Every year at IVI we carry out a project called “Teaming”, Within our area of Sustainability. In it, all workers have the possibility of collaborating with one euro of their payroll for a social purpose, a donation that the company doubles to reach more beneficiaries.
On this occasion, the workers themselves have presented a total of 23 projects, choosing themselves the two winners who will share the € 8,500 raised.
Do you want to know the first of them?
We leave you an interesting interview with Iron Charo, President of ASACO, an association awarded with the involvement, solidarity and commitment of each of the people who have contributed their grain of sand to an initiative as beautiful as this one.
ASACO was born on November 18, 2011 in the absence of an association that would support Ovarian Cancer patients. As of 2016, we open the Association to all Gynecological Cancer patients: Vulva, Vagina, Cervix and Uterus-Endometrium.
- What is your mission, vision and values as an NGO?
All the work that ASACO carries out is in response to the mission of training and supporting women and patients, giving visibility to these diseases by spreading their symptoms and approach. ASACO’s vision is to provide a healthy environment for women, so that, in any health or illness situation, they enjoy their well-being on a daily basis, both individually and as a couple or family. All the activity that ASACO carries out is carried out in accordance with various values such as ethics, respect, commitment, transparency and solidarity.
- What is the most rewarding and enriching thing about your work?
The most gratifying thing is to see that, in many cases, our support provides a better quality of life to patients and to be able to offer, free of charge, psycho-oncology and physiotherapy services. Also see that, little by little, the situation of ovarian cancer has a somewhat less serious prognosis.
- How would you encourage people to join this social project, either financially or more actively in the NGO?
It is essential to have associations, they give you information, training and help you to be a participant in decision-making regarding your disease. In our country, we are not yet very associationists, however, the importance that associations are taking in terms of their participation in the design of campaigns and active members of the system, makes belonging to them more valuable.
- At IVI we have Preserva, a program that allows women diagnosed with cancer to vitrify their eggs to preserve their fertility before undergoing chemo or radiotherapy treatment that could damage their reproductive capacity. This program is within our social action, and is free for all cancer patients. What programs do you think should be implemented in our country or worldwide to promote projects like yours?
It is necessary to raise your voice and for the Administration to make decisions regarding the nomination of specialized hospitals, we know that, unfortunately, there are many cases in which, due to ignorance or lack of preparation, the necessary surgeries are performed by teams that are not prepared optimally. On the other hand, there is very little information regarding the preservation of motherhood, and yet in many cases it would be possible.
- What does it mean at the level of awareness that companies like IVI involve their professionals in choosing the social projects to which the aid is intended?
We believe that it is very important. Professionals know of a series of resources that patients do not have access to, nor do we have to. It is essential that we form a team with agile communication and in an environment of trust that, fortunately, is being won every day.
- How will the money offered by IVI employees help?
We believe that the best way to use this money offered by IVI employees, to whom we are tremendously grateful, is to support our visibility days so that all women can benefit. It is extremely important that the general population and Primary Care physicians become aware of the symptoms, the difficulty of diagnosis and the need for an optimal approach to ovarian cancer. We are convinced that knowledge of this disease is currently the best prevention.
ASACO has not been the only beneficiary of our «Teaming». Soon you will discover another association with much to tell you about its interesting social work 😉
