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The “Together for the Community of Valencia: Let’s Help Rebuild” campaign, a commitment that is transforming lives

The Esade Alumni Community of Valencia Club has spearheaded this charitable initiative to support Valencian micro-enterprises that suffered from serious damage after last year’s flooding.
Reconstruccion Valencia

One year ago, storm Dana left a profound mark on the Community of Valencia that affected individuals, families, and businesses. To respond to this devastation, the campaign entitled “Together for the Community of Valencia: Let’s Help Rebuild” was launched as a way to allow solidarity to serve as a healing balm. 

The goal of the initiative, which is now finished, was to raise funds, knowing that official aid takes time to come. “We wanted for the funds raised to help people regain enthusiasm and faith by showing the power of collective solidarity,” said Javier Navarro (CE&MBA 85), president of the Esade Alumni Community of Valencia Club.

 

A careful, hands-on selection process 

The idea for this charitable campaign emerged at one of the monthly Esade Alumni Community of Valencia Club board meetings. “We were thinking that we as a group so close to the tragedy could not and should not just stand there,” says Navarro. With limited resources, they decided to funnel their support to micro-enterprises, which are considered one of the most vulnerable groups at risk of disappearing.

The selection of the beneficiaries was a “well-organized” process, Navarro says, thanks to the involvement of Vicent Diego (MBA Full Time 94), a board member who lives in Catarroja, one of the towns that suffered the most damage. The micro-enterprises chosen represent different activity sectors in the Valencian business community, and each received crucial support to help them recover. After the initial proposal, three different personal visits were paid to the affected companies: at the start of the campaign, during it, and after they had received the monetary infusion. 

  • Salvador Gómez – Butcher Shop: With more than forty years of history in Catarroja, this butcher shop is known for its organic beef and Salvador’s work in the countryside. The flood threatened to erase a sustainable, artisan tradition, but the support from Esade Alumni enabled crucial damage to be repaired and a source of local, organic products to remain alive. 
salvador gomez
  • Forn de Saus – Traditional bakery and pastry shop: This bakery in Catarroja, a pillar of Valencia’s culinary culture, was able to reconstruct part of its damaged infrastructures. The essential monetary assistance enabled Forn de Saus to continue to craft its bread with natural flour and keep traditional recipes alive to ensure that the nearby cafés and restaurants did not lose an essential supplier of artisan goods.
Forn de Saus
  • Nursery School - El Parotet: El Parotet’s facilities, which were severely hit by the flooding, have been a vital early childhood education site in Catarroja for over two decades. The financial support enabled them to start the repairs needed so the nursery school could once again welcome the tiniest members of the community, a huge relief for families who depend on this essential service.
guarderia infantil
  • Pedro Santaeulalia – Falla artist: The workshop of Pedro Santaeulalia, a celebrated figure in the Falla world, was severely damaged, and several of his artistic pieces were destroyed. The financial assistance was crucial so Pedro could begin to restore his workspace. For a Falla artist, the possibility of rebuilding his studio and works is synonymous with keeping a passion and a deeply rooted cultural tradition alive. 
Artista fallero

 

The funds raised were wholly and equitably allocated to these four initiatives, which enabled them to resume their activity. Javier Navarro’s main satisfaction was “appreciating ‘on the ground’ a radical change in the situation of these small business owners. From their sense of devastation after the flood, they felt relief and hope a few months later when our campaign finished.”

The message that the Esade Alumni Community of Valencia Club wants to convey with this campaign is clear: hope and a special sensitivity towards the entrepreneurial and small-business ecosystem. This initiative is palpable proof of how the alumni network can make a tangible difference when united by solidarity.

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