Generation Galp volunteers in action for a charitable cause

Galp's charitable vocation continues to bring smiles to the faces of the members of the local communities in the regions in which the enterprise operates. The most recent initiative took place at the Trafaria Social Centre in Almada, an institution under the management of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia charity, located in a socially deprived area and consisting of around 1000 people from a wide range of age groups. The beneficiaries are mainly children and the elderly, in a permanent inter-generational dialogue cut short by the pandemic. There are also the elders entrusted with taking care of the small vegetable garden, recently abandoned due to its caretakers having been subjected to confinement measures for over a year and a half. Now, as people return to “normal”, the time has come to time to bring some colour back to the outdoor area of the centre, which is what 30 Galp trainees volunteered to do, restoring the green of the arid earth and painting the walls greyed by the passage of time blue and white.

The Generation Galp trainee programme lasts for two years and includes various activities of a technical and behavioural nature, designed to create a set of experiences and to stimulate skills regarded as critical for the success and continuity of the path these young participants have embarked on at the company.

“It made sense for us to take advantage of this Galp Volunteer initiative to combine a team building activity geared to strengthening relationships and 're-energising' this group of trainees with an initiative that brings us closer to the community in which we operate. The day gains even greater significance due to the social impact involved, and the feeling of gratitude generated supplements the teamwork. Basically, we all came out winners”, explains Rita Figueiredo, talent manager at People Team.

“There is no doubt that the social side of the event is important here, both for the dynamics of the group of trainees and for the symbolism and result of the initiative, and to reinforce the bonds between them. They joined Galp in May and this is only the third time they have all met up due to the restrictions arising from the pandemic”, adds Maria Figueiredo, a former trainee, now preparing to embrace the development department after having worked in recruitment.

24-year-old Carolina Goldstein is one of the trainees who didn´t hesitate to join the group of volunteers as soon as she received the e-mail proposing the challenge. “I like plants and vegetable gardens, and I knew this would motivate people at the social centre so I signed up straight away”, says the young woman, who hopes to learn a lot and succeed professionally at the company. “This is the first time I´ve worked at a big company and it's nice to be able to understand how this world operates. I try to be as useful as possible and these initiatives help me blossom both personally and professionally”.
In turn, 30-year-old Diogo Marques is already used to this type of activity, and this isn´t the first time he´s painted walls, not least due to the fact he was a boy scout for seven years. As far as this trainee, trained in Communication, is concerned, “the initiative involves helping others and being nice, which is so important in light of the pandemic, however creating a team spirit is equally essential”. Diogo finds working at Galp highly enjoyable, not only because of this sense of solidarity, but also due to the fact he can contribute to the company's goal of carbon neutrality: “This transition to a clean energy world is interesting. We, as young people and trainees, want to be a part of this change and move forward all as one”.

The initiative, which took place on 10 November, was also attended by officials from the Almada Santa Casa da Misericórdia. According to Sofia Valério, director and technical coordinator, partnerships with companies are essential in order to form networks, to disseminate the institution's work and to promote opening up to the community. “Our beneficiaries need to understand that our centre is highly appreciated and that we can make improvements together to enhance the services we provide”. Sílvia Fragoso, deputy director, corroborates and emphasises the role of volunteers in this mission. “We look to volunteer work as a means of increasingly humanising the support we provide to our users”, she says.

In the opinion of board member Henrique Margarido, “this interaction between the institution and local communities both enhances the value of the institution and motivates everyone involved”.