Broadened view

In early 2020, the planning of the Mobilize Itaú committees already foresaw further steps in the actions that have been carried out each year. Maintaining the institutional alignment with Itaú Social’s overall goals, these groups work to spread initiatives and to stimulate the practice of volunteering around Brazil. A work that has been carried out since 2019, it has imbued volunteers with the perspective of understanding the demands of each community, including, besides social assistance, support to education and incentives to learning. In March, with the COVID-19 pandemic, the immediate priority became clear. And the volunteers became engaged in emergency actions that totaled more than 16 thousand hours donated throughout the year, mainly in campaigns for gathering food, basic grocery kits, hygiene products and personal protection equipment, sent to communities in situations of greater vulnerability.

In this year of fundamental volunteer work, a highlight was the adhesion participants to the proposal of mobilizing to prevent children and adolescents from dropping out of their studies, either by giving them pedagogical support or access to contents, through Internet or other means.

This plan of action, also adopted by partners such as UNICEF and Fundação Roberto Marinho, set the tone for the meeting held on December 10, on International Human Rights Day. On that day, committees of volunteers from Itaú Unibanco and from society got together in the livestreaming titled Global 2020 Volunteer Action –  Mobilization for the Right to Education. Representatives from Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay and Colombia, and from the offices of Lisbon and London participated. And it was clear to everyone that the kit of basic necessities, which begins with food and health, also includes the right to education.