Hombro a Hombro

59 members 

Since the establishment of Soluciones Empresariales contra la Pobreza (SEP) (“Business Solutions against Poverty” in English), within the National Society of Industries in 2011, the network has been implementing a new method of tackling Peru's challenges and has demonstrated that public and private sectors can be more efficient if they work together as a team.

In 2021, the organization changed its name to Hombro a Hombro (“Shoulder to Shoulder” in English), capturing the philosophy of the movement - a team working side-by-side with all Peruvians so no one feels isolated in their most trying times.

Hombro a Hombro has three action areas: rapid disaster assistance, disaster preparedness, and public administration support.

The network works alongside the Government to leverage the know-how and management capacity of private enterprises in order to ensure reach to those who are in desperate need of assistance.

Sponsored by more than 57 companies and supported by various other enterprises, Hombro a Hombro is able to rapidly respond when a disaster strikes, channelling donations from companies of all sizes and from different sectors to meet the needs of the most vulnerable populations.

The network is also supporting different groups in need all over the country through partnerships with various entities, such as the INDECI (National Institute of Civil Defense), MIDIS (Ministry of Development and Social Inclusion), MIMP (Ministry of Women and Vulnerable Populations), MINDEF (Ministry of Defense), Beneficencia de Lima, Fundación Lima, UNHCR, IOM, CARITAS, several local governments, etc.

Since 2019, Hombro a Hombro has sounded the alarm for Peruvians to be more prepared in disaster management, offering interactive workshops to spread its knowledge to local communities. For example, the network designed the in-person Family Emergency Plan workshop in collaboration with the INDECI. An critical component of the Family Emergency Plan workshop is the creation of a network of volunteers who embrace the philosophy and act as “ambassadors” in passing on their knowledge to others.

Hombro a Hombro has also placed particular emphasis on supporting the Government by transferring the knowledge of private enterprises to public administration. For example, the network participated in several social projects such as the Quipu Commissions, VRAEM Technical Roundtables, and the Social Progress Index Development. The private sector's presence has allowed for the sharing of knowledge and resources to the public administration, increasing efficiency.

Jaime Chavez, Chief of Operations for Hombro a Hombro, the CBi Member Network in Peru, shares why Peru is so vulnerable to natural hazards and how the organization works with the Government to coordinate business engagement in humanitarian response.Show less

To learn more about the network, please go to the Hombro a Hombro website.