We know that between wanting to have a triple-impact project and making it a reality is a long road of work, effort and persistence. In this new episode of El Periscopio, we talk to Aitana Modolellfounding partner of the Etnia Barcelona Foundation. And we discover what's behind the essence of Etnia, a special brand that does much more than glasses.
Etnia Barcelona was founded in 2001 and 15 years later, in 2016, the Etnia Foundation was born. This is the result of the need perceived by the company to go towards the path of sustainability.
At that time the company started to change its materials and packaging, contributing to their improvement and looking for ways to extend the life cycle of its obsolete glasses.
"The purpose was to contribute to the improvement of visual health," Aitana tells us. Paying special attention to children and adolescents and to all those people who do not have access to it.
Aitana is in favor of working with other entities. Our guest believes that working in a network is very positive because the impact is enormous.
The foundation revolves around two major projects. The local and the international. Etnia Barcelona finances both projects and counts on the co-financing of city councils and the collaboration of many other entities.
Over the years, the projects have improved and implemented more services because along the way they have coincided with other entities with which they share vision and objectives. Fundación Etnia contributes to other entities and other entities contribute to Fundación Etnia. It is a synergy.
This is the name of the foundation's local project , which aims to ensure that all children have good visual health.
The foundation, together with a team of volunteer optometrists and opticians, travel once a month to open centers. Where they try to provide solutions to any visual impairment of children and adolescents.
And together with the Faculty of Optics and Optometry of Terrassa, which is in charge of all the medical part, Hoya, which supplies the lenses, and the Institut Salvador Seguí, which assembles the glasses in its higher degree of glasses fitters, they obtain the final product.
In addition, the project also includes solidarity opticians. These are located near the open center visited and are responsible for patient follow-up.
Its international project consists of a partnership with five municipalities. And it consists of a network of solidarity opticians in Senegal, Africa. Aitana tells us that with this, they provide access to quality glasses and training, which provide better visual health to the population.
"Solidarity opticians are run by women and combat gender inequality in the country," Aitana tells us.
To create these opticians' shops, the foundation meets with the relevant entity, platform or women's association, with which it shares values and objectives. They find a space and remodel it to make it useful as a store and train its components to be able to offer quality diagnostics.
Her daughter's syndrome, which affects her satiety, led Aitana to train in nutrition and to look for ways to help her better. This also led her to take an interest in her own diet, that of her family and that of all the people at Etnia Barcelona.
LaCantina is a sustainable initiative that promotes healthy lifestyle habits through organic and local cuisine. In January 2023 EcoCook®, the first sustainable restaurant consulting and certification program, awarded them the Silver Level 4 certificate, a category never before granted worldwide.
And the project does not end here. The whole team has become involved with this lifestyle and their journey is reflected in their book of La Cuina. A tribute to the project and the kitchen.
Color. Art. Quality. Ethics.
Everything Etnia Barcelona does is inspired by its pillars, and its Cantina is no exception. The essence of the brand is breathed in all its projects, and that makes it unique and special.
