Activity in South America and Mexico
In 2011 the policy defined in the Community Investment Plan for Latin America was maintained, with an allocation of 1.1% of the attributable profit for 2011 for each of the Latin American countries.
BBVA’s commitment to education was once more evident through the partnership signed in 2010 with the Organization of Iberoamerican States (OIS) and their “Educational Goals for 2021: The education we want for the Bicentennial Generation”. The aim is to achieve an education over the next ten years that provides a satisfactory response to urgent social demands: a higher rate of schooling and for a longer time, with recognized quality education that is fair and inclusive and in which the majority of the institutions and sectors of society take part. This investment in education in Latin America will benefit more than 8 million people through BBVA initiatives.
“Niños adelante” (Forward, children)
In 2011 we allocated €13.3 million to the “Niños Adelante” integration scholarship program, under which 61,436 scholarships were awarded to primary and high school children in Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Panama, Paraguay, Uruguay and Puerto Rico, benefiting more than 380,000 people in total.
Since 2011 we have involved third parties related to BBVA Group stakeholders in the “Niños Adelante” scholarship program. Our customers donated €3.4 million during the year, and 1,326 employees participated in volunteer work. The total amount given to the program was €16.7 million.
Ruta Quetzal BBVA
BBVA has run and sponsored the Ruta Queztal training program since 1993, which promotes a values education that encourages effort and mutual respect, promotes equal opportunity and helps overcome inequality. The program has been declared of cultural interest by UNESCO and has helped 8,000 young people of 16 and 17 years of age to broaden their knowledge and develop a spirit of international cooperation.
The 2011 Ruta Quetzal BBVA traveled to Peru, following in the footsteps of Baltasar Jaime Martínez Compañón, and continued the journey through Spain.
Work in Spain
BBVA Plan Integra
BBVA has set up the Plan Integra as part of its commitment to disabled people. This plan is aimed at promoting the social and work integration of disabled people and reinforcing the concepts of equal opportunity and non-discrimination.
The plan arises from the BBVA Integra Prize in recognition of bodies that work each day to achieve employment and therefore social inclusion for people with disabilities, particularly when they use innovative and effective methods to do so.
In 2011 the third BBVA Integra Prize in Spain was organized in conjunction with FEACEM, FUNDACIÓN ONCE, FEAPS, CERMI and COCEMFE. In 2011 the prize, worth €200,000, was awarded to Lantegi Batuak, which provides work for more than 2,200 disabled people at 20 centers in the Bizkaia province. Six projects were awarded a total of €300,000 in prize money.
BBVA and Fundosa (the business division of Fundación ONCE) signed a financial agreement through which the Bank gives the organization €10 million to support the development of Special Employment Centers and promote the hiring of people with disabilities.
Teacher Action Prize
Since 2005 BBVA has sponsored the Teacher Action Prize, together with Fundación de Ayuda contra la Drogadicción and UNESCO as part of the Homage to Teachers project, in order to inform society about significant experience and educational projects that promote and develop teachers in educational centers around the country. Since the Prize was launched, over 1,400 educational projects have been submitted by teachers and educational centers from all over Spain. In 2011 the following projects earned awards: «Buenos tratos, buenos ratos, en nuestro cole» (Good treatment means good times at our school) from the CEIP Miguel Iscar school in Valladolid and «Mira a tu alrededor» (Look around you)” submitted by the IES José Luis Tejada Peluffo high school in El Puerto de Santa María, Cadiz.