Cooperative movement: Simona Mortolini, Prosud Team Leader

Progetto Sud (Prosud) is a non-governmental organization that was funded by the Italian Workers Union, who promotes development programs, awareness and training in different parts of the world, with the objective of improving the living conditions of their citizens and workers.

In 2008 this NGO signed a cooperation agreement with the Institute of Cooperation Funds in order to help the execution sector, financed by the Italian Foreign Ministry, an intensive Program with the meaning of training private enterprisers who are related to recycling solid urban waste in our country. This initiative is found in the second part of the development of the program. The Director for Prosud Argentina, the anthropologist Simona Mortolini talked about the goals that the Organization carries out.

What is the Principal goal of Prosud? 

Our main objective for the nature of our organization that was created in the heart of the trade unions sector, is to contribute to the promotion of the involvement of social sectors were they are vulnerable economically and socially, but since the recognition of labour rights for workers. This has been implemented for 25 years in different parts of the world, Asia, Africa, and Latin America . In Latin America we are working in Argentine, Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru .

How are the Projects chosen where this will be implemented?

We receive proposals from different organizations in the entire world, Prosud evaluates the country to be helped and then designs a study plan together with the involvement of local organizations to then design a project to be presented to someone who will then fund the project. We have different types of donors, the Italian Foreign Ministry, the European Union, local entities, the town council, as well as private donors. Proposals are made to the donors and they select the project they want to fund. In Argentina we got a hold of IMFC and we got to prove that the Institute was able to provide the needed conditions in order to give sustainability to the project: experience in the training sector, practice in the sustainability of corporations, an extensive social network contacts and a special concern for the care of the environment, together with other characteristics that can contribute with the feasibility of the project. For our Organization this is a fundamental factor because to undertake the project, in general, in a time frame not longer than three years, and when Prosud leaves the territory is necessary that the project goes on, therefore is a major plus to rely on the contribution of a local organization.

What is the purpose of the Project that is taking place in Argentina ?

The project that we are carrying out here is called <<Strengthening of the social and productive sector of the illegal recyclers>>. It is a social-environment project with the objective to promote the constitution of the Corporations economically active where then can make part of the diverse municipal circuits of recycling through the strengthening of their managing capacities, as well as their associations and their technical – productive sector. From the other side, we encourage the awareness of the environment in order to give a better quality of life to the people of the community by minimizing the risks in the work environment. The main objective although, is to build a network that is built of corporations and small companies, with the goal of giving a guarantee of sustainability.  All of the local actors that make part of the project and work in the field, from the Institute to the town council are the ones to be in charge of after keep the project going. The same one is carried out in Buenos Aires , especially in La Matanza and the area of santafesinas, Rosario and Gran Rosario. This year we had to extend the project to other municipalities and/or areas. As far as the capacity, last year we were able to count on the technical help from Idelcoop, very good results in the area of awareness and we are very satisfied from this result. We want to break with the stigma that these recyclers carry on with them, we believe that they contribute socially and play an important role that happens to be very important because they deal with social waste, which is a problem that the world little by little has to deal with. At the same time, its been introduced and carried out a technical training on the use of machinery, sanitary control and hygiene of the tools that are used together with the care of the environment. On the other side, it is fundamental that the beneficiaries are able to know their rights as workers, which is an important part of our organization.

What kind of actions are going to be carried out in the second part of the project?

From this year we will develop business plans so that people can practice what they learned and be able to have a decent income. This plan has to be agreed with the beneficiaries because it will be them who will have to make this effective. The idea is to arrive in three years to 660 beneficiaries, up to now we have 250. In this second half moreover – how we have been doing throughout these years – we will provide the machinery as well as the collaborating with the infrastructure improvement since most of them work in low circumstances conditions. We would also like to improve in the experience exchange sector. Last year we made an interesting meeting with the Cultural Center of the Corporation, where the representatives of the Corporations who participated in the project were present. In the other hand, we will have to like to improve the gender aspects: we believe that it is necessary to strengthen the work for woman, since asides working on their household they also perform in multiple jobs by making part of a primary income within their household. For Prosud is very important that workers from both genders know their employment rights and rights and that they can also get their identity stronger as well as grow their awareness within their employment.

Silvia Porritelli