Page 9 - Book about Friendship and Future.Stories of Volunteers.

Oleg Pisklov

Managing Director of KFC Russia & CIS, CEE

Yum! company has been developing KFC brand in Russia for
about 10 years already. When operations only started in 2010, we
already knew that our business would be socially responsible,
and we started pondering how to help the society.
I had an interesting conversation with one of my old university
friends then. We were discussing what was more important: to
do something good by oneself or try creating something big,
systemic and long-term. We were studying many examples: what
was happening in Russia and around the world, who was helping
whom and how, how charity was being developed. Then I had an
insight: there are so many problems in the society, that we need
to make not a one-time action, but something substantial, and to
fully invest into that.
We decided that we should start with helping teenagers. In
that case, the impact would be serious and the changes would
be long-term. After all, the society is born with the young ones
and it grows and develops together with them. Besides, this top-
ic is familiar to us because the company is comprised mostly of
young people. Thus, the idea of a charity fund was born – a fund
that will provide aid to teenagers from orphanages.
The idea turned out to be a challenge: we had no partners,
no infrastructure, no money to invest into that. But we have man-
aged to implement it. And I am very proud that now there is
a charity fund dealing with the teenagers’ career guidance, fund
raising, engaging volunteers to participate in the programs. I see
a big difference with what we used to have: the number of kids
whom we have helped, the number of corporate volunteers, the
amount of funds that we have raised. I enjoy participating in the
activities and communicating with teenagers whenever I can.
Everyone in our company is aware of the fund and everyone is
ready to help.
I express my gratitude to all the company volunteers! I respect
all those who find time to do something good. I wish our compa-
ny would get more and more volunteers, and to those who have
started, I tell: “Please continue!”