Interview with Ms. Ursula Kuhn

Ursula Kuhn, you are the founder and President of the Board of Trustees of the Suyana Foundation. What is your educational background and how did you come to take on this professional challenge?
I spent the first 40 years of my life in Switzerland and developed a deep passion for experiencing different cultures and countries. At the same time, I realized the privilege of being born in Switzerland, which strengthened my desire to help less privileged people. In 2000, I took a sabbatical year, which gave me the unique opportunity to delve deeply into philanthropy. Inspired by philanthropic personalities in Switzerland, I decided to create alternative ways to support families and communities in extreme poverty in Bolivia and then in Peru. This decision ultimately led to the establishment of the Suyana Foundation in 2003 and laid the foundation for our 20-year history. My business background, entrepreneurial career and international experience proved to be extremely useful and helped me to put the foundation on a stable footing.

When did you first come into contact with philanthropy?
During my sabbatical in 2000, I met people who inspired me and motivated me to dedicate myself to philanthropy and set up the foundation. These encounters and subsequent experiences, particularly in Bolivia in 2003, opened my eyes to the urgent needs of the rural population and laid the foundation for my commitment. The significant differences between my privileged life in Switzerland and the extreme poverty in Bolivia strengthened my desire to become active and make a positive contribution. Today, I can look back on 20 years of history and am proud that the Suyana Foundation is active in 7 countries and three continents.

The Suyana Foundation is an internationally active funding organization: How did you decide to set up a foundation under Swiss law?
Thanks to my local network of like-minded people in Zug and the surrounding area who supported the establishment of the foundation, it was possible to set up the foundation. The decision to set up the Suyana Foundation under Swiss law was based on the desire to give the foundation a solid and transparent legal structure that would enable it to operate internationally and at the same time benefit from tax exemption. Swiss foundation law and the framework conditions we find here also offer the advantage of being able to operate in different countries while positioning our Swiss roots. In addition, our proximity to other global foundations and the private sector in Switzerland offers us numerous advantages and also helps us to find the right talent that we need for our foundation. However, we are dependent on third-party funding to ensure that our projects are sustainable in the long term.

When was it established? Aims and location?
The Suyana Foundation was established in Switzerland in 2003, with its headquarters in Zug. The main objective of the foundation is to support development and aid projects worldwide, particularly in the areas of health, education and livelihoods. Our holistic approach aims to empower individuals, families and communities through improved healthcare, education and livelihoods and to promote sustainable lifestyles.

Who is on the Board of Trustees and how many employees are there?
Our Board of Trustees is made up of a highly committed group of experts who bring diverse expertise and perspectives to the table. Our members include individuals from private industry, human resources and entrepreneurship. This broad composition enables us to effectively address strategic issues and ensure access to partners and key contacts on a global level. In total, the Suyana Foundation employs over 100 people worldwide, spread across three offices in Switzerland, Bolivia and Peru.

How does the foundation describe its activities?
Our foundation is active in seven countries in Latin America, Africa and Europe and focuses on locally anchored initiatives, as we are convinced that sustainable change can only be successful together with the communities and our local teams and partners. Our projects focus on the areas of health, education and livelihoods. In the area of health, we place particular emphasis on changing health habits, prevention and strengthening the public health system. A key element in the implementation of these programs in South America is our fleet of dental clinics, which are deployed in the field together with dentists, doctors, teachers and agronomists. Over the past 20 years, this approach has enabled us to operate in remote regions where basic services are lacking and to tackle the urgent challenges on the ground in a holistic manner. In education, we improve access to education and support the development of knowledge and skills. We are proud that the communities in which we have been active over the past 20 years have been able to further develop their education programs and provide many children and young people with positive access to education and further training. Our livelihood projects aim to create stable sources of income, ensure a more diverse diet and promote environmental awareness. Together with local farming families, we are able to develop new approaches that address changing climatic conditions and identify solutions for sustainable and diverse agriculture.

An outstanding example of our activities are the flagship projects in Bolivia and Peru, where we have been present for 20 years and have achieved remarkable success. Our program "Healthy Communities - Programa Municipio Saludable" has positively influenced numerous people and has been recognized by the communities and official government bodies for its sustainable impact. We work closely with local authorities at various levels and are valued as a strategic partner. The success of the program is based on its strong local roots and our holistic approach, which encompasses health, education and livelihoods. Our projects are implemented in three-year cycles. I am proud that, in addition to this proven format, we have now launched new projects in Africa with this approach and are working there with strong local partners.

How is the foundation financed?
The foundation is financed through a combination of private donations, cooperation with Swiss foundations and institutional organizations as well as support from the private sector. We work closely with experienced, like-minded partners who face similar challenges to our own. These diverse sources of funding enable us to implement and expand our projects sustainably.

Suyana has been active in South America for over 20 years and is also positioning itself for new initiatives. In addition to the holistic program, do you also have new projects for which you are looking for partners in Switzerland and abroad?
Yes, in addition to our proven holistic program in South America, we have been able to launch new projects in Peru, including our latest project, the Suyana School in Cusco, near our Peruvian foundation headquarters. The Suyana School will provide young people with access to sustainable agricultural practices and help to increase the employability of young people in rural areas. This will be done by providing technical, productive and business management training in climate-resilient agricultural practices in collaboration with the National Institute for Agricultural Innovation (INIA) in Peru. The project relies on a collaborative approach that enables partnerships with philanthropic actors, the private sector and institutional partners to provide the necessary know-how and mobilize resources.

In addition, we have launched a local project in Bolivia to empower local artisan groups by providing them with resources, training and access to markets to improve their economic sustainability while preserving Bolivia's rich artisanal heritage. With the support of a Bolivian expert, Suyana is providing seed capital, technical training, business mentoring and value chain networking opportunities to five artisan groups - Julia, Pacha, Quiswara, Vida Nueva and Luz de Esperanza.

For these projects, we are looking for strong partners from the private sector, the education sector and technology providers who will actively and financially support us in strengthening these initiatives.

Which projects do you support in Africa and where do you see potential for cooperation with other foundations and partners?
We are active in three African countries with our holistic community empowerment program, which we implement with local partners. I would like to mention our "Harvesting Hope" project in Rwanda in particular. There, we provide targeted support through our local partner to set up agricultural supply zones and form credit and savings groups. Through specifically developed training courses, we provide the local population with valuable knowledge and practical skills to promote sustainable agricultural practices. The establishment of kitchen gardens helps to improve food security and strengthen self-sufficiency. Our savings and lending groups raise awareness of how to deal with financial mechanisms and thus promote economic stability.

Another project that is very close to my heart is in Uganda, where we are supporting farming families in the Soroti district in collaboration with our partner. The measures there include training in climate-resilient agriculture and animal husbandry management, the formation of savings and lending groups, the establishment of kitchen and school gardens and the promotion of WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) measures in schools and households. These initiatives aim to sustainably improve the livelihoods of farming families and strengthen their resilience to climatic challenges.

Due to this variety of commitments on the African continent, we have now decided to set up our first office there to follow the local implementation model from South America.

And finally, our project on the Greek mainland where we are working with our local partner to provide access to reading aids and improve the eyesight of refugees and asylum seekers from the African continent, among others. Suyana's partner organization Light without Borders reaches various camps through its mobile eye clinic (a model that we have been using in South America for many years) and offers eye examinations, prescriptions for glasses and the organization of surgery appointments in serious cases. The initiative is aimed at around 30 refugee camps on the mainland, their community centers and shelters for unaccompanied minors. Thanks to our support, the mobile clinic can be operated. The local team consists of the founder of the local partner and a volunteer ophthalmologist and optometrist. Refugee volunteers help with screenings, appointments, translations and coordination in the camps. The project promotes both eye care and interaction between refugee communities. For this project, we are in the process of activating partners from private industry and also cooperating with Swiss funding foundations that are involved in the area of migration and health.

We see the potential for cooperation with other foundations and the private sector primarily in the joint development and implementation of training courses, the exchange of best practices, the mobilization of financial and technical resources and, where appropriate, local support with products and services related to local needs. We rely on third-party funding to make our projects sustainable.

In addition to foundations and private donors, you are also actively involved in cooperation with private industry for your projects. Where do you see opportunities, but also challenges for such collaborations? What would you like to achieve?
Collaboration with private industry, which we are currently expanding, offers numerous opportunities, such as access to additional resources, expertise, technologies, product support and funding, which benefit our projects, teams and ultimately the communities. In our countries of operation, there are a number of Swiss companies that are looking for local projects to support through their Corporate Social Responsibility programs. As a Swiss foundation with local structures and expertise, Suyana offers interesting partnership opportunities in the areas of health, education and sustainable agriculture. We always meet the challenge of reconciling different expectations with openness and pragmatism. The success of new partnerships requires patience, resilience and intuition and, of course, a good dose of luck to ensure that these collaborations can be successfully implemented in the long term and have the planned impact.

In Switzerland, you also show a strong commitment to promoting projects in the fields of education and agriculture.
We have also been active in Switzerland for many years and support projects in the areas of livelihoods and education. We fund initiatives by Swiss farming families and are open to new collaborations with organizations that share our values and goals to promote sustainable change.

In the area of education, we support programs that combat youth unemployment and promote professional development, including for adults, by providing vocational training, internships and expanded access to education. By working with local partners, we strive to create a resilient and sustainable future for many people in agricultural communities, including in Switzerland.

Your vision for philanthropy in the coming years?
My vision for philanthropy in the coming years is to have an even greater impact on improving the lives of people around the world. By strengthening partnerships, using innovative approaches and promoting sustainable projects, I want to help more communities gain access to the resources and opportunities they need to lead self-determined and fulfilling lives. The philanthropy of the future should be collective, direct, sustainable and impact-driven to create long-term positive change.