More than 40 CooperantesCaixa dedicates its holidays to collaborate remotely in international development projects
If international cooperation doesn't close for the holidays, even less so for COVID-19. On the contrary, the 44 CooperantesCaixa know that now is when it is most important, and given the impossibility of travelling to their former countries of destination, they are going to develop their projects remotely.
In its fourteenth year of development, CooperantesCaixa, the international volunteer programme of "la Caixa" Foundation, has had to reinvent its form of cooperation. Due to the situation caused by the COVID-19 crisis and the restrictions on mobility and security, volunteering will be done online for the first time, without going to the field.
The participants in this programme contribute their knowledge, skills and experience in the field in which they are specialists to develop cooperation projects in which the "la Caixa" Foundation collaborates with local NGOs.
A total of 509 volunteers have participated since the beginning of the programme in 2007, providing assistance to 60 NGOs in 23 countries in Latin America, Asia and Africa. In 2019, 3 CooperantesCaixa from BIS (Banco Português de Investimento) joined the missions to the workers of the Caixa Group for the first time.
The cooperants will work remotely with NGOs physically located in India, Peru and Mozambique within the framework of the "la Caixa" Foundation's Work 4 Progress job creation programme, as well as on projects with the Aga Khan Foundation and the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal).
To contribute to the experiential component, the development workers themselves are recreating in an imaginary way the journey they would have made, which can be followed through social networks. In addition, a "Guide for the CooperantCaixa" is being prepared, through the Work4Progress Virtual l@b platform, a digital environment where it will be possible to follow the evolution of the projects with specific indicators.
The intervention period of the virtual volunteers will be variable and flexible, always seeking to generate the greatest possible impact on local projects. The work between the team of cooperators and with the professionals of the local NGOs will be closer than ever, with the aim of being more supported during the social intervention.
Off-site volunteering represents a challenge, but also an opportunity, which has highlighted some of the benefits of making distance cooperation possible:
- Flexibility: It allows the incorporation of development workers who until now could not travel to the field, or who could not be absent from their place of origin for so long due to professional or personal reasons.
- Agility: The virtual format allows for rapid intervention in humanitarian emergency situations immediately, without the complexity of preparing a trip to the field.
- Accessibility: More NGOs from more countries can benefit from the virtual programme in territories hitherto beyond the scope of the programme.
- Sustainability: The prioritization of remote work when travel is not essential is more environmentally friendly and also allows the participation of many more employees with the same budget.
The program facilitates the participation of active, pre-retired and retired workers in local development projects in countries around the world. They are all "la Caixa" volunteers who collaborate in altruistic local activities throughout the year.
The cooperators have been chosen after a selection process in which the profile, experience and expectations of each candidate have been taken into account. In addition, the selected workers have received training and awareness raising, and have learned about international cooperation, the political, economic and social context of the destination country, the motivations and objectives of the project, and the specific work they will be doing.
This type of international volunteering, aligned with the Objectives of Sustainable Development (ODS), is a pioneer in corporate social responsibility. Its vocation is transformative for all its participants: the local NGO, the community and also the development workers, who live the experience of a solidary and productive vacation whose objective is to improve the living conditions of vulnerable populations in developing countries.