EFDN Member of the month – April 2024

EFDN Member of the month – April 2024

We are back with a new EFDN Member of the Month announcement! This April, we are delighted to announce Paris Saint-Germain Foundation as our Member of the Month, accompanied by an interview with their Patnership and Communication Coordinator Samia Zitouni.

This initiative aims to showcase the outstanding efforts of our member clubs, leagues or FA’s honouring their dedication to using football for positive change in tmorheir communities. Each month, we select a deserving member organisation based on its leadership, innovation, and impact on social responsibility. The chosen member gains exclusive visibility across our network and beyond, allowing their inspiring work to be recognised and celebrated.

To celebrate Paris Saint-Germain Foundation’s nomination, Samia Zitouni accepted our invitation for an interview, enabling us to discover the remarkable experiences as well as her personal stories and initiatives that led to the club being selected as the EFDN Member of the Month.

A short introduction to Samia Zitouni

Samia Zitouni, 30 years old, is the Partnerships and Communications Coordinator of Paris Saint-Germain Foundation.

What makes you smile in your role?

Highlighting the work of my colleagues by winning trophies or funds to support our projects is what I love most about my job and what makes me smile is, without a doubt, the good atmosphere in our team.

What inspired you to work in the CSR/ESG field and what made you interested in making a difference in the football industry specifically?

I’ve always had a social side and wanted to help out in my own way, but it was fate that led me to work at the Paris Saint Germain Foundation and I feel very comfortable there.

What core values guide your foundation’s work, and how do you ensure your initiatives have a lasting impact?

The desire to help build the future at the heart of our values is what guide us. PSG for Communities promotes the Club’s values in society, and with them those of sport: surpassing oneself, solidarity, a taste for effort, mutual aid, respect and generosity.

Education also plays a central role: young people in difficulty are at the heart of our projects. Innovative programs that draw on educational virtues and values to open up new prospects for their beneficiaries.

Another core value is empowerment, because the best way to support the young people who need it most to face up to difficulties is to help them gain self-confidence, feel legitimate and blossom.

And lastly transmission, to make it a fundamental principle of action in our support of the young people who need it most, whether through the intervention of team athletes or the animation of educators’ programs.

What’s your favourite project?

Eleven Legends (ONZE DE LEGENDE) is my favourite project, because the theme of inclusion is one that touches me personally.

Can you share a memorable story that showcases the positive impact of your foundation’s work?

The Eleven Legends project was the subject of a documentary filmed and produced and broadcast on French television. My first viewing was in a room with the children taking part in the project, and the documentary made me cry as I realized the wonderful work my colleagues do every day.