Peru pioneers a dual pooled-fund approach for youth employability and community resilience

• Over 15 leading national corporations explored a new co-investment framework that bridges humanitarian response and long-term development in northern Peru.

To advance local resource mobilization and domestic private sector partnerships, the Perú Country Office presented an innovative co-investment framework to national corporate leaders. The proposal articulates joint solutions to address two interconnected crises in the vulnerable region of Piura: the recurring climate impacts of the El Niño phenomenon and the systemic challenge of youth unemployment.

The core of this strategy lies in integrating two complementary pathways: “Youth with a Future” (promoting technical training and formal labor market insertion) and “Action against El Niño” (focused on humanitarian response and protection).

The integration of these initiatives marks a critical innovation in the Country Office’s funding strategy: evolving the traditional pooled-fund model—historically restricted to humanitarian emergencies—into a co-investment platform for medium-term sustainable development.

This dual approach allows companies to transition from standard corporate donation schemes into a strategic co-investment model. By joining this collaborative framework, partners can pool their resources to maximize social impact while securing technical traceability, quantitative metrics, and direct inputs for their sustainability reporting.

The proposal was positively received during a recent executive working session by representatives from over 15 major national companies—including Credicorp, Intercorp Retail, Minsait, and Claro Perú—who welcomed the opportunity to explore these joint social investments.

This milestone serves as a direct continuation of the Country Office’s participation in the Peru Sostenible Summit, the country’s largest sustainability event, further consolidating the organization’s role as a key partner for the domestic private sector.

With this new approach, Save the Children in Peru reinforces the organization’s global ambition to diversify funding streams and reduce reliance on traditional institutional donors. By aligning child and youth rights with corporate sustainability goals, the Country Office is demonstrating how local private investment can be sustainably mobilized to build long-term regional resilience.