CORAL GABLES, Florida – Last April, Turbana and its social foundation, Fundauniban, worked alongside many great partners to provide 52 free surgeries for disadvantaged individuals suffering from cleft lip and split palate in Uraba, Colombia. The weeklong initiative was called “New Smiles for Uraba.”
In June, Turbana and Fundauniban took their efforts to support individuals affected with split lip and cleft palate even further, participating in GlobalGiving’s “2014 Global Open Challenge.” The charity fundraising site unites social entrepreneurs and non-profits around the world with donors looking to support causes. Turbana and Fundauniban joined the challenge by launching, “Give a New Smile to 20 Children in Uraba,” with the goal of reaching a total of $28,000 in donations. The initiative is set to provide enough funds to sponsor the entire treatment process for 20 children, ages one to five, who suffer from cleft palate in Colombia. When the full goal is met, the sponsorship for each child will be all encompassing, providing funding for everything from the surgery and anesthesia to speech therapy and emotional counseling for the children and their families.
During the challenge, the first phase was to meet GlobalGiving’s criteria of having a minimum of 40 donors contribute $5,000 within the first 30 days. If Turbana and Fundauniban could meet this goal, the Give a New Smile to 20 Children in Uraba initiative would be invited to stay on the site and Fundauniban would have a permanent place on the website to advocate for programs that Turbana and Fundauniban are passionate about.
Turbana and Fundauniban are excited to announce that the 30 day challenge was not only met, but was also exceeded with an impressive $7,807 donations from 57 different donors! Many of which, came from the produce industry.
Juan Alarcon, CEO of Turbana comments, “We are thrilled to have met the 30 day challenge. The community, and especially the produce community, has really rallied around the initiative and we could not be more thankful. However, there is still a great deal to be done if we are to meet our goal of $28,000.”
Turbana and Fundauniban not only work to provide immediate relief for the children, but the company and its social foundation strive to create opportunities for a brighter future among individuals that are suffering from the life-altering physical and emotional stressors related to split lip and cleft palate. Difficulty eating, social stigmatization, hearing loss and speech impediments contribute to living a disadvantaged life and families can rarely afford the several surgeries needed to rectify cleft palate, so a majority of the children go untreated. The surgeries and rehabilitation therapy provide the children with a chance for a new life, a life free of social alienation and physical deformity. The children that participate in the program have a chance for a brighter future, filled with hope and opportunity.
"Thank you for giving me my life back and helping me grow as a normal person!" States 14-year-old Erica Higuita, who benefited from the surgery.
Interested donors can visit the “Give a New Smile to 20 Children in Uraba,” webpage on the GlobalGiving website (http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/give-a-new-smile-to-20-children-in-uraba-colombia/) to contribute. The great part is that with one click donors are able to see exactly how their contributions will be spent. For instance, a $25 donation will cover a pre-surgery visit to the dentist and the surgeon’s fees for one child. Donation amounts go all the way up to $1,400, which will support the entire surgery and full rehabilitation for one child.
“We invite the produce industry to reflect on how we are all connected. Ultimately, we are part of a global community, and like all the farms in the US and Latin America, the farms in Uraba are a vital part of the produce we consume. In our experience, healthy communities make for better produce,” comments Marion Tabard, Marketing Director for Turbana.
The company’s initiatives with children suffering from cleft lip and split palate fall within a much greater collection of programs that Turbana has initiated to help inspire growth, change, and positivity in the community. For more than 44 years, Turbana has been passionate about getting involved in the communities within the banana and plantain growing regions and continuously strives to improve the quality of life for the farmers and their communities.
About Turbana
Established in 1970, Turbana Corporation is a leading importer of tropical produce in North America, including bananas, plantains, pineapples, and ethnic tropicals. Turbana is proud to have been the first organization to bring Fair Trade Certified bananas to North America.
A pioneer in sustainability and social consciousness, Turbana has developed the farming communities in the banana and plantain-growing regions over the past 44 years through its social foundation, Fundauniban. Turbana gives a portion of every purchase to Fundauniban, contributing to the $250 Million the foundation has invested in social and economic projects for education, housing, infrastructure, and environmental protection since 1987. Additionally, Turbana invests in its communities across the US, helping them build sustainable and healthy practices. Turbana is owned by Uniban, the world’s largest grower-owned banana company and the world’s largest producer of Fair Trade Certified bananas and plantains, and Fyffes, one of the largest produce importers and distributors in Europe.
Source: Turbana
