Newsletter 53 - Values that connect
From Fede and Pilar to a new generation: Jordi Quer Sopeña and Inti Energia’s commitment to ADA-Món Adivasi
Some bonds are formed long before a company decides to become a sponsor of a foundation. The connection between Jordi Quer Sopeña and ADA-Món Adivasi is one such bond—rooted in family and nurtured over the years through people, experiences, and shared values.
Jordi is the nephew of Fede Sopeña—one of the individuals who inspired the creation of ADA—and the son of Pilar Sopeña Gusi, a co-founder who served as the Foundation’s President for over fifteen years. “My parents were always deeply committed to social causes, the Church, *Mans Unides*, India, and ADA,” he explains. “I believe that generosity toward others is the greatest legacy they left us, their children.”
Among his memories of Fede, he highlights a small anecdote that perhaps speaks volumes about his way of life. While walking through Barcelona, in front of the display windows of El Corte Inglés, Fede exclaimed: “So many things I don’t need!” It was a simple remark, yet for Jordi, it encapsulates an entire philosophy of life.
Jordi also had the opportunity to travel to India to visit Fede. True to his character, his uncle did not merely show them the India found in guidebooks; instead, he took them to see various projects and Adivasi communities in the area surrounding Mumbai. “It was an unforgettable experience,” Jordi recalls. “We were deeply touched by their generosity, simplicity, and good humor.” During that trip, he also met Isabel Martín, whom Fede had assisted very closely in the founding and development of Creative Handicrafts. Over the years, that project has become a well-regarded social enterprise in the garment and fashion sector, currently employing around 700 women—many of whom come from tribal communities, adivasi groups, or urban slums. For Jordi, this encounter with Isabel and that particular reality served as a tangible example of how commitment can transform lives.
Back home in Barcelona, Jordi had experienced a similar reality from a young age. His mother, Pilar, kept their doors open to many people connected to India, the Jesuits, the Adivasi communities, and the Foundation’s projects. “Our home was always open and full of people,” he recalls.
Over the years, Jordi settled in Mallorca, but the distance did not erase that early influence. “Being grateful for what we have, remaining aware that a reality different from our own exists, and knowing that one can always do something to improve the lives of others”—these are, perhaps, the values that best encapsulate what remained of that family legacy.
Today, these same values are reflected in his professional career at the helm of Inti Energia, a company focused on renewable energy and energy efficiency. “We work in renewables out of conviction,” Jordi explains. “We are fortunate to be able to do work we enjoy while, at the same time, contributing to a more sustainable world.”
And this is where the two stories converge. Inti Energia shares with ADA a specific outlook on the future: one rooted in ethics, fair treatment, sustainability, commitment, and a desire—each in their own sphere—to help build a better world. The company itself allocates a portion of its annual earnings to social causes, and ADA is one of the initiatives it has chosen to support.
For ADA-Món Adivasi, this is the true meaning of sponsorship: when the values of a company and those of a foundation align, the collaboration goes far beyond a mere financial contribution. As Jordi says, when asked about the values that unite Inti Energia and ADA: “There are certainly parallels. Many of them.”
Sharing, enabling, belonging
Over the last twelve months, Peroxfarma–EPAPLUS, City Hotels, Ferrer&Ojeda, Clínica Bon Aire, and SYL l’Art Gràfic—along with Inti Energia—have provided exceptionally valuable support to ADA-Món Adivasi.
Thanks to this collaboration, we have been able to bring to life—among other initiatives—a series of five educational videos in Marathi covering the fundamentals of life sciences (Earth, energy, water, air, and science in our daily lives), as well as a project to train tutors and prepare educational materials for 35 centers located in Adivasi villages.
Both projects are part of our Informal Education program, which, in its first year, will reach approximately 4,000 children aged 6 to 14/15—with the goal of gradually expanding to include more centers and more children. To all these companies, to the others who join us, and to everyone who is part of ADA, we extend our deepest gratitude. Their support not only enables us to develop projects, but also helps us grow ADA and sustain an approach to solidarity rooted in dignity, education, sustainability, and opportunity.
Claudio Sopeña
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