In our responsibility with the communities, we develop social investment; we encourage the volunteer work and the some alliances to facilitate productive, social, educative and cultural opportunities that contribute to the construction of the peace and development processes according to the needs of the beneficiary population.

We develop programs oriented to achieve these purposes, mostly in Bogotá and Barrancabermeja. In Bogota, we are working with the San Egidio Foundation to improve the life conditions of the homeless people, and we contribute to the children’s integral formation processes in “La Paz” school. Furthermore, we share values and activities with the following foundations which we are also part of: “Empresarios por la Educacion”, “Ideas por la Paz” and “Unidad de Conocimiento”.

In Barrancabermeja we facilitate productive community projects at different scales and sectors; we also develop social and cultural initiatives with infant and young people that contribute to the peace processes in Colombia through the provision of resources and diverse types of technical advisory.

Since 1997, we are part of the interinstitutional alliance in the integral development project- “Ciudadela Educativa”- whose pedagogical component is intended for 4.200 students. We are advising and we have financed together with “Fundesmag” and the “Corporación de Desarrollo y Paz del Magdalena Medio” the strengthening of the Potter cooperative from Barrancabermeja “Cooperativa de Alfareros de Barrancabermeja –Cootrasalba-” and we have also recently done this with the store owners association “Asociacion de tenderos (Asotedesco)”.

Moreover, we work with the community development Association “Merquemos Juntos” and the foster mothers association from the 7th Commune “ASMAC 7” as well as with the representative handicrafts initiative from Barrancabermeja “ArtEstepa”. The cultural and social work of the children from the symphony orchestra from Magdalena Medio and of the Young people of the theater group that are part of the “Centro Cultural Horizonte Ciudadela Educativa” that we have been supporting, consolidate the conviction of making stronger the long trajectory in the social business responsibility.

Author: Adriana Rugeles. January 2012