Colombia

Aspen Colombia approached Mandela Day with the perfect spirit. Their goal was to inspire and motivate employees to participate in the initiative not only with caring gestures such as financial contributions, but also through active participation and to invest personal time to support a local disadvantaged family.

Organización TECHO, founded in 1997 with a presence in Latin America and the Caribbean, was selected for the project. They strive to overcome the poverty of thousands of people who live in slums. This they achieve through joint activities with volunteers who build primary, emergency housing in a bid to realize creation of a fair and free society.

Single working mother Luz Adriana Rios (29) and her daughter Jennifer Rios (10) were elected as the beneficiaries of a new home.

Aspen employees rallied around the campaign and collected much needed donations and hosted numerous events to raise funds for the new home. Raffles were a popular activity with spa evenings, IPads, hotel visits, sports activities and delicious traditional Colombian food being welcome draw cards for participation.

Due to the political regulations of Organización TECHO, no more than 15 people were permitted to build the house per day. Construction took place over a weekend and started with preparing the ground, laying the foundation and completing the structure on the second day. The full team participated in this heartwarming activity, which included painting the home and installing the windows and door.

Celebrations began in earnest when Luz Adriana and Jennifer cut the ribbon to their new home. They had previously only dreamed of this, but the big-hearted team from Aspen Colombia had made their dream come true. What a blessing!