Staff-driven social engagement at Advanzia Bank

Support for children and families in Campo Grande, Brazil

As a Luxembourgish bank with a global reach, we have a responsibility to be a good corporate citizen, and Advanzia has been supporting a great number of projects that benefit both local and global communities.

One key principle that guides all of Advanzia's corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities is our grassroots approach: it's our employees that choose and initiate the projects that we support. We also have an “Advanzia Plus" committee that is run by employees from across the company who come together to propose action and to choose where support should be directed.

A recent project that we want to highlight was initiated by our colleague Jennifer from the Marketing & Sales department, and is aimed at helping the lives of young people in Brazil.

Located in Campo Grande in Centre-West Brazil, the Family Support Centre was founded to help disadvantaged children, adolescents and their families. Initially established to help the community through the pandemic, including the distribution of vaccines and help during lockdown, the centre continues to provide food, hygiene and cleaning products, and school materials. It also offers youngsters a diverse range of social support, including help finding work.

The initiative has already made a positive difference to the lives of 65 economically and socially challenged families. “I am very happy that my son is in this project," said Campo Grande resident Dama. “This is the only way to give him a future. I alone would not have had the opportunity to help him. Thank you so much for the support our family has already received!" she said.

It is also particularly rewarding for us at Advanzia to know that the funding we offer makes a positive and immediate change to people's lives. Our colleague Jennifer has had a long-standing connection with the initiators of this project, having spent three months in Brazil, working voluntarily with various local support centres. She has maintained close contacts ever since. The Advanzia Plus committee was excited to hear about the Family Support Centre and has been providing financial support since 2021, and further long-term support is planned.

“I am very proud and thankful for being able to continue to support the children and families of Campo Grande," says Jennifer. “To see a smile on their faces and hear them talk about how we helped change their lives makes me very happy."