Nuria Montolio and Beatriz Loreto Aranda, employees of CaixaBank, have made a stay of over two weeks in Cambodia through the Corporate Volunteer Programme of the banking entity.
The volunteers had the opportunity to visit the project Strengthening Farmers and Community Based Organization (CBOs) for rural development in Ratanakiri Province of Cambodia, implemented by Fundación ETEA and Ockenden Cambodia with funding from “laCaixa” Foundation. During their stay, the volunteers supported the technical team of the project to improve management processes and collaborated by training beneficiaries from several rural communities in developing business plans.
“It has been a unique life experience to know and deal with different groups of people, who have given me a lot and taught me more than I was able to convey to them… their culture, respect for other people and environment, their responsiveness to anything you could explain them…” says Nuria Montolio. “I would like to continue collaborating with such vital projects and contributing to the improvement of the situation and rights of this people” adds the volunteer. In relation to the project and the volunteer programme, “I think this experience shows how people can work together to help others.”
The Corporate Volunteer Programme offers employees, people who took early retirement and retired employees of CaixaBank, along with their families and friends, the possibility of working with the various Volunteer Associations of “la Caixa”. Among the activities carried out by the programme, CooperantsCaixa provides volunteer work for international cooperation, in business and financial issues, involving in projects for supporting local NGOs.