[vf_video code=»MtFKpPMcqTY» title=»BNP Paribas Volunteers Head to Peru to Support La Comunidad de Ninos Sagrada Familia»]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtFKpPMcqTY[/vf_video]

In May 2019, five BNP Paribas employees had the unique opportunity to bring their professional skills to support an orphanage in Peru. The inaugural BNP Paribas Fellowship Program was a unique initiative for employees to share their skills and expertise with underserved communities through a meaningful gift of their time. These five BNP Paribas employees volunteered to support La Comunidad de Ninos Sagrada Familia, one of the largest youth centers in Peru, hosting a school, an orphanage and a daycare clinic. They helped improve the daily lives of the 1,500 children.

Some meaningful initiatives included:

• On the accounting front, the team identified all expenses and revenues and create a tool to capture all transactions. Staff were trained on this tool and weekly follow-ups were scheduled to continue the set-up.

• In terms of infrastructure, the priority was to find a solution to have running water. The team brought in a contractor and a plumbing engineer to assess solutions for the water situation. Important improvements were also made in the kitchen area, where two industrial refrigerators were repaired that are now up and running like new, and a new roof over the main pantry was installed.

• On the marketing side, their website was completely redesigned. A Facebook page and a video to present the structure were also created.

Additionally, BNP Paribas employees who could not participate in-person held fundraising events, including an employee concert, yoga classes and a trivia night. Over USD 60,000 was raised and provided to the youth center!