Recently, Federer celebrated his foundation's 20th anniversary by sharing a video thanking the foundation's supporters and partners for their contributions to his philanthropic work.
Federer is widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, with 20 Grand Slam titles and 310 weeks of world No. 1 rankings, but he is also an advocate for social causes, especially education. The Roger Federer Foundation, which aims to improve access to quality education for children in Southern Africa and Switzerland, has benefited more than 2.5 million beneficiaries since its inception in 2003.
The Swiss founded his own foundation in 2003 with the help of his parents, when he was just 22 years old. The foundation's vision is to help underprivileged children reach their potential and shape their futures. In a video message, the 20-time Grand Slam winner reflects on the Foundation's journey and achievements over the past two decades.
"The Roger Federer Foundation turns 20 this year. This is a milestone. I still remember signing the founding documents with my parents on Christmas Eve 2003. At the age of 22, I never imagined how exciting and fulfilling this journey would be. He said.
The foundation started small and started a small project in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, providing scholarships to a number of children. Slowly, they expanded to more countries, adding programs and reaching thousands of children. The Foundation currently supports early education projects in six countries in Southern Africa (Lesotho, Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe) and Switzerland.
Federer said the best anniversary gift he could think of was to see the results of the foundation's work. "To date, we have provided better access to pre-primary education for more than 2.5 million children in seven countries. For me, it was the best anniversary gift I could imagine. I couldn't be prouder of what each beneficiary has accomplished. The Swiss added.
Earlier this year, Jenny Handel, CEO of the Roger Federer Foundation, shared her experience working with the Swiss tennis icon. She revealed that Federer is not only empathetic, but also open to other people's advice.
Handel oversees the Foundation's global programs and manages important projects that require high attention. Despite the heavy responsibilities she has on her shoulders, working with a friendly and supportive boss like the Swiss can help her cope with stress well. Jeanne Handel told the Swiss publication FUW: "I don't want to insult the previous boss, but Federer is the best boss I've ever had. Because he's an empathetic boss, otherwise I would have been gone a long time ago. ”
In addition, she said that the 20-time Grand Slam champion does not give a sense of distance. He remains open to different perspectives and is willing to learn from others Xi. "Roger is open to advice and eager to learn Xi. Handel praised Federer. (Source: Tennis Home Author: Spark)