CONSOLIDATION OF OUR 360º MODEL

In 2012, we established a new main objective: to break the poverty cycles of adolescent mothers. To do this, we began to address the teenage pregnancy issue in a comprehensive and innovative way, through investment in physical, mental and emotional health; education in rights, values ​​and soft skills; job training; and the integration into the formal labor market of our beneficiaries. All this complemented with early childhood care, family involvement, and advocacy.

This way, we strengthened our 360 Degrees Model. Over the years, it has become an economic model that manages to turn these young women into emotionally and economically independent women, and with it, to also positively transform the reality of their children, families and communities.

 TOP 10 CNN HEROES

In 2012, Catalina was chosen, among 52,000 nominees in the world, as a CNN Hero. CNN Heroes is a television special created by CNN to honor those who make extraordinary contributions to humanitarian aid and generate a positive change in their communities.

She was the first Colombian woman to be among the top 10, and the only Spanish-speaking woman to be included in that year’s list.

FIRST WOMEN WORKING FOR THE WORLD CONFERENCE IN BOGOTÁ

In November 2013, we held the first Women Working for the World Conference in Bogotá, with the aim of putting gender and sustainable social development issues on the public agenda. The idea arose from a conversation between Catalina and Pat Mitchell, a renowned media executive and producer of the United States, in which they distinguished the need to impact from other social spheres: representatives of the public and private sectors, opinion leaders, media, academics and students, among others.

10 BEST LEADERS OF COLOMBIA AWARD

In 2013, Revista Semana, Telefónica, and the Liderazgo y Democracia Foundation awarded Catalina with the 10 Best Colombian Leaders Award.

OUTSTANDING SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR AWARD

The World Economic Forum and the Schwab Foundation named Catalina as Outstanding Social Entrepreneur of the Year.

EXPANSION OF OUR 360º MODEL IN LATIN AMERICA

In 2014, in an attempt to expand our social and economic impact to other cities of the country and Latin America, we created the Replicability Department. In 2015, we developed, together with the Voces Vitales Foundation, a pilot program in Panama City.

BEGINNING OF OPERATIONS OF THE 360º MODEL IN PANAMA

In May 2015, the Voces Vitales Foundation opened the doors of its first headquarters, called Las Claras Center, in Panama City, applying our 360 Degrees Model adapted to the local context.

LEWIS INSTITUTE COMMUNITY CHANGEMAKER AWARD

In 2015, we were awarded the Lewis Institute Community Changemaker Award by Babson College.

WORLD OF CHILDREN HUMANITARIAN AWARD

In 2015, Catalina received the Humanitarian Award from World of Children, which objective is to recognize the contributions of visionary leaders who run sustainable and high-impact programs in areas such as child safety, social services or humanitarian services.

 START OF IMPACT MEASUREMENT OF OUR 360º MODEL

In 2015, together with Universidad de los Andes and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), we began conducting a randomized controlled trial. In 2020, it will provide evidence of the social transformation that our 360 Degrees Model generates in Cartagena and aspects to enhance it.

FIRST WOMEN WORKING FOR THE WORLD CONFERENCE IN SPAIN

In October 2016, we held the first Women Working for the World Conference in Madrid, Spain. Various public collaborators, such as the Central Government, the Community of Madrid, the Madrid City Council, and the Colombian Embassy in Spain, as well as important private companies, supported our event.

Some of the speakers were Manuela Carmena, Mayor of Madrid; Dolores Moreno, General Director of Women’s Issues for the Community of Madrid; Dolores Dancausa, CEO of Bankinter; and Alberto Furmanski, Colombian ambassador to Spain.

TELVA MAGAZINE’S INTERNATIONAL AWARD

Spain’s TELVA magazine awarded us with the 2nd International Award in the 23rd edition of the TELVA SOLIDARIDAD Awards.

EY SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR RECOGNITION

Ernst & Young named Catalina as finalist of the Social Entrepreneur of the Year in the 9th edition of the EY Colombia Entrepreneur of the Year.

LEED SILVER CERTIFICATION FROM THE U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL

We received the LEED Silver certification for Operation and Maintenance of our headquarters in Cartagena from the U.S. Green Building Council.

COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS OF OUR 360º MODEL

In 2017, we moved forward in the impact measurement of our intervention model. In August, we presented the results of a cost-benefit analysis that we conducted, together with Universidad de los Andes and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), which indicated that our 360 Degrees Model is cost-effective in a 31-month horizon. That is, the social benefits it generates exceed the costs incurred for its operation and grow exponentially from the second year and a half.

BEGINNING OF OPERATIONS OF THE 360º MODEL IN CHILE

In July 2017, the Soymás Foundation opened its doors in the community of La Pintana, in Santiago de Chile, applying our 360 Degrees Model adapted to the local context.

28 young women began their training process in Culinary Arts, Customer Service or Hairdressing and Beauty.

THE JUANFE FOUNDATION BEGINS TO EXPAND WITHIN COLOMBIA

In 2018, we reached another region of Colombia: at the end of October, we opened our doors in the city of Medellín, in Antioquia.

BEGINNING OF OPERATIONS OF THE JUANFE FOUNDATION IN MEDELLÍN

The Mayor’s Office of Medellín validated our 360 Degrees Model and decided to implement it in the city, through the Secretariat of Social Inclusion, Family and Human Rights, to address the issue of adolescent pregnancy in vulnerable populations.

100 young women began their training process in our headquarters in Medellín, receiving quality psychosocial care and job training in Administrative Assistant or Marketing Assistant, according to the specific needs of the city’s labor market.

INFLUENCE ON THE PUBLIC POLICY FOR THE PREVENTION OF ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY

In June, Catalina was part of the transition team of President Iván Duque: she was part of the Department of Social Prosperity team, whose technical secretary was Juliana Pungiluppi, current General Director of the Colombian Family Welfare Institute, and delivered the public policy for the prevention of teenage pregnancy.

RECOGNITION IN MERCO’S RANKING OF RESPONSIBILITY AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

We were ranked in 2nd place in the category of “NGOs, Foundations, and Associations” more responsible and with better Corporate Governance in the ranking of Responsibility and Corporate Governance of Merco, the most recognized company in brand reputation studies in Colombia.

ICONIC COMPANIES CREATING A BETTER WORLD FOR ALL AWARD

In August 2019, we received the Iconic Companies Creating a Better World for All Award at the Women Economic Forum Latin America.

WHERE IS THE FOUNDATION HEADING?

We will continue to lead the methodological transfer of our intervention model in other cities of Colombia and Latin America, in order to increase our social and economic impact in the region. Currently, we are working to reach Yopal, Barranquilla, and Bucaramanga in Colombia.

Regarding the randomized controlled trial that we have been conducting together with Universidad de los Andes and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), we will identify opportunities for improving our 360 Degrees Model.

On the other hand, aware of the importance of continuous innovation for development and social change, and with the support of ACTEC and the Belgian Government, we will strengthen our strategic business units, such as the industrial bakery, the Women Working for the World Conference, and the opening of our educational institution to new populations. Thus, we will be even more competitive, ensuring our sustainability and technical training, employment opportunities and economic autonomy for a greater number of people.

We aspire, finally, to actively contribute to the development of the country through the influence on the design of public policies for the prevention of adolescent pregnancy and Social Impact Bonds (SIB).