“Education is a powerful instrument to transform lives and communities”This is how the Caldas Liquor Industry (ILC) conceives it, an organization that, in addition to being recognized for the production of liquors, has a social and educational commitment in Colombia.
According to Andrés Borrero, general manager, “when a company decides to put its commitment behind this ideal, it becomes a beacon of change and sustainable development.”
In this transformation mission, two programs stand out: ‘My desk’ and the ‘Expert seminar in administration and management’. These initiatives, in the words of Edwin Arias Giraldo, director of Corporate Affairs at the ILC, “exemplify how a company can positively impact its stakeholders and contribute to the growth of society.”
With ‘My desk’, developed with the collaboration of 93 families of recyclers, the ILC focuses on collecting packaging to create school furniture. Throughout 2023, they have collected 55,779 Tetrapack containers and 1,350 beverage containers, which became desks for 1,200 children in Caldas and other areas of the country.
“This program has significantly reduced the carbon footprint of the ILC, reducing 205.5 Kg/CO2. This not only highlights environmental responsibility, but also the company’s ability to turn challenges into opportunities and contribute to collective well-being,” adds Arias.
On the other hand, the ‘Expert seminar in administration and management’ – which is endorsed by recognized national universities – has become a platform to empower waiters, bartenders, administrators and managers of consumer sites. It was created five years ago and trains them in business and entrepreneurship. So far it has certified 600 and the goal, by 2023, is to exceed 1,000 certified allies.
