As part of the program, 38 employees from Techint Engineering & Construction participated at the event in General Pacheco, Buenos Aires Province, to help improve its infrastructure by painting the soccer field, the playground, and a commemorative mural.

Find out how we spent “Volunteers in Action” day in Argentina!

For Techint Engineering & Construction, values such as social commitment and community transformation are foundational pillars. This is why a group of employees, accompanied by their families and other community members, came together on Saturday, May 18, to take part in the first day of “Volunteers in Action” in Buenos Aires.

Located in the Las Tunas neighborhood, in Gral. Pacheco, the María de Guadalupe School belongs to the María de Guadalupe Educational Group Foundation, whose mission is to provide quality education to children and teenagers from low-income backgrounds. The institution, located near TEPAM (Techint E&C’s Machinery and Equipment Management facility), is attended by some 700 students from pre-school and primary through secondary levels.

The volunteers' tasks began at 9 am, and concluded in the afternoon. Different spaces on the primary school playground were painted, redrawing the lines for games such as hopscotch, Noughts & Crosses, etc. The team also painted lines marking out the soccer pitch, with the support and professional organization provided by the Machinery Park (TEPAM) staff under the supervision of Javier Andrés López, Maintenance Supervisor, and a commemorative mural, which was designed by Fernando Echaiz, Subcontracts Administration Expert, to brighten up the area by the school bike racks.

Obviously, on the following Monday morning, the students were delighted to see the results for themselves at recess and during their gym classes.

Experiences

After the volunteer day, Camila Bonnin, Tax Analyst, shared that she found the experience incredibly enriching. “I got the invitation by email and I thought it looked like a great idea, so I started asking around to get as many people as possible to join in upcoming activities,” she recounts.

Santiago Giménez, Design Architect, explained what he’d done during the initiative. “The Human Resources people asked my work area to recommend someone who could help with the training, oversight and tasks involved in this activity. So I decided to volunteer, and help to guide them a little, since many of them were painting these structures for the first time,” he said.

Integration with the families

The “Volunteers in Action” days are also an opportunity to transform the relationships between employees and strengthen ties with their families. “The best thing about this event isn’t just the activity, but the chance to get to know each other better, share a moment outside work with colleagues and be able to integrate our family members,” enthused Federico Beribey, Project Controls Specialist, who participated as a volunteer. “These events take place in all areas and countries and they’re really worth joining in. It’s a great experience and there’s a lovely afterglow!,” he added.

Agustín D'Angelo, Steel & Mining Design Engineer, also invited his parents to participate and was delighted with the experience. His mother Alejandra said she was very excited when her son invited her to the event and thanked Techint E&C for the opportunity. For her part, Gisela, who’s the daughter of Graciela Almirón, Executive Assistant, also said that she loved being able to collaborate and be part of the activity.

Looking to the future

“87 percent of the kids who finish school are studying and working, and 50 percent of them are able to go to university. This achievement is a major incentive for us to continue growing and transforming realities. That’s why today, we’re opening a new institution, the Rosario Vera Peñaloza School, in Garín, for 225 children,” added Malu Diez, who is the director of Institutional Development at the foundation.

At Techint E&C we are committed to encouraging these types of initiatives as part of our “Volunteers in Action” program, creating a positive and lasting impact on the communities where we work.

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