Celebrating World Refugee Day: A journey of hope and growth

Today, June 20th, on World Refugee Day, Do Better has invited me to share an article that reflects our experience and resonates with the emotion and hope that this day symbolizes. This day is an opportunity to reflect and raise awareness about the plight of millions of people forced to leave their homes due to conflicts, persecutions, and human rights violations. It is a day to remember that each number represents a life and a story that deserves our support. In this context, education and professional training are crucial tools for improving refugees' lives and facilitating their integration into host communities. 

As an external collaborator and lecturer at Esade Law School, I have the opportunity to work with refugees at the university by teaching elective courses that use the Service-Learning methodology. This methodology allows students to lead projects with a positive impact on our community. Additionally, I am co-founder of Win-Win Connection, a non-profit social impact consultancy that seeks to create meaningful collaborations between businesses, universities, governments, and NGOs, leveraging the potential and strengths of each sector to generate scalable social impact. 

Contributing to this cause over the past few years has been a learning process and a transformative experience for me. With over 20 years of experience managing companies and projects, my role is to provide students with opportunities to lead social projects as if they were business enterprises and to build bridges between universities, companies, governments, and NGOs in initiatives that benefit all parties. This experience diversifies our university's formative offerings and helps our students apply their academic knowledge to a good cause, fostering their growth in competencies and professional experience. 

The value of this collaboration is also reflected in the companies that enrich their corporate social responsibility projects and professionally develop their volunteer employees. Both institutions — university and business — practice their culture and values, creating exponential synergies. Moreover, the alignment with the social objectives of NGOs and local governments provides complementary solutions to their integration programs and forges valuable partnerships with prestigious universities and large companies. 

The profound impact of professional training

We have come a long way, but at the beginning of these social experiences, an existential question arose: Do we provide real value? Are we truly capable of helping in the integration and professional development process of the participants? 

Let Neda — not her real name — answer this question. Neda is a school friend of my wife who became a refugee overnight, unable to return to her home country due to the rise of an oppressive regime in the '80s. Thanks to her intelligence, effort, and scholarships she received from generous people, she managed to complete her secondary education in Barcelona. She excelled academically in the field of electronic engineering and technology at universities in the United States. She played a major role in integrating advanced technology into financial markets and the digitalization of the Chicago Stock Exchange, contributing to its global expansion. Neda retired at the age of 40 thanks to the fruits of her labor, and today she enjoys spending time in Barcelona, dining with her friend at the place where everything changed. 

Do not underestimate the impact of providing hope and support in moments of despair

At the beginning of the project, during a dinner conversation at home, I shared my doubts with Neda about the real usefulness of what we do. This was her response: "Manolo, for years I lived with uncertainty and fear, without a safe place to call home. A mentor extended a hand to me and gave me hope, allowing me to get up, set my goals, and fight for them. What you do goes beyond education or employment; you offer a chance for rebirth, a dream of a better future. Do not underestimate the impact of providing hope and support in moments of despair. That open door is an opportunity to change lives and an invaluable gift." 

Today, we have numerous testimonies that talk about the success of our initiatives. Testimonials from students, corporate coaches, social workers, and participants. The key to success lies in reciprocity. We have students trained as content creators and leaders who energize teams, employees of companies trained as coaches who enrich sessions with their professional expertise, and participants from 30 nationalities who bring extraordinary experiences, sharing different cultures and values with a common purpose: to grow as people and professionals. 

A two-way path

In this space that Esade provides, we are all students and teachers, and together we embark on a journey of self-discovery through digital, dynamic, interactive, and fun learning. For several days, we share passion, knowledge, professional and personal experience, courage, curiosity, and generosity. This exchange strengthens participants' technical skills and pursues two main objectives: to increase self-confidence and self-assurance, and to create a professional network that provides job opportunities. 

The key to success lies in reciprocity

To date, our initiatives have involved Law, Business Administration, and Global Politics students in 2022, 2023, and 2024. These students have led projects in collaboration with tech companies in various training courses. Our workshops have nearly 100 professionals/coaches, and by September of this year, we will have trained over 140 participants, achieving promising results: 

• 26% of participants secured a qualified job for the first time since their arrival in the host country within 45 days after training. 
• 55% obtained employment within the first 6 months. 
• 31% continue their studies using free digital platforms. 
• 100% would repeat the experience. 

These figures reflect the transformative power of education and collaboration, and the positive trajectory of our initiatives. Each participant not only acquires technical skills but also gains self-confidence and builds a support network crucial for their integration and long-term success. 

In our projects, we have had the privilege of working with a diverse range of participants, each with unique stories and experiences. Among them are refugees from places like Venezuela, Ukraine, Kurdistan, Mali, Peru, Syria, Guinea Bissau, and Afghanistan. These women, with very diverse professional qualifications, have found new opportunities and valuable returns. Refugees with university education and professional experience in fields such as education, biotechnology, economics, law, procurement management, and engineering have managed to reintegrate into the Spanish labor market. Women like Inna, Lina, Daniela, and Fadile now work in roles ranging from back-office billing administration in retail food companies, accounting in foundations, data analysis in tech companies, and customer service in airlines. 

Similarly, participants with less specialized training but a strong desire to improve their lives have also found success. Women like Lucia, a homemaker from Colombia; Layla, a caregiver from Honduras; and Awa, a shop assistant from Gambia, have overcome labor market barriers and improved their working conditions. The diversity of these stories highlights how our project offers significant value to all participants, regardless of their backgrounds and qualifications. 

Decisive collaborations

Our initiatives are a testament to the power of collaboration. Working together, sharing resources and knowledge, and supporting each other have been fundamental principles that have guided our steps from the beginning. Esade's collaboration with HP, UNHCR, other large companies, local governments, foundations, and NGOs has been crucial to achieving results. Each organization brings its unique experience and resources, creating a holistic and effective approach to addressing the challenges faced by refugee women. The community plays a vital role in the success of these projects. The participation of students, professionals, and social workers creates an essential support network for the development of these initiatives. This network not only provides practical and emotional support but also fosters a sense of belonging and community among participants. 

Education can transform lives by offering not only technical skills, but also hope and a path to a better future

We look to the future. The fruit of the work of our students at Esade and all the people who develop these projects is one of the commitments of the UNHCR Global Refugee Forum in 2023 and 2024. What has been done so far is just the beginning. We have big plans for the future, and we are committed to continuously expanding and improving to reach more refugee women and provide them with the tools they need to succeed. Our goal is to continue building on a foundation of reciprocity and collaboration, creating sustainable and meaningful opportunities. 

On this day, we remember the importance of working with refugees to provide support and opportunities. Our initiatives show how collaboration and education can transform lives, offering not only technical skills but also hope and a path to a better future. Through education, we empower refugees, giving them the necessary tools to rebuild their lives and contribute to their host communities. The impact of our projects is significant and lasting. It not only changes the lives of the participants but also enriches all of us who work on their development and strengthens communities, creating a more inclusive and supportive society. 

On this World Refugee Day, we celebrate success stories and renew our commitment to working together. Together we can build a world where everyone has the opportunity to grow and thrive. On behalf of all the participants, students, and members of the collaborating teams, thank you to Esade for the continuous support and the opportunity to share this story.