 Roche employees have raised more than CHF 27.5 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 2026 official date is on 16 June 2026, and we are determined to increase our impact for children in need even further.

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 organisations 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

  • More than 450,000 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.

  • 190,000 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.

2025 Achievements

In 2025, the Roche Children’s Walk united employees across the globe in an inspiring show of solidarity:

  • 123 sites participated across 61 countries.

  • Nearly 22,000 employees joined the Walk.

  • Together, we raised CHF 2.7 million, which was a record-breaking amount that will allow to make a real difference in the lives of children and their communities

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, 185 individual 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 2026

Let’s continue this journey of empowerment and transformation. The Children’s Walk 2026 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.

Algeria
A diverse group of people outdoors holds a colorful banner while smiling and waving. They're on a stone path, with tall trees and a building in the background. The atmosphere is joyful and celebratory.
In 2025 - Roche Algeria supported Association Kafil El Yatim to strengthen comprehensive care for orphans and their families. The initiative enabled orphan sponsorship, access to education and healthcare, essential social support, and economic empowerment for widows—contributing to lasting stability and improved well-being.
Ivory Coast
A diverse group of people, including adults and children, walks on a pathway. They appear joyful and relaxed, holding balloons under a cloudy sky.
In 2025, Roche supported Centre Don Orione de Bonoua, a non-profit healthcare facility, by contributing to the construction of a courtyard and the purchase of essential equipment, including a gas stove and a refrigerator—helping improve daily operations and the care environment for patients and staff.
Kenya, Nairobi
A group of smiling individuals wearing matching "Roche Children's Walk 2025" t-shirts pose with a frame, showing unity and joy in a sunny outdoor setting.
In 2025, Roche Kenya supported Dream Children’s Home by providing essential food, toiletries, and stationery—helping ensure a safe, supportive, and dignified daily environment for the children in its care.
South Africa, Cape Town
A large group of people stands on a sandy beach holding a colorful banner. The ocean waves and cloudy sky form the backdrop, creating a serene atmosphere.
In 2025, Roche supported CHOC, a non-profit organisation advocating for the health and well-being of children and teenagers diagnosed with cancer or life-threatening blood disorders, helping strengthen support for affected children and their families.
Nigeria
A group of diverse people stand smiling in front of Wesley School for the Hearing Impaired. They're wearing blue and orange outfits, suggesting unity and support.
In 2025, Roche supported Wesley School for the Hearing Impaired in Lagos and School Without Walls in Abuja by renovating school infrastructure and providing essential equipment, including roof repairs, tiling of nursery classrooms, desktops and laptops, and a photocopier—helping create safer, more inclusive, and better-equipped learning environments for children with special needs.
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.
Lebanon
A diverse group of people in matching white shirts poses happily under a large, ancient cedar tree in a rocky, wooded area, conveying unity and adventure.
In 2023 - The hike and fundraising event was organized to support a local NGO in Lebanon that facilitates access to education for underprivileged students by covering all their educational expenses. This initiative successfully brought people together for a noble cause, emphasizing community involvement and aid for children's education.

Our partners

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

The building
Child’s Dream

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.

For more information, please visit the Child’s Dream website.

UNICEF

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.

For more information, please visit UNICEF's website.

[Logo] Unicef
[Logo] Selam Children's Village
Selam Children’s Village

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. For more information, please visit the Selam Children’s Village website.

Roger Federer Foundation

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. For more information, please visit the Roger Federer Foundation website.

Logo RF foundation