Rosalynn Salinas
rsalinas@republica.net
Social Responsibility milestone made possible after volunteering
of company staff and community workers
Miami—December 8, 2009—Bupa’s Latin America and Caribbean operation—a division of Bupa, a leading international healthcare company—announced today the official opening of a health and education center for a deprived community in Ecuador. The Bupa Community Development Center, built from the ground up by 120 Bupa employees, alongside community workers over the past three months, is the company’s largest staff volunteering challenge ever.
The Center, located in the remote Ecuadorian village of Miraflores, where previously a doctor only visited six times a year, will help transform the lives of families in the poverty-stricken region. In the span of three months, 120 Bupa volunteers from across the globe worked daily to move several tons of rubble to clear an area for the center, lay bricks, build a roof and paint the center inside and out. The center is now equipped to provide essential healthcare services and to offer childcare facilities and opportunities for education and development, with classrooms and an information technology suite on site.
Bupa has wholly funded the development of the health center in Miraflores. Additionally, the 120 volunteers raised more than $196,000.00, which will go toward delivering long-term healthcare programs in the region. Although the international volunteers are now returning to their respective countries, the project’s sustainability is guaranteed by support from Bupa’s Latin American business.
“With Bupa’s help, the people of Miraflores have gained medical and dental facilities, school classrooms and housing for teachers.” said David Maltby, managing director of Bupa Latin America and the Caribbean. “We’re proud to be involved in this project, which we’re certain will make a real difference to the people of Miraflores.”
While in Ecuador, the Bupa volunteers worked alongside the Martha Estrella Foundation, a registered charity based in Ecuador, which helps disadvantaged communities find lasting solutions to improve social and economic conditions. Each volunteer spent a week undertaking tasks ranging from helping with the construction of the center and teaching English, to delivering healthcare programs to the local community. In order to offset the carbon emission from the project, more than 500 trees have been planted in the Andes.
“Our work in Miraflores is a perfect example of what can be achieved with a strong partnership between a global health company like Bupa and a charity like ours,” said Gastón Sandoval, director at Martha Estrella Foundation. “By providing the villagers with the right opportunities, the children of Miraflores can be part of a new generation of brilliant doctors and engineers.”
Truly an international project, the Ecuador Challenge brought together Bupa employees from Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Denmark, Thailand, the USA, Latin America and the UK and is a part of Bupa’s long-term commitment to support the communities in which it operates.
“The Ecuador Challenge is the biggest community volunteering project we have ever undertaken, and it’s very touching to see the emotional bonds between the volunteers and the community,” said Pippa Vowles, head of corporate responsibility at Bupa Group. “We’re certain this project has had a positive impact on all those involved.”
“We thank Bupa for changing the pain we have felt for so long, into a beautiful song,” said Miraflores Community President Jorge Gualotuña.
