A partner of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) since 2012, Renault Trucks uses a mobile training unit to provide local WFP teams in Africa with training on truck maintenance and fleet and workshop management.
“The idea of establishing a partnership with Renault Trucks occurred to us in 2011. At that time, we had more than 800 trucks to manage in 20 different countries and we were looking for a partner that could provide “turn-key” training and was familiar with Africa and the extreme terrain conditions there,” explains Jean François Milhaud, co-founder of the Renault Trucks – WFP partnership, and currently United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot (UNHRD) Hub Manager in Ghana, where one of six global WFP-managed emergency response hubs is located.
Renault Trucks has been operating in Africa for a number of years and its robust vehicles are particularly well suited to the difficult terrains and climates. After the success of the first mechanics-training project under the partnership in 2012 and growing demand from WFP for additional training, Renault Trucks extended its commitment to 2017. This means that fleet and workshop management trainings are now being provided to 120 WFP employees on the ground.
“We’re talking specifically about Renault Trucks staff who work on site, as volunteers, to provide training to mechanics, fleet managers and workshop managers,” adds Bruno Blin, President of Renault Trucks.
Through this partnership and by transferring its technical expertise, Renault Trucks is helping to ensure the mobility of the WFP trucks and its ability to complete its mission: to fight hunger every day and deliver food assistance to those who need it, often in the most remote locations.
“The expertise offered by our private partners is vital as it enables us to provide assistance to a larger number of beneficiaries. This is why we are very proud that we can rely on Renault Trucks as one of our flagship partners in the transport sector,” remarks Marina Catena, Director of WFP in France and Monaco.
