Trafigura Foundation

As 2024 comes to an end, we celebrate our partners' remarkable efforts in advancing climate adaptation and building resilience for communities and ecosystems most at risk. In 2025, we’ll continue funding innovative solutions to empower people and nature to thrive in a changing climate. Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year 🌍✨

After her visit to #Houston, Communications Manager Céline Guerin continued her trip to #Uruguay last week, where she met with the Trafigura Charity Committee in #Montevideo and learnt more about the initiatives they’ve been supporting. Her agenda was filled with meaningful connections, beginning with a visit to Los Rosales, which has been supporting young and teenage girls for over 30 years in the disadvantaged area of #Casavalle. The organisation offers a variety of programmes, including early childhood care, an after-school club providing safe spaces for cultural and sports activities, a school and high school for offering comprehensive education, ongoing training programmes, and a Grandmother's Club supporting elderly women in the community. Celine also visited the Fundación Pérez Scremini, which provides medical and psychological support to children with cancer and their families, and advocates for better healthcare access. Elected Charity of the Year 2024 by the #Montevideo staff, it received a USD 56,000 grant from the Trafigura Foundation. This funding helped establish a Trafigura-named Rehabilitation Unit, providing over 2,880 hours of physiotherapy annually, along with space refurbishment, new equipment, and additional staffing. Back at the #Montevideo office, Celine had an audience with the staff to present the Foundation’s dual mission: advancing strategic partnerships for climate adaptation on the one hand, while empowering staff-led charitable initiatives on the other. Her stay ended with a meeting with the Montevideo Charity Committee, which is composed of nearly 30 people, that have supported numerous additional initiatives this year, including: blacksmithing training for 35 individuals in Santa Eugenia through Asociación Civil Cireneos, that provide skills training and employment opportunities for disadvantaged communities ; waste management improvements and student workshops at Liceo Jubilar Juan Pablo II; the launch of a Circular Economy classroom for underprivileged women at CEPRODIH - Centro de Promoción por la Dignidad Humana; a van to transport children and uniforms for first graders at a local school; and daily milk for students in 15 Montevideo schools, provided by the food bank Banco de Alimentos Uruguay. These initiatives were made possible by the Charity Committee’s ongoing fundraising and volunteer efforts, matched by the Trafigura Foundation. Reflecting on her trip, Celine said, “The impact and extent of the work being done in #Montevideo is truly impressive. The Charity Committee takes full ownership of their initiatives, engaging the entire staff in meaningful ways and creating a real sense of collective purpose.”

This weekend marked the 10-year anniversary of our partner Planet Indonesia. To celebrate, they’ve launched a platform reflecting a decade of impact. Highlights include: Climate & Forest Impact: 🌱 Net forest gains and regeneration rates up to 3x faster 🌲 30-60% lower forest loss across 1M hectares of biodiverse ecosystems 🦜 Biodiversity Growth: An 18.7% increase in encounter rates for 29 threatened species over 7 years. 👩🌾 Thriving Communities: Stories of cascading social-ecological impacts, from successful loan programs to participatory assessments. We’re proud to support their efforts to protect ecosystems and empower communities. Explore their journey through an interactive timeline and field stories map. 👉 https://lnkd.in/eUsr_38q More information about our partnership: https://lnkd.in/e-mTQBaz

Senior Programme Manager Nina Saalismaa attended the fifth edition of Building Bridges in Geneva, a dynamic four-day event bringing together leaders from finance, government, academia, and civil society. This annual gathering fosters collaboration and dialogue to drive meaningful action towards a sustainable global economy aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With over 120 organisations involved, the event featured interactive discussions, workshops, and research presentations. Nina participated in two insightful sessions, exploring innovative approaches to financing sustainability and engaging with experts on key challenges and opportunities. As Nina noted: “It’s exciting to see so much interest in financing for nature, but we need action at scale!” Launched in 2019, Building Bridges leverages Switzerland's unique ecosystem to channel investments into prosperity-focused initiatives. #SustainableFinance

Last week, Communications Manager Céline Guerin visited #Houston to meet with the local Trafigura Charity Committee and see firsthand the organisations they support. She also met with committee members to share insights about the broader work of our Foundation. The first visit was to AAMA, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering disadvantaged individuals and families. From the George Sánchez Charter Schools, offering grades from 5th to 12th, as well as preschool programmes, helping students overcome language and social barriers to academic success, to the AAMA Work and Learn Center, which provides workforce training and career readiness programmes for young people, AAMA is transforming lives and building stronger communities. Next, the visit continued at Target Hunger, an organisation fighting food insecurity in underserved #Houston neighbourhoods. Target Hunger’s food pantries, mobile distributions, and senior home delivery programmes ensure access to essential resources, while its community gardens grow fresh produce and foster self-reliance and stronger community ties. Additionally, Target Hunger addresses the root causes of poverty through navigation programmes that connect individuals with vital services and support to improve their long-term wellbeing. On Friday evening, Trafigura colleagues volunteered their time at Ronald McDonald House Charities Greater Houston, serving dinner to families with seriously ill children receiving care at the Texas Medical Center. The organisation provides a “home away from home,” offering housing, comfort, and support during challenging times. The week wrapped up with the #RunForTheHouse, a Trafigura-sponsored event that saw 900 participants, including 71 colleagues and their families, join the 5K and 10K fun runs. This year marked the 15th anniversary of the event, which raised nearly USD 468,000—including a USD 150,000 contribution from the Trafigura Foundation. Since its inception in 2009, the event has raised an impressive USD 6 million. "It was an inspiring trip that highlighted the dedication of Trafigura colleagues and their year-round commitment to positively impacting local communities through the nonprofits they support", said Celine. She then headed to #Uruguay to meet with the very active #Montevideo Charity Committee for a similar visit. Stay tuned for more updates on this!

🌟 Over the weekend, the Trafigura #Singapore Charity Committee hosted its most significant event yet, bringing 70 children from the charity Care Corner Singapore Ltd to Universal Studios. This special day was all about spreading joy to children who rarely get to enjoy such experiences, allowing them to take part in rides, shows, and themed attractions. This was made possible by team members who volunteered their time or contributed through donations. Our Foundation supports Care Corner Singapore Ltd, selected by staff as their Charity of the Year.

Our Foundation is partnering with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) to identify and protect climate-resilient coral reefs in Southeast Asia. Our three-year grant focuses on strengthening marine protected areas and developing sustainable financing strategies for coral conservation. This exciting collaboration is further supported by the recent discovery of the world’s largest coral in the Pacific Ocean, visible from space. This finding demonstrates that some coral reefs can not only survive but thrive despite the impacts of climate change. This discovery aligns with #WCS’s new research, which identifies at least three types of coral reefs defying climate change, each exhibiting remarkable resilience in unique ways.

Our Foundation partners with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to strengthen climate resilience for vulnerable communities through anticipatory action, sustainable livelihoods, and innovative solutions in regions impacted by climate hazards and conflict. The IRC has published an insightful article on the critical role of climate finance in supporting the world’s most vulnerable populations. Highlighting examples like resilient agriculture in Syria and anticipatory cash programs in Nigeria, the article showcases how strategic funding can mitigate risks, safeguard livelihoods, and foster resilience in areas facing both conflict and climate shocks. Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/e_Ukszsr

🌍 Thank you to our partner, Root Capital, for this insightful reading! The Women in Agriculture Initiative (#WAI), now in its 12th year, is expanding access to finance for women-led and gender-inclusive businesses across Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. Launched in 2012, WAI promotes gender equity and inclusion in agriculture, transforming the lives of hundreds of thousands of women in developing economies. Since then, Root Capital has invested USD 700 million in women-led and gender-inclusive enterprises, benefiting over half a million women employees and farmers.

🌍 Field Visit to Kenya & Ethiopia 🌍 Programme manager Anne Nayral de Puybusque has just returned from a 10-day field visit aimed at strengthening our partnership with BOMA.ngo. Since 2022, our Foundation has been supporting their efforts to empower ultra-poor women in the #Borena region of #Ethiopia. Anne also travelled to northern #Kenya, where BOMA's journey began. During her visit, she witnessed first-hand the vital role our partner plays in driving sustainable change. The trip was a humbling reminder of the tough conditions our partners overcome daily: long and difficult journeys to remote areas, deeply entrenched gender biases, and the extreme weather conditions. "You are brought with the raw realities our partners face side-by-side with the people we serve. It’s too easy to forget these challenges when sitting in an office in Geneva.” Anne reflects, "Development work tends to be a lot about figures and jargon. I feel grateful I got to listen to the women in the drylands, how they feel empowered about their kids’ education, how confident they are about weathering the next drought. Their stories brought our mission into sharp focus. It all becomes real."