15 years of Esade Alumni Social
Esade Alumni Social also works to generate a productive economy in developing countries. This academic year, four new projects were launched in Peru, Bolivia and Paraguay, with the active participation of eight Esade alumni.
These international consultancies are known as the Together project, since they are managed in coordination with the Esade University Development Service (SUD) – further proof that together we can all participate in actively building a fairer society and a more sustainable world.
Since 2012, CCAIJO has been supporting more than 500 families in the rural communities of Ocongate, in the region of Cuzco (Peru), in milk production and entrepreneurship in the development of dairy products. This collaboration is focused on:
APPROCAP was founded in 2003 in the department of Piura, in northern Peru, with the aim of strengthening cocoa production processes. Over the last five years, CIPCA has supported APPROCAP in improving its agricultural and ecological practices, enabling the association to increase dry cocoa bean output per hectare threefold. The aims of this consultancy are as follows:
SRL is a company based in Mizque, Cochabamba (Bolivia). It receives budget support from Oxfam Intermón and helps more than 200 small peanut-producing families to increase their sales and stabilise their income. The main problem has to do with cash flow, due to production times and dependence on coyotes (middlemen). Therefore, the consulting work is focused on:
The programme was launched in 2014 to promote the development of small and medium-sized enterprises in developing countries. The focus of the programme is on rural enterprises that are in the early stages of development and have the potential to make a large impact in the fight against poverty among small rural farmers. The collaboration is focused on:
It offers alumni a chance to participate in consultancy projects in Latin American countries. The objective is always to help small local businesses, usually cooperatives, to turn a profit for the benefit of local residents and communities. The work formula involves interaction between senior alumni and current students. The alumni go first, carrying out a three-week consultancy visit on site. They return having identified actions that SUD students will subsequently implement over the course of their two-month internships.
During their stay, the students are tutored remotely by alumni via Skype on a regular basis. As an inclusive project, the model involves long-lasting collaborative relationships and involvement over time, with the aim of contributing to the sustainability of the enterprises. Volunteers are usually involved in monitoring the project for more than three years. This system allows the evolution of each project and the implementation of the recommendations for achieving the goals to be monitored. The participating alumni are professionals with a background in business ownership, startups, family businesses or entrepreneurial ventures.
They always have experience in developing countries and are people with a sense of social responsibility, sensitivity, empathy and commitment. These consultancy projects are particularly complicated when it comes to defining the assignments. That is why, in the volunteer selection process, priority is given to people who are professionally resolute, versatile, multidisciplinary, action-oriented, flexible and adaptable.
On 21st April, a large gathering of alumni from the Peru Chapter was held in Lima. The alumni community in Latin America met on the occasion of the 1st Esade Alumni Forum in Latin America, the central theme of which was innovation as a strategy in a global environment. After several panel discussions and before the networking dinner, the event highlighted Esade’s Together project. Two alumni working in Peru – at CCAIJO, a cooperative of local dairy farmers – were presented an award for their social contribution.
Alumni Alessio Cusín and Teresa Portero receiving an award for their contributions to the CCAIJO cooperative in Peru.
