Q: IDB strengthens the innovation ecosystem and technological development in Paraguay

The IDB gave a new boost to Paraguay’s productive development after approving financing of 10 million dollars aimed at enhancing business innovation and the training of technological talent in the country. The initiative is channeled through the Business Innovation Program II, which will be implemented by the National Council of Science and Technology and aims to strengthen the competitiveness of companies and entrepreneurs in strategic sectors of the Paraguayan economy. The program aims to support technological development projects, promote the incorporation of specialists in innovation management within companies, and consolidate technology service centers, in addition to providing resources so that startups and young companies can validate solutions, prototypes, and business models. Complementarily, it will promote the training of more than 600 private sector professionals in key areas such as innovation, technology transfer, intellectual property, and green innovation, along with strengthening the capacities of about 500 public officials to improve policies supporting the innovation ecosystem. This new operation aligns with the national priorities of productivity, economic diversification, and sustainable development, as well as with the IDB Group’s strategy with Paraguay for the 2025-2029 period. The financing includes long-term conditions aimed at ensuring the sustained impact of the investment and consolidating a more dynamic environment for innovation and technological talent in the country.

Question 1

Santo Domingo Foundation promotes an alliance that bets on bilingualism as the key to employment in Colombia

Accepted Answer

Santo Domingo Foundation presented NOVA, a strategic alliance that seeks to strengthen employment and competitiveness in Colombia by integrating bilingualism with the development of technical skills aligned with the real needs of the labor market. The initiative, developed together with GitLab Foundation, arises as a response to the gap between talent training and business demand, in a context where many companies face difficulties filling vacancies while high levels of unemployment persist, especially among young people and the migrant population.
NOVA combines English training, technical skills certification, and support until insertion into formal employment, with a results-oriented approach that seeks to expand opportunities for access to quality jobs and improve participants&#8217; income. The alliance is backed by international organizations such as the International Organization for Migration, Open Society Foundations, and Pathways International, which provide experience and global vision to maximize the program&#8217;s impact.
The first project of this initiative, called When You Know English, It Shows, is being carried out in Barranquilla and its metropolitan area, where young people receive training and support to facilitate their connection with job opportunities both nationally and internationally. With this approach, the Santo Domingo Foundation reaffirms its commitment to productive inclusion and to promoting innovative models that position bilingualism as a driver of social mobility, employment, and competitiveness for the country.

Question 2

FEDER and ChefsForChildren turn the kitchen into an experience of joy and inclusion for children with rare diseases

Accepted Answer

FEDER was the protagonist of a day full of learning and smiles in which the kitchen was transformed into a space of fun, inclusion, and healthy habits for children with rare diseases, thanks to an initiative developed together with the charitable project ChefsForChildren at the Emilio Moro Wineries. Under the motto Eating healthy is fun, the workshops allowed the children to discover that a balanced diet can also be creative and entertaining.
During the activity, renowned Michelin-starred chefs accompanied the children in preparing simple and healthy recipes, such as vegetable mini-pizzas and fruit skewers, in an environment marked by play, cooperation, and excitement. After sharing a snack, the participants put on aprons and chef hats to cook as a team, reinforcing values such as solidarity, inclusion, and teamwork.
The initiative, which involves the altruistic participation of more than 60 chefs in its eighth edition, aims to promote inclusive leisure and prevent situations of isolation among children with rare diseases. FEDER highlighted the importance of creating spaces where minors can learn, have fun, and share experiences, while Bodegas Emilio Moro reaffirmed its commitment to projects that unite gastronomy, social commitment, and emotional well-being.

Question 3

We congratulate Terpel Panama for celebrating the Fourth Awards Gala of its DESIGN THE CHANGE Program

Accepted Answer

Terpel Panama reaffirmed its commitment to sustainability and education by highlighting the impact of the Diseña el Cambio program, an initiative that promotes leadership, creativity, and social innovation in girls and boys throughout the country. During the most recent awards gala, projects developed by students who identified real problems in their communities and proposed creative solutions with social impact were recognized, demonstrating that change begins in the classrooms.
Through this program, Terpel Panamá promotes a methodology based on empathy, imagination, and action, which allows students to become agents of transformation in areas such as inclusion, environment, technology, and well-being. The initiative has managed to strengthen socio-emotional competencies and leadership skills in hundreds of students and teachers, contributing to closing educational gaps and building more sustainable and innovative communities.
With Design the Change, Terpel Panama consolidates its vision of contributing to the country&#8217;s development through quality education and the training of new generations committed to a more equitable and sustainable future. The company thus reaffirms its role as an ally of national progress, betting on children&#8217;s and youth talent as the foundation for a Panama with greater opportunities and well-being for all.

Question 4

Caritas Arequipa restores hope to families affected by the rains in Arequipa

Accepted Answer

Cáritas Arequipa remains active in assisting families affected by the heavy rains and the overflowing streams that impacted various districts of the city in Peru, reaffirming its commitment to support the most vulnerable communities in this time of emergency. Several weeks after the events, the organization continues to channel the solidarity of faithful members, companies, and institutions to provide assistance to those who lost essential belongings and are facing a critical situation.
Humanitarian aid includes the distribution of family baskets with non-perishable food, hygiene kits, bottled water, and solidarity lunches in areas such as Yura, Cerro Colorado, Alto Selva Alegre, Alto Cayma, and Yanahuara, in coordination with parishes and volunteers who work directly in the territory. Likewise, support is reinforced for community kitchens, shelters, and parish dining rooms, including the Santa Teresa de Calcuta dining room, which has increased its daily servings to attend to the elderly and families in vulnerable situations.
Caritas Arequipa reminded that the emergency still continues and that many families continue to need support, so it keeps the call open to receive donations of food, clothing, medicines, and hygiene products, as well as financial contributions and volunteers. Every act of solidarity, the institution points out, becomes hope and relief for those seeking to rebuild their lives after the effects of the rains.

Question 5

Help in Action alerts about a serious educational crisis that threatens the future of thousands of teenagers in Central America

Accepted Answer

Ayuda en Acción warned about the deep deterioration of access to and retention in education faced by thousands of adolescents in Central America, following the presentation in the Congress of Deputies of the report “Denied Education, Truncated Futures: Adolescents on the Move in the Face of the Educational Emergency in Central America,” prepared within the framework of the Global Campaign for Education that the organization promotes together with other social entities. The document reveals that only one in two adolescents manages to complete secondary education in countries such as El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, a situation worsened by violence, extreme poverty, forced migration, and internal displacement.
The report states that the region&#8217;s educational systems are not prepared to respond to the reality of human mobility, which results in interrupted school trajectories, early dropout, and higher levels of exclusion. Among the main obstacles identified are administrative barriers to enrollment, the lack of psychosocial support for young people fleeing violent contexts, the impact of climate disasters on the continuity of classes, and a severe underfunding of education in emergency contexts, which barely receives a fraction of international humanitarian aid.
Ayuda en Acción also emphasizes that this educational crisis has a strong gender component, as adolescent girls, especially indigenous ones and those in situations of mobility, face additional risks such as sexual violence, early pregnancies, and the overload of caregiving tasks, factors that push them out of the educational system. In this scenario, the organization calls for inclusive public policies, greater investment, and a coordinated response that guarantees the right to education as a key element to protect youth and prevent an entire generation from seeing their future truncated in the Central American region.

Question 6

IDB strengthens the innovation ecosystem and technological development in Paraguay

Accepted Answer

The IDB gave a new boost to Paraguay&#8217;s productive development after approving financing of 10 million dollars aimed at enhancing business innovation and the training of technological talent in the country. The initiative is channeled through the Business Innovation Program II, which will be implemented by the National Council of Science and Technology and aims to strengthen the competitiveness of companies and entrepreneurs in strategic sectors of the Paraguayan economy.
The program aims to support technological development projects, promote the incorporation of specialists in innovation management within companies, and consolidate technology service centers, in addition to providing resources so that startups and young companies can validate solutions, prototypes, and business models. Complementarily, it will promote the training of more than 600 private sector professionals in key areas such as innovation, technology transfer, intellectual property, and green innovation, along with strengthening the capacities of about 500 public officials to improve policies supporting the innovation ecosystem.
This new operation aligns with the national priorities of productivity, economic diversification, and sustainable development, as well as with the IDB Group&#8217;s strategy with Paraguay for the 2025-2029 period. The financing includes long-term conditions aimed at ensuring the sustained impact of the investment and consolidating a more dynamic environment for innovation and technological talent in the country.

Question 7

Carlos Slim Foundation promotes the use of digital tools to strengthen businesses

Accepted Answer

Carlos Slim Foundation launched a new educational initiative aimed at supporting entrepreneurs and small business owners in the use of digital tools that allow them to strengthen and grow their businesses in increasingly competitive environments. Through the Telmex Digital Library platform, developed in partnership with Telmex, the foundation promotes access to digital education content focused on improving the technological and productive capabilities of the population.
The proposal includes a training videoconference in which participants can learn about different online tools designed to support the management, organization, and optimal development of a business, as well as perform practical exercises that facilitate their application in real situations. The content is openly available and is complemented with audiovisual materials hosted on the YouTube channel BibliotecaDigitalTelmex, thus expanding the reach of the training through the use of streaming.
With this initiative, the Carlos Slim Foundation reaffirms its commitment to promoting the comprehensive training of people of all ages in Mexico and Latin America, encouraging the development of digital skills that contribute to generating greater opportunities for economic growth, labor market inclusion, and improvement in quality of life, especially among the most vulnerable sectors of the region.

Question 8

Unidos en Red participated in the regional social agenda at the International Economic Forum Latin America and the Caribbean 2026

Accepted Answer

Unidos en Red participated in the International Economic Forum Latin America and the Caribbean 2026, held in Panama City, one of the most influential meetings for the analysis of the region&#8217;s economic and social development. The event brought together more than 6,500 leaders from 70 countries, including heads of state, representatives of multilateral organizations, businesspeople, academics, and social organizations, becoming an essential meeting point to understand the challenges and opportunities that Latin America faces in the current global context.
In this edition, Unidos en Red was present representing our co-founder, Mireya Blavia, who contributed with the vision and experience of the social sector in a scenario marked by debates on regional integration, sustainability, technological innovation, and intersectoral cooperation. Her presence in the high-level sessions allowed her to provide the perspective of organizations that work directly with communities, highlighting the importance of promoting collaborative solutions with sustainable impact.
During the forum, there were exchanges on social innovation, strategic alliances, and the strengthening of cooperation networks, essential elements for advancing initiatives that improve the quality of life in the region. The participation of Unidos en Red reinforced the need for social organizations to be actively involved in decision-making spaces, especially at a time when Latin America seeks to consolidate new models of inclusive and resilient development.
The CEO of CAF, Sergio Díaz-Granados, emphasized in his speech that the main goal of the forum is to turn ideas into tangible results that benefit people, a vision that fully aligns with the work promoted by Unidos en Red throughout Ibero-America. His words reaffirmed the importance of strengthening the coordination between governments, companies, multilateral organizations, and social organizations to build sustainable and scalable solutions.
This high-impact meeting highlighted that the future of the region will increasingly depend on intersectoral collaboration. From Unidos en Red, we reiterate our commitment to building partnerships that allow us to expand social impact, promote innovation, and strengthen the community fabric. The 2026 International Economic Forum marked another step towards a more cohesive, inclusive Latin America and the Caribbean, prepared to face global challenges, and our organization will continue to contribute actively on this path.

Question 9

CDI Chile drives the growth of ventures with social impact through a new edition of the Te Impulsa Fund

Accepted Answer

CDI Chile announced the winners of the Te Impulsa Fund, an initiative aimed at graduates of the Transfórmate Básico and Transfórmate Advance programs, with the goal of strengthening projects that contribute to local development and generate social impact in various regions of the country. This fund is part of the organization&#8217;s comprehensive support model, which combines digital training, capacity building, and post-graduation support to consolidate sustainable enterprises with territorial roots.
In this edition, initiatives from Arica and Parinacota, the Metropolitan Region, Valparaíso, Maule, Biobío, and O’Higgins were selected, covering sectors such as the creative economy, local manufacturing, conscious food, artisanal trades, emotional wellbeing, technical services, and proposals with an inclusive approach. The projects stand out for their commitment to sustainable practices, working with local suppliers, traceability in their processes, and people-centered production models, as well as incorporating elements of social impact such as labor inclusion, creative recycling, or strengthening regional economies.
With the Te Impulsa Fund, CDI Chile seeks to facilitate the formalization, growth, and positioning of these ventures, recognizing the effort of those who drive businesses from their territories and contribute with creativity, innovation, and community commitment. The organization congratulates the selected individuals and reaffirms its mission to promote a more human, conscious, and sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem throughout the country.

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