As a transport engineering and consultancy with more than 50 years of history, more than 3,000 highly qualified professionals and a multidisciplinary scope of action spanning five continents, Ineco carries out thousands of engineering, consultancy and building projects every year for all modes of transport.

A few of these stand out: the charitable projects developed by the participants of the IngenioSOS programme and financed entirely by the company. In 2020, in its second edition, it has three new proposals led by as many NGOs, all of them with the Fundación Lealtad seal of transparency. A total of 12 volunteers, professionals in engineering, architecture and computer science, together with one member of the management staff per project, work with a clear objective: to improve the living conditions of different groups of people in communities in Kenya, Ethiopia and Guatemala, with a special focus on children. These projects will directly improve quality of life for more than 23,000 people, and indirectly improve the lives of almost 200,000 people.

The Meki maternal and child health clinic, in Ethiopia.

A detailed look at the 2020 projects

The design and implementation of an online coordination and monitoring system for work with clubs and schools against female genital mutilation (FGM) in Kenya, led by the Kirira Foundation. Established in 2007, this Foundation is dedicated to cooperation for development, the defence of human rights, the promotion of volunteering and the care of people at risk of social exclusion, especially in countries where female genital mutilation is practised.

The project on which Ineco is collaborating is being carried out in the Kirira Foundation’s intervention areas in Kenya: Tharaka, Tangulbei and Abakuria. It consists of the design and development of a mobile management and monitoring application, suitable for tablets and computers, to be used by the anti-FGM clubs of the 86 participating schools and the local partner. Ineco also finances the purchase of mobile devices and advises the NGO on how to provide internet connection to schools.

The project for energy supply for the Meki maternal and child health clinic in Ethiopia, which is run by the Pablo Horstmann Foundation, created in 2007, has already concluded. In Ethiopia, the foundation runs a maternal and child health clinic, a children’s home, a kindergarten and a scholarship programme for orphans. The project in which Ineco is involved has been developed in Meki, a rural town south of Addis Ababa, where the maternal and child health clinic is located, providing care for 18,271 children and 1,166 women. The clinic was opened in 2012 and was upgraded in 2019 with a new maternity and neonatal care unit.

The aim of the project has been to guarantee the electricity supply, which is essential for incubators, monitors, laboratory equipment, cold storage of medicines and vaccines, through the use of a generator. Ineco has prepared a study to improve the energy efficiency of the centre and will provide advice and supervision of the entire process of implementing improvements. The company has also financed the purchase, installation and commissioning of the appropriate generator and the shed that houses it, and has made an additional donation for the acquisition and installation of photovoltaic panels.

The third project of the IngenioSOS 2020 is Clean water and sanitation conditions for indigenous children in the Las Rosas community. El Quiché, Guatemala, led by the Educo Foundation. Since 1994, this NGO has been involved in cooperation for development and humanitarian action for children, especially in the field of education. It is active in Spain and in 12 countries in Africa, America and Asia.

Guatemala is one of the most underdeveloped countries in Central America. The project consists of rehabilitating and improving the sanitary infrastructure of the school in the village of Las Rosas, with a population of just over 1,000. The school, with 160 students, does not have adequate hygiene facilities (washbasins, toilets, wells, etc.), which leads to the spreading of diseases, forcing children to miss classes on a regular basis.

Ineco’s collaboration consists of the design and financing of the project, as well as the drafting of the terms and conditions of the tender for the works and the technical specifications, the hydraulic design of the greywater treatment system and the review of the budget and proposals for materials and equipment. The Educo Foundation, meanwhile, will select the contracting company and provide basic hygiene materials and training sessions for the children aimed at reducing common communicable diseases.

The highly qualified nature of Ineco’s workforce, the company’s main asset, has enabled it, in its social action initiatives, to focus on activities in which it can best contribute by providing greater added value and which are also aligned with the organisation’s strategy, based on the ongoing improvement of the capabilities of its employees. For a number of years now, Ineco has had a professional corporate volunteer programme in collaboration with various NGOs belonging to the Fundación Lealtad, in which employees put their training and technical knowledge at the disposal of charitable projects in developing countries.

The three projects selected in 2019 will be 100% funded by Ineco and will benefit from the supervision and management of the company’s technical teams. They are scheduled for the first half of 2020 and will improve the living conditions of more 22,000 people.

1 India. Construction of a community centre in Rascola/Kudusuru. The project, led by Itwillbe, promotes the creation of a safe place where educational activities for children and training for adults can be carried out to develop the potential of the community. In its first 5 years, the centre will have a positive impact on the lives of more than 300 children and teenagers from several neighbouring villages, reducing division between castes and deterring young people from becoming involved in crime by occupying them with more beneficial activities. Education levels will increase, reducing illiteracy rates and paving the way to secondary education. It will be a safe learning space for boys and girls to develop their talents and skills.

2 South Sudan. Refurbishment of a maternity and paediatric ward at Bor Hospital. This is a project led by Doctors of the World, whose team in Bor has identified different needs in the patient, maternity and paediatric wards. Its goals are to improve the essential hygiene conditions of the facilities that are being supported in Bor State Hospital; prevent and control infections; and provide quality medical care to the population. Hygiene conditions (including water, sanitation and waste management), electricity and ventilation are essential for one of the major hospitals of the region. The work will be carried out in parallel with the training of workers in the hospital to ensure proper upkeep of equipment and facilities.

3 Haiti. Improved access to water and sanitation in the Moulin community health centre in Gros-Morne, Artibonite. Led by Cesal, the aim is to contribute to the improvement of the service by renovating the drinking water system, installations and toilets. The need has been identified by Cesal, which has 11 years of experience in Haiti developing several projects related to health and nutrition. This rural health center serves more than 6,000 people in the area.

The action is part of a larger multi-sector programme funded by the EU which aims to respond to the problem of food and nutrition security by supporting, outfitting and refurbishing six health centres as key elements in the prevention of maternal and child malnutrition and the improvement of comprehensive treatment, with special attention given to support of pregnant women and nursing mothers.

Ineco Day

Hospitalised children, young sufferers of congenital heart disease, refugees and the elderly were the social groups selected by Ineco’s employees to receive the funds raised during a charity concert and market held in June. 

Recognised for their compliance with the 9 Principles of Transparency and Good Practice of the Fundación Lealtad, with which Ineco has had a cooperation agreement for the last decade, four national and international non-profit organisations have received 3,000 euros each to carry out micro projects. Menudos Corazones, Pequeño Deseo, Entreculturas and Grandes Amigos were the four microprojects selected through a vote among the company’s employees. The common thread of the four proposals is that they are aimed at some of society’s most vulnerable groups: sick children and teenagers, elderly people living alone but not by choice and refugees.

In the first edition of Ineco Day, held in June 2019, money was raised for the four charitable microprojects which combined will benefit more than 900 people. In the image, the charity market. / PHOTO_ELVIRA VILA

The Agenda has 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) and 169 targets that range from the elimination of poverty to combating climate change, education, women’s equality, environmental protection and the design of cities. Each goal has specific targets that have to be achieved in the coming years and, to do so, all of the agents –governments, the private sector, civil society and citizens– have to play their part.

These goals are unique in that they urge all countries, whether rich, poor or middle-income, to adopt measures to promote prosperity while protecting the planet. They recognise that initiatives to end poverty must go hand in hand with strategies that promote economic growth and address a range of social needs, including education, health, social protection and employment opportunities, while combating climate change and promoting environmental protection.

Although the SDGs are not legally binding, many governments have adopted them as their own and established national frameworks to achieve them.

On 18 June 2018, the Spanish Government created the post of high commissioner for the 2030 Agenda reporting directly to the prime minister and holding the rank of undersecretary, who will be responsible for coordinating initiatives to ensure fulfilment of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda.

Also in 2018, the Cabinet approved the 2030 Agenda Implementation Action Plan: Towards a Spanish Strategy for Sustainable Development, which involved the participation of all ministries, regional governments, local bodies and civil society organisations.

Ineco, as part of its corporate social responsibility activities, has joined this initiative, reinforcing its commitment to the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda by incorporating them into the company’s general strategy. The company has also undertaken to spread awareness of the Agenda through external and internal campaigns to ensure that its more than 3,000 employees and stakeholders are aware of it and can work towards fulfilling these goals.