Ona Carbonell: "We have to achieve equal visibility for all"

We interview Ona Carbonell, ambassador of CECA's Obra Social, who talks to us about her collaboration with the organisation, the purpose of which is to give a voice to the values of Obra Social, which have a direct impact on the most vulnerable groups. Ona Carbonell mentions the various Obra Social initiatives in which she participates.

Describe your collaboration and involvement in CECA's Obra Social?

It has been two and a half years since I began my collaboration with CECA with the goal of giving voice to the values of Obra Social and its commitment to society. During this time, I have gained a deeper understanding of how all the actions implemented by the member entities of CECA have a direct impact on citizens and, in particular, on the most vulnerable groups. In 2021 alone, almost 52,000 activities were conducted, benefiting more than 25 million people. This impact is also twofold, because on the one hand, citizens are the ones who make the programmes possible through volunteers, professionals, NGOs and social entities, and on the other hand, they are also the beneficiaries of all the projects that are implemented.

My goal is to contribute to bringing Obra Social to as many people as possible. I believe it is essential to contribute and give greater visibility and voice to all these projects and to the entities involved. As a result, we ensure that all those interested in any initiative receive information and can benefit from them, thus magnifying the positive impact of the projects to as many citizens as possible.

Can you tell us about the different social projects you are involved in?

We are currently implementing numerous projects to give visibility to Obra Social.

During this month of May we have been on the island of Cortegada with Afundación and Abanca, participating in the cleaning of the beaches, for example, together with a group of volunteers. I am also very involved in the Financial Education with Athletes course sponsored by CECA, which is a very interesting and, in my opinion, absolutely necessary project, and, of course, this year we will again be hosting the Obra y Acción Social Awards led by the Association. In addition to this, I am sure that we will carry out some other action before the year is out, which, for the moment, I prefer not to reveal.

Of the many projects you collaborate on, which would you highlight?

For obvious reasons, I am particularly fond of the Financial Education with Athletes project, in which I have been very involved from the outset and which arose from a conversation with CECA at the beginning of my involvement with the Project on the need to improve the financial literacy of our group. I believe it is essential to provide tools to athletes, who often have a relatively short career and therefore have to learn how to manage their finances when they are in many instances very young.

This is why I believe that we can help many young people at a key stage in their career, and when it was launched I remember commenting that there is a genuine need for this kind of education. Drawing on cases such as that of Delonte West, an NBA star who ended up completely bankrupt, we believe it is necessary to guide and educate athletes, who are often unaware of very relevant information on how to manage their finances and who will have a difficult time when they retire. And we also have cases involving national athletes. I believe the course is in fact having a very good reception.

Is it essential for women to have visibility and influence in social finance activities?

Of course, it should be a question we should not even ponder. We have to actively work towards ensuring equal opportunities, be it in financial activities, in social activities, in the world of sport or in any other field. It is clear that the situation has changed, but there is still much work to be done; we need to achieve equal visibility for all.

Looking ahead, what are the challenges of your involvement in CECA's Obra y Acción Social?

I would like to continue as an ambassador helping to give visibility to the activities and events promoted by CECA's Obra Social, because I truly believe that in this way I can help spread the message to as many people as possible. I also believe that it is necessary to put a special focus on the most vulnerable groups so that everyone who needs it is aware of the existence of the programmes and can benefit from them, because the ultimate goal of Obra Social is to be useful and to especially help the most vulnerable people.

And I also believe it is important to give visibility to the tremendous work of all the professionals and volunteers who make it possible for Obra Social to be what it is, which is no mean feat. In fact, it is the leading private social investor in Spain, which means that after the State and its social policies, the entities that form part of CECA have become the largest investor in social actions. Therefore, Obra Social is one of the main stakeholders in promoting social inclusion.