100 Laguna Verde entrepreneurs receive implements for reopening their businesses

Implemented under SQM’s Sustainability Plan, which seeks to contribute to the development and growth of local communities and to meeting their real needs, this week 100 families in the Laguna Verde district of Iquique that were affected by the devastating fire in January this year received tools and implements to enable them to reopen their small businesses and rebuild their dreams.

This joint effort by SQM, the Municipality of Iquique and Fundación Desafío Levantemos Chile included a survey to identify actual needs of the residents affected.

“We are very happy about this tangible assistance, and hope it will help these people get on their feet and return to their small businesses, which are very important to their families.  Thanks to this collaboration with the municipality and Desafío Levantemos Chile we were able to reach 100 families, meaning 100 entrepreneurs today have the tools they need to work, continue their professional development and provide for their families once again,” commented Pablo Pisani, SQM Director of Iodine Nitrate Communities and Public Affairs.

The handover ceremony was held at the Iquique municipal building and was attended by Mayor Mauricio Soria, who highlighted the important public-private effort that enabled this assistance: “The synergy between the public and private sectors has given rise to this offering, which seeks to rebuild the livelihoods and homes of those affected by this fire, and we hope to continue this work to help more families. I want to take this opportunity to thank SQM and the entire private sector and the broader community, which since day one have been helping all of the families affected,” expressed the mayor.

For his part, Desafío Levantemos Chile Executive Director Nicolás Birrell affirmed, “It has always been one of our priorities to help small business people, especially in emergencies, to recover their source of livelihood as quickly as possible. We don’t want them to lose their independence. And so we appreciate SQM’s support, which enabled us to respond rapidly and efficiently to those affected by the fire.  We hope that these tools will help them get back on their feet and to build and rebuild their own dreams together.”

The fire destroyed more than 300 homes, affecting close to 600 people. For Fernando, one of the beneficiaries, that day “something terrible happened, because we not only lost our house, we also lost our dreams, our goals and our work. So I thank SQM, the municipality and the foundation for their assistance, for coming together to donate these work tools, which is the first step to providing for our families each day.”