Colombia: Fundauniban celebrates 25 years of social engagement in Uraba

Fundauniban, Turbana's social foundation, celebrates 25 years of social engagement in the Urabá community. Since its inception in 1970, Turbana has always been socially responsible; but 25 years ago Turbana was able to take these actions a step further when its social foundation was created. In the good times and the bad, for the last 25 years, the company and its growers have been donating a fixed amount of revenue to Fundauniban per every box of bananas exported.

The foundation began its social development efforts by building new houses to solve the lack of housing in the region, which surprisingly, the people (initially) rejected. Fundauniban realized that it had to establish more of a connection with the community so as to gain their trust, which they succeeded in doing by delving into the culture and interacting with the people themselves through dance, music, and sport. Involving the people of the community, Fundauniban realized, was and is key, in order to make Fundauniban's efforts successful.

"Don't give people fish, teach them how to fish, and do it in a sustainable way to ensure there will always be fish," is the corporate philosophy that Turbana adopted at the launch of Fundauniban. The results of Fundauniban's efforts are three-fold: the people of Urabá learn the necessary skills to sustain development for themselves and their families; they become a source of inspiration for others; they become wholly capable of giving back to their communities.

Since Fundauniban's launch, there have been over 5000 housing solutions benefiting more than 25,000 people of Urabá; there have been 3,128 community equipment projects that have improved the condition of sanitary services and drinking water. Many constructions and upgrades have been made in the educational and health systems, including 15 additional educational institutions, and 776 surgeries for children and teenagers who suffered from cleft lip and spit palate deformities.

These achievements are just the tip of the iceberg. Over the last 25 years, Fundauniban has invested over $230 million in hundreds of projects in social development, community infrastructure, and economic development to improve the people of Urabá's quality of life, health and happiness. The foundation's work has earned it the endorsement of NGO's and foreign governments. Their mission is ongoing. Marion Tabard, Turbana's Marketing Director commented, "Our most rewarding achievement is our workers' empowerment and positive attitude towards work; they know they are a fundamental part of an enterprise. Not only do they believe in their capabilities, they also strive to educate themselves and seek a better future for their children."

For more information:
www.turbana.com