Help for the Andes Foundation
Facilitating public private partnership to accomplish community goals
07 Aug 2011 - In a joined effort with government institutions and the Chilean Community in Melbourne, Australia, the Help for the Andes Foundation directed its efforts during these past months towards building a multi-site fishing port, comprising the fishermen and their unions in the coastal area of San Antonio.
The donation aims to contribute to the economic and social development of the fishermen and their community of San Antonio in the Fifth Region of the country.
The inauguration of this project was held on the 5th of July, with the Minister of Foreign Affairs/Ministro (S) de Relaciones Exteriores Fernando Schmidt, the Senator Francisco Chahuán and the Ambassador José Luis Balmaceda, Directorate General of Environment and Maritime Affairs/Director de la Dirección del Medio Ambiente y Asuntos Marítimos.
The donation consisted in the delivery of a trailer to transport boats, a cold chamber capable of producing over 600 kilograms of ice daily, the rehabilitation of a crane, and the construction of storages and headquarters for the fishermen. The first floor of the headquarters includes a warehouse for fishermen to work in, while the second floor also includes an area for the development of trade union activities.
Above all, this initiative will provide aid in the development of fisheries, for the benefit of the fishermen and their families.
Ximena Sepúlveda, president of the Syndicate of” Encarnadoras de San Pedro” thanked all those who helped make this possible: “We are very happy and proud to have something like this here, something that actually improves our working space and allows us to work better and more efficiently”.