© Monteserín Photography

On the Colombian Borders, 2018-2021

Support to the displaced, refugee, and returnee population

Continuing the joint work between Inditex, JRS LAC, and Entreculturas, between 2018 and 2021 we carried out the fourth phase of the program in order to tackle the situation of displaced persons and refugees in Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. In this period, we accompanied and assisted 34,757 people who are victims of the armed conflict in Colombia, returnees, people in need of international protection, host communities, and migrants from Venezuela in situations of extreme vulnerability and social risk.

To respond to these challenges and the new migratory dynamics in the region, we have focused on two strategic lines: Integral Humanitarian Action, to provide an immediate response to the reestablishment of the minimum rights necessary to guarantee people’s dignity, and Education, with emphasis on education for peace, reconciliation and violence prevention. We also worked on Institutional strengthening, as well as Advocacy and Communication in a cross-cutting manner, ensuring the incorporation of the gender perspective in all our actions.

© JRS

We have accompanied more than 34.000 people through humanitarian action and education..

34,757

People

3

Countries

3

Years

€1

Million

Response to Covid-19 in South Africa

Mitigation of the COVID-19 among the most vulnerable population

The spread of the coronavirus pandemic in South Africa has hit the most vulnerable population the most; the social and economic effects on the livelihoods of these households have been devastating. The restrictions carried out by the Government were especially harsh on asylum and refugee seekers, who focus their economy on the informal sector and are excluded from government aid.

Through an integrated response, the project emerged from the emergency focused on the mitigation of the economic effects of COVID-19 among the most vulnerable population. Through the distribution of food baskets and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), the project led by the Jesuit Refugee Service attended 1,100 people (883 women and 217 men) asylum-seekers and the local population

© JRS

We have supported 1.100 asylum seekers and locals to mitigate the socioeconomic effects of Covid-19.

1,100

People

1

Countries

31,500

Euros

Canteens in Venezuela

Food safety in Fe y Alegría schools

© Mauricio López

6,700

People

1

Country

33,500

Euros

EPGO II 2017-19

Education, employment, and humanitarian aid to the world’s most vulnerable people

The second agreement of the program «Educate People, Generate Opportunities II» (EPGO II) has been developed between 2017 and 2019 in 9 countries of Latin America, in South Africa and in Lebanon. Through this intervention we have supported and assisted 165,654 people through 23 projects, which we have carried out together with different local partner organizations, among which Fe y Alegría in Latin America and the Jesuit Refugee Service in Africa and Asia stand out.

Through the EPGO II program, we have multiplied the opportunities for people living in contexts of poverty, exclusion and humanitarian emergency, keeping education in the centre and widening the geographical focus of the previous program thanks to the opening to Asia. This program has focused on the lines of Education, Employment and Humanitarian Aid.

Firstly, we have focused the Education line on the schooling of socially disadvantaged people by supporting children, young people and adolescents, and by helping centres through tools and training in educational skills. On the other hand, in the line of Employment we have developed the technical-professional training of young people at risk of exclusion to generate a future of professional opportunities. Finally, we have directed the line of humanitarian aid to people in need of international protection, combining the most essential emergency aid with activities aimed at producing structural changes in the lives of the people involved.

© Monteserín Photography

165,654

People

11

Countries

3

Years

€9’8

Million

Following the earthquakes in Mexico in September 2017, which left nearly 400 people deceased in addition to severe damages to the infrastructure, we activated two interventions to support those affected by the earthquake.

A total of 18,400 affected people have been benefited by our two emergency projects. With regards to the first one, we have carried it out together with the Jesuit Migrant Service, and it has been focused on rebuilding shelters for migrants who had been damaged by the earthquake. And, through the second one, we have supported the Loyola Foundation work on building houses for affected families.

18,400

People

1

Country

1

Year

47,734

Euros

The earthquake that struck northwestern Ecuador in April 2016 took the life of more than 600 people, left 30,000 homeless and affected around 700 schools, preventing or hindering access to education for thousands of children. 

In response to this tragedy, we supported the work of different partner organisations in favour of the population most affected by the earthquake, with the distribution of emergency aid such as food or medicines, the provision of psychosocial support and medical assistance, the construction of antiseismic housing for affected families, the reconstruction of educational infrastructures and the development of activities on resilience and risk reduction in these infrastructures.

21,411

People

1

Country

1

Year

200,000

Euros

© Peter Porta

From September 2015 to August 2018 we implemented a project together with the Jesuit Refugee Service in Latin America and the Caribbean designed to protect the rights of refugees and displaced persons from Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela.

Our work was based on three core areas: livelihoods, formal education, and the protection and guarantee of access to rights, placing special focus on children at risk of forced recruitment by conflicting groups, refugees or displaced persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities and female heads of household with minors.

22,649

People

3

Countries

3

Years

€1

Million

The 2014-2016 «Educating People, Generating Opportunities» (EPGO) program was implemented in 13 countries (9 in Latin America and 4 in Africa), making a positive impact in the lives of over 160,000 people. The program is based on two core lines of action: professional and technical training, and the training and care of vulnerable groups, and is implemented by local partners including Fe y Alegría and the Jesuit Refugee Service.

Through technical and job training provided in Latin America (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela), young people and adults living in contexts of poverty received professional training and, through the line of training for vulnerable people, we nurtured and offered future opportunities for indigenous people, people with disabilities, young people at risk of exclusion, and migrants and refugees.

In Africa (Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Africa and Uganda), we offered education in refugee camps and training and social/employment integration to urban refugees.

160,000

People

13

Countries

3

Years

€9’8

Millons

On the Colombian Borders, 2012-2015

II Program for the Local Integration of Displaced People and Refugees

From September 2012 to August 2015 we implemented a project together with the Jesuit Refugee Service in Latin America and the Caribbean designed to protect the rights of refugees and displaced persons who are victims of armed conflict in Colombia and seek long-term solutions to their situation. This initiative was a continuation of the first program, which was implemented from September 2009 to August 2012.

© Monteserín Photography

We made a positive impact in
the lives of over 160,000 people

23,850

People

4

Countries

3

Years

€1

Million

On the Colombian Borders, 2009-2012

I Program for the Local Integration of Displaced People and Refugees

From September 2009 to August 2012 we implemented a project designed to promote the local integration of refugees and displaced persons who are victims of armed conflict in Colombia.

The program implemented activities based on three core areas in Colombia, Ecuador, Panama and Venezuela: help and care for displaced persons and refugees, with a special focus on children and young people; communication and social impact, focused on creating public awareness and promoting support from public and private agencies; and institutional strengthening, aimed at achieving the program’s united, transparent, and responsible management.

18,428

People

4

Countries

3

Years

€1

Million

Earthquake in Haiti, 2010

Emergency aid and reconstruction program

On January 12, 2010, a 7.0 earthquake hit the island of Haiti, 15 km from the capital city of Port-au-Prince, resulting in upwards of300,000 deaths, a similar number of injured people, and over 3,700,000 victims. Approximately 1.5 million people lost their homes and other material goods. The country sank deeper into poverty and corruption.

In a measure of support for these victims, Inditex signed a collaboration agreement with Entreculturas that made it possible to begin providing aid to victims and reconstructing homes in Haiti. The project, focused on short- and long-term support for vulnerable groups, was implemented in the northern and eastern areas of the country.

During the first two months after the earthquake, we distributed staple food items and hygiene materials to victims. The project also included a program to equip four schools in the Gressier, Petit Goâve, and Carrefour municipalities. We were also able to expand the number of students covered and provide technical education for employment through the construction of ten classrooms at the Bedoux y Carice school, and the refurbishment and furnishing of ten technical training workshops.

3,491

People

1

Country

1

Year

€1

Million

A Million Opportunities

A summary of our first 15 years of working together

In 2016 we gather the main milestones and results of the combined work between Inditex and Entreculturas showing them in A Million Opportunities. In these almost 20 years of collaboration, more than 1.2 millions of people participated in the different educational programs and projects that we carried out in 26 countries in Latin America and Africa, and in Spain.

Our collaboration began in 2001, with the signing of a framework agreement based on “trust and complete transparency between the two institutions on the strategies, procedures and activities implemented by each of the parties”. From then on, Inditex partners with Entreculturas to promote its corporate social responsibility on both the Social Council and in the adoption of specific international development agreements.

1,200,000

People

27

Countries

19

Years

€51.5

Million

© Mauricio López