Adrián was born with cerebral palsy and only started walking at the age of nine. Today, he still faces some difficulties in speaking and moving, but that hasn't stopped him from leading the team at Inclúyete, a herbal infusion business. This venture began four years ago under the auspices of Fondacio, an international organization that has been working in Chile for 45 years to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities.

"For 18 years, Fondacio has been running a Hortitherapy workshop, a therapeutic tool we use for the rehabilitation of our members with physical or cognitive disabilities. I have been in these workshops for many years, learning to plant, harvest, and meet people. I learned here and never thought we would have a cooperative, so when they asked me, I said 'let's do it,' you have to set challenges in life, they may turn out well or not, but at least you tried," says Adrián.

With Inclúyete, the challenge has proved successful, and the mission of this cooperative is labor inclusion. Paula Vargas, its director, explains that the name is powerful, and that "it was created by them, our members. They had knowledge and were already processing plants, then they started assembling, and with tests and Fondacio's support, we managed to produce the four varieties of teas that we have available."

Paula, who divides her time between the foundation and her job as marketing manager in a company, explains that initially, it was just a rehabilitation tool, but they realized there was potential and they could go a little further. "We researched the market, thought about attractive packaging, did assemblies, and put together a technical and human resources team supported by Fondacio," she details.

Initially, four years ago, they had tea bags, and members would add two grams of herbs, weigh them, and put them in a box. "The five members managed to produce eight boxes a day. Today we have a packaging machine that we won in a competitive fund, allowing us to produce two boxes per minute, but we assemble, package, count, check quality, and seal," Paula says.

However, the operation they have today at the Fondacio headquarters was not without complications.

The Pandemic and Unimarc's 100% Nuestro Program

The Inclusive Orchard Cooperative, with its Inclúyete infusions, was scheduled to launch on October 28, 2019, but unfortunately, it had to be postponed. Then, the pandemic came, and as Paula describes, "in two years, everything dies." The plants they used for hortitherapy had dried up, and the workshops had to reinvent themselves, sending work kits to members and trying to do everything they used to do at the headquarters from their homes with the few resources they had.

"As we no longer had our own plants, we had to find a certified company with its resolution, which greatly increased our costs, but it didn't matter because we said we were already in the market, that the right time would come, and what we couldn't do was miss the opportunity," says Paula, adding that these are tough decisions because they aim for sustainability for the well-being of people with disabilities.

In parallel, they applied to the Descúbreme Foundation, an initiative that has been promoting the full inclusion of people with cognitive disabilities in all areas of human development since its founding in 2010. The Foundation has a fund of the same name, and that's where they learned about Unimarc's 100% Nuestro program.

"I was initially very resistant because I know the retail world from my job, but this is different. After meeting all the requirements, such as sending samples to external laboratories, health resolutions, visits, etc., we managed to be part of the program, and it has been an excellent experience and has become unwavering support. Last year we won the mentorships, and it really has been support at all times," highlights Paula.

The impetus provided by the program, since its creation in 2012, has been very significant, supporting more than 400 SMEs throughout Chile. The initiative allows Inclúyete to be present in 13 supermarkets in the Metropolitan Region. "For us, it is a pride and a privilege to have this cooperative on our shelves because we have witnessed the work they have done and the path of improvement of their members," says Marcela Salas, Sustainability Manager at SMU.

Rehabilitation and Empowerment

The GS1 system is the one that uniquely identifies a product, that is, a barcode. GS1 Chile is the only corporation authorized to assign that system in the country, and at the end of last year, they celebrated their 35 years in the country, distinguishing outstanding companies from different sectors. Inclúyete, the Inclusive Orchard Cooperative, was recognized in the Entrepreneurship category for its sustainability and commitment to inclusion.

Paula Vargas, accompanied by Adrián, received the award. Once on stage, he took the floor: "This award is the result of the hard work and dedication of each member, collaborator, and friend who has believed in us. It is tangible proof that when barriers vanish, inclusion flourishes, and we all grow."

Four years have passed since Inclúyete began. In the beginning, members who worked in the venture needed to be organized for their comings and goings, taxis needed to be ordered for them, punctuality had to be ensured, and their work had to be constantly supervised. Today, Paula highlights that they are much more autonomous people, and the opportunity to have a job has empowered them greatly because they are also owners of their business. "Seeing how much they have grown is exciting," she concludes.

The people who come to Fondacio not only have disabilities, but many also live in vulnerable conditions, like Alejandra, one of the members. She lives in a home for people with disabilities. With her first salary, she proudly came and said that the best thing she had done was to buy ice cream for all her housemates. "It may be something simple, but it changes their lives. It's beautiful," Paula concludes.