On a daily basis, social organizations face a constant battle to provide solutions to conflicts that are not effectively solved through public policies or are not covered in their entirety by them. One of these initiatives is carried out by the "Pequeño Cottolengo" Foundation, a non-profit NGO, whose mission is to provide children, youth, and adults with profound intellectual disabilities, and in a situation of abandonment, with the best quality of life possible. At this foundation, teams of professionals from different healthcare areas deliver their skills in conjunction with a system of sponsorship and tutoring by volunteers to patients and family members, a task that they have been performing in Chile since 1970 in their centers in Santiago, Rancagua, and Quintero.
This foundation is mainly financed through voluntary donations, as well as fundraising events, where they also make their important work known to the general public. Its main event is "Happy Park", an activity that was held this year from November 10 to 12 in the Bicentennial Park of the Vitacura district. It involved three days full of games, activities, exhibits, and top level shows, such as the musical group, Mazapán, or the comedian, Stefan Kramer, which were enjoyed by the whole family.
On this occasion, Enel joined the cause by providing 2,000 solar lamps that were put on sale during the event. This type of aid is essential for the Foundation, since it allows its message and cause to reach more people: "The State contribution covers less than 20% of the costs that are required to keep us functioning, which is why contributions from private companies are fundamental and, in the case of Enel, we are very happy because in addition to the economic contribution, they have been more deeply and consciously involved with our work, visiting us and working together, sharing with the residents, providing them with affection and company. That is exactly what we look for from private companies, a commitment beyond the economic one," commented the Foundation.
To carry out this commitment, we activated a volunteer campaign within Enel through which our employees became part of the assembly of these solar lamps. An example of this is the experience of Sandra Ogaz, an Enel employee who works in the area of Innovation, and who was one of the volunteers who joined this cause, taking the opportunity to learn a little about the solar technology with which these lamps work: "I find it very valuable to participate in volunteer activities. I am always attentive to these actions, especially those involving the family. In this case, the call to build solar lamps caught my attention, since it also meant learning something new and, although I only participated in one part of the process, I loved having collaborated, "commented Sandra.
In Enel we seek to open our energy to more people and associations, always attentive to take part in actions that generate shared value with society. A commitment that we will firmly keep over time.