On 20 July, EXTRAVAGANZA! organized a novel CSR initiative as part of a training programme for international executives of the multinational Amadeus.
The event was a resounding success thanks to the willing collaboration of the NGO Agua de Coco. The aim of the first part of the event was to explore different ways of contributing to society, especially in the case of children, from a socially and environmentally responsible perspective.
The event, which took place in a meeting room at the Gran Hotel Ayre Colon, started with a presentation, followed by the first and biggest surprise via Skype. Live from Madagascar, the girls of the Gospel Choir appeared on screen, followed by the foundation’s president Jose Luis Guirao, after having had to sort out several last-minute hitches, such as a short power cut in Tulear (Madagascar), a town located in the south of the island with which the connection was made and were the NGO is running several projects.
During the videoconference, Guirao presented Agua de Coco’s mission, history and projects in a very illustrative way with his "Granada English." The executives of Amadeus had the chance to ask specific questions and they showed an interest in getting to know the projects in detail and the possibilities of alternative collaboration. The videoconference was very interactive since there was an English-Malgache mini dictionary available to the participants, and several of girls talked about their "dreams for the future." Lastly, they gave everyone a taste of their amazing talent by singing several traditional songs from the Malagasy Gospel repertory. This created a very special atmosphere and, although the videoconference lasted for over an hour, it seemed very short.
The English-Malgache mini dictionary
After the first part of the event and, with everyone bursting with commitment, the participants were divided into three teams. The teams were then asked to create a video-sketch related to Amadeus’ vision of its global social commitment. To this end, they were provided with a number of themed items, purchased directly from the NGO’s fair trade shop: Malgache handicrafts, instruments, fabrics, typical headwear, utensils made by Madagascans. Each group used a number of items (script books, posters, etc.) to help them write a script, under the guidance of one of EXTRAVAGANZA! specialized actors.
The teams were given a maximum of one hour to carry out the task, including rehearsals, before using a professional film set located in the meeting room to video their sketch. The three resulting visions perfectly reflected the spirit of commitment created beforehand during the videoconference. The videos were then quickly edited and screened during the course’s closing ceremony, which was held at the facilities of IESE in Madrid.
At the end of the event, EXTRAVAGANZA! staff gave each participant a passage football, made by a group of Madagascan women using plastic bags collected in the streets, courtesy of Agua de Coco.
At EXTRAVAGANZA!, we would like to offer special thanks to Estíbaliz Guillen (event and voluntary work manager) and Laura Hernando, both voluntary workers at the Agua de Coco Foundation, as well as to Jose Luis Guirao for doing "such good to so many" and, of course, to the children of Malagasy Gospel.
EXTRAVAGANZA! collaborates with the NGO Agua de Coco to organize a CSR Initiative for Amadeus
