We the inhabitants of the Paso del Norte region are a community forged in the desert, where we have learned to face all kinds of challenges and turn crises into opportunities to unite and strengthen ourselves. Something that has always fascinated me about deserts are oases; these spaces that sprout in the midst of aridity and extreme weather. –An oasis cannot be formed without adversity. Strong winds, storms and extreme weather open a space in the earth until a water table is discovered and the water that springs from there catalyzes a boom in vegetation and life where there is nothing else.

Therefore, an oasis is a fitting metaphor to describe the great work carried out by nonprofit organizations that allow us to work alongside them, the people and companies that strengthen the social sector, and those leaders who give their commitment and talent to our mission.

We cannot recount what happened in 2021 without talking about the effects that persisted after the most critical points of the COVID-19 pandemic. Governments, the private sector, social organizations, and the community had to adapt to a new reality that for a moment we thought would be temporary and then discovered that it was here to stay. The hardest part of the storm had passed and it was time to start working on our recovery. The great priorities, not only in Ciudad Juárez but throughout the world, were vaccination, economic recovery, the reactivation of our society in all senses, and the reconstruction of bridges and alliances that were affected or lost during the contingency.

In 2021, our main programs continued to operate and benefiting girls, boys, youth and the community in general, we dedicated time and resources to strengthen our staff and Board of Directors and expanded the scope of our partnerships with the private initiative and other civil society organizations. Also, to support the vaccination efforts of the federal government against COVID-19 and help them reach as many people as possible, we partnered with leaders and businesses from Ciudad Juárez and El Paso to establish the Auxillium Fund. Thanks to this fund, by the end of 2021 we had invested almost $3 million pesos in supplies and materials to support the vaccination events in which more than 1.2 million vaccines were applied to more than 865,000 Juarenses. Undoubtedly, this investment testifies to the importance of the collaboration and strengthening that is possible between public entities and social organizations, instead of division and dismissal.

In this annual report we present the work of a challenging and enriching year for our Foundation, in addition to expressing our appreciation and gratitude, first of all, to our Board Members and staff; as well as our donors, partners and the social organizations with which we collaborate, because without their support none of this would be possible.

Thank you! Because together we can continue to be an oasis of collaboration that inspires leaders and communities around the world.