Winners of the Vidanta Foundation Awards, 2019 edition.

Winners 2019

Meeting of the Jury.

The Jury of the Vidanta Foundation Award, integrated by Carmelo Angulo, Rolando Cordera, Guadalupe González, Nora Lustig and José Luis Machinea, met on September 6th in Riviera Maya to choose the five winning institutions of this year.

The work of the Jury was preceded by a rigorous pre-selection process of all the Mexican applications carried out by a Committee formed by Mrs. Catherine Pognat, Head of Relations with Civil Society of the Organization of American States (OAS) and Pedro Moreno, Cabinet Director of the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB).

See the Act

First Prize: Fundación Enlace Hispano Americano de Salud (EHAS), Spain

Fundación Hispano Americano de Salud (EHAS) is a Spanish foundation that works in rural and isolated areas of developing countries, using ICT (Information and Communication Technologies). “Healthy Pregnancy” introduces in an innovative way the public services of prenatal care in rural communities of Guatemala, contributing to the reduction of maternal and neonatal mortality and the access of women to quality health services. The key is the provision of appropriate equipment and training to perform critical tests for the detection of obstetric risks supporting the public health system without creating parallel structures. This initiative was launching in 2012 in the Guatemalan departments of Alta Verapaz and San Marcos where it has served more than 19,000 women and demonstrated a reduction in maternal and neonatal mortality of more than 35%, being recognized in 2017 by the MAPFRE Foundation with the “Prize for the Best Health Promotion Initiative”

More information: www.ehas.org

Second Prize: Instituto para las Mujeres en la Migración, A.C., Mexico

IMUMI is a Mexican NGO that promotes the rights of women in migration whether they live in the communities of origin, are in transit through Mexican territory, or reside in Mexico or the United States. Founded in 2010, IMUMI participates in networks on migration and against human trafficking and collaborates with civil society organizations, academic institutions and government agencies.

The project “international protection for migrant women victims of gender violence” is an initiative that seeks to give visibility to the participation of women in migration and thus provide answers to their particular needs; seeks to promote the creation of policies and programs that take into account the situation of women in migration in a broad sense, focusing on three main areas of work: the right to non-violence, the right to identity and the right to family unity.

More information: www.imumi.org

Third Prize: Fundación COMETAS DE ESPERANZA, Dominican Republic.

Cometas de Esperanza (Comets of Hope) Foundation is a social and educational foundation that works in the neighborhood of La Mosca in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic since 2006. Its main purpose is the eradication of the exploitation of children and adolescents who work as “buzos” (waste pickers) at the Dominican Republic`s Rafey landfill, the main municipal landfill dump in the city, integrating them into society through school education.

Through the “Girls and boys waste pickers in the Rafey landfill dump, NEVER MORE!” Project, the Foundation has educated more than 350 children. At present, Cometas de Esperanza houses 380 students studying kindergarten and primary school and its considered one of the best educational centers in the entire Dominican Republic. Recently received the Golden Award for Educational Quality, from the Government of the country.

More information: www.cometasdeesperanza.org

Fourth prizie: Asociación Civil por la Responsabilidad Social Amartya, Argentina

Amartya is an argentian NGO dedicated to promoting a culture of sustainability through education. The "Municipal Plan of Environmental Education of Mar Chiquita Project (" PLANMAR ") seeks to establish specific actions, responsibilities and goals to install a culture of Sustainability in Mar Chiquita municipality, Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Through the project, the first Sustainable Public School of Argentina was built. 6 training processes were carried out and sustainable technologies were installed in public spaces: Windmill, Biodigestor of wastewater, installation of photovoltaic panels, solar water tanks, rainwater collection system

More information: www.amartya.org

Fifth prize: Centro de Acopio para la Tarahumara (CAPTAR)

Centro de Acopio para la Tarahumara (CAPTAR) is a Mexican organization that supports community projects assisting indigenous and mestizo groups in extreme poverty and marginalization of the Sierra Tarahumara.

The “Water Crops in the Sierra Tarahumara” project provides clean water in houses of indigenous communities in the mountain area of the State of Chihuahua, through the installation of a galvanized sheet roof in each house. In return, people are trained in order to themselves are the ones who install the Collection Systems. The beneficiaries must participate in the talks about water care and its correct use; basic health care; and waste collection in the community which is exchanged for pantries.

More information: www.captar.org