Our Journey
From Idea to Reality
Cintia Jaime and Daniel Winzenried, founders of the ES VICIS Foundation, recognized stark inequalities between abandoned rural areas and overcrowded urban centers facing socioeconomic and ecological challenges. This awareness fueled their mission to seek solutions, leading them to explore poverty-stricken regions in Latin America, Asia, and South Africa.
They established the ES VICIS Foundation in Basel and launched their first pilot project in Argentina. Committed to revitalizing vulnerable rural areas, they recognize that such a complex mission requires collaboration with both public and private sectors, receiving support from the Swiss government through the Swiss embassy in Argentina.
Key individuals, such as Johannes Matyassy—former Swiss Ambassador to Argentina and former Deputy State Secretary of the Federal Department of Foreigns Affairs (FDFA)— play a crucial role in their efforts. Since 2018, he has served as a board member and is now president, bridging perspectives and guiding the foundation with invaluable insights.
Our Journey at a Glance
2016-2019
PILOT PROJECT IN ARGENTINA
Cooperation with Swiss Embassy in Argentina
Selection of a Village Founded by Swiss Colonies – Matching Values
Advocacy and Cooperation Local Government: Province / Canton - Community level
√ MODEL VALIDATION
Revitalization and Repopulation Proof of Concept
6-Phases Model - Timelines
2019-2020
EVALUATION OF KEY CHALLENGES FOR SCALING UP
Lessons Learned
Revitalization and Repopulation Phases
Identification of Key Operational Challenges and Digital System-Supported Solutions: Matrix for Evaluation; Data Processing Challenges; Matching Opportunities Platform
√ MODEL AT SCALE DEFINED
Cooperation and Knowledge Sharing Supported by the Operational System
Key Digital Tools Identified
First Scale-Up in Argentina
2021-2022
MATRIX, SYSTEM AND PROCEDURES MANUAL DEVELOPMENT
Internal Development for Scalable Model Management: Assessment Matrix to establish baselines; Salesforce Customization for efficient data management; Manual of Procedures for effective knowledge transfer
Ongoing Advocacy: Collaboration with Local Government; Creating Laws for the Revitalization and Repopulation of Communities; Media Strategy
√ DEPELOPMENT COMPLETED
Assessments Matrix
Customized System MVT
Manual of Procedur
es
2022-2024
MATRIX AND SYSTEM TESTING IN COOPERATION MODEL
Model Scaled in Five Communities in Parallel: Shared System with Local Partners;
Transfer of Knowledge and Sharing System in the Cooperation Model: Training of a total of 15 individuals (local experts and change agents) to the revitalization of 5 communities; Sharing Manual of Procedures and Best Practices
√ MODEL AT SCALE TESTED
Operational System
Local Training for Knowledge Transfer to Accelerate Impact
2024-2027
SCALING OUT IN NEW CONTEXTS
South Africa: Embassy Support; Local Government Support
Switzerland: Cooperation with Cantons; Cooperation with Communities
Advocacy and Cooperation Local Government: Province / Canton; Community level; Media Strategy
√ MODEL AT SCALE IN NEW CONTEXTS
Project Created for South Africa in Eastern Cape
Communication Tools Developed for Switzerland for Project Acquisitions
Our Journey in Detail
2009-2013
Global Awareness: Recognized challenges in rural and urban development, including inequality and environmental issues.
Volunteer Experience in Urban Areas: Worked with the Ameropa Foundation in impoverished urban neighborhoods.
Challenges in Rural Areas: Observed inequality and various challenges in rural areas, driven by agricultural technification and other economic and environmental factors.
Global context
Urbanization Issues: Rapid urban growth led to socioeconomic problems, inadequate infrastructure, and high unemployment; massive migration to cities was seen as irreversible. (according to the UN in 2009).
2013
Academic Studies: Co-founder Cintia Jaime engaged with Prof. Georg von Schnurbein at the Center for Philanthropy in Basel.
Research on Migration: Studied urban residents' preference for precarious living conditions; only 9% of Argentina's population remained in rural areas. Global projections at the UN indicate that 66% of the world's population would live in cities by 2050.
Project Idea: Conceptualized the revitalization of rural communities amidst a global urbanization trend.
Argentina selected for pilot idea: This country has experienced massive migration to urban areas since decades. In 2013 only 9% of this country's population remained in rural areas.
2014
Stakeholder Engagement: Hosted the "SwissVision" event at Di Tella University. Support from Swiss Ambassador Johannes Matyassy, and various key stakeholders from the private and civil sector.
Diagnosis in Santa Fe: Conducted assessments in 14 villages, identifying the lack of services, products and local investment.
Remote Work Innovation: Remote work was pioneered by the foundation, allowing teams in Switzerland and Argentina to collaborate effectively through video calls.
Global context
As the "Smart Cities" initiative advances urban technology, rural areas lack necessary investment. This focus on agriculture limits business diversity and drives youth migration from these regions.
2015
Pilot Project Launch: The pilot project was initiated with the selection of Colonia Belgrano in Argentina, marking the beginning of practical implementation.
Local Empowerment: Established the Village Support Commission to empower youth.
EVF’ Establishment:The ES VICIS Foundation was established, creating a brand identity and launching its logo and first website for a digital presence.
Program Development and Evaluation Support: A 6-phase working model was established to guide the foundation, alongside the launch of the "Welcome to My Village" program for rural revitalization. Carla Della Maggiora’s support was vital in structuring evaluation indicators to enhance effectiveness.
Academic Accomplishment: Cintia finalized her thesis on Economic Migration and Urban Demographics, enhancing her insights into urbanization's socio-economic issues.
2016
Foundation and Launch: The ES VICIS Foundation was established on March 1st with personal funds from Cintia and Daniel, and the pilot project launched on March 4th at Di Tella University and Colonia Belgrano.
Community Empowerment: A Village Support Commission was created with local youth, identifying over 50 business opportunities and initiating a public call for resettlement through the "Welcome-Business-Home" program.
Program Response: In four weeks, 20,000 urban families applied to the ES VICIS program, leading to a selection process for 1,800 preselected families from June to August.
Entrepreneur Training and Success: Training for urban and local entrepreneurs occurred from September to November, resulting in the first family, with four children, renting a house and launching a business in December.
2017
Resettlement Success : In January and February, six additional families resettled in the village and established their businesses.
International Recognition and Engagements: The ES VICIS Foundation earned the First Prize from Banco Galicia for economic sustainable development, receiving significant media attention with over 50 appearances. Cintia and Daniel lectured at the World Resources Forum, and BBC Mundo visited Colonia Belgrano.träge beim World Resources Forum, und BBC Mundo besuchte Colonia Belgrano.
2018
Positive Outcomes and International Academic Recognition: The project positively impacted children's lives, with chronically ill children showing no stress after relocating. It was presented as a successful case study in Salamanca and Utrecht.
Exploring Expansion in other Countries and Support Initiatives: Exploratory trips to Colombia and Bangladesh assessed scaling opportunities for the project. Constanza Lisdero joined the team and raised CHF 50,000 through a crowdfunding campaign to fund projects in Argentina.
2019
Successful Public-Private Investments: The public and private investments in Colonia Belgrano have successfully concluded, enabling 20 families (15 urban and 5 local) to become homeowners. These investments provided essential internet connectivity and infrastructure to support business and social growth.
Economic Growth and Media Recognition: Family businesses flourished, contributing to notable real estate growth. Extensive media coverage featured families' and neighbors' testimonies over 100 times.
Global Engagement: Founders were invited to the UN and shared their progress during "SDG 11 in Focus" and Habitat Day.
2020
Strong Demand with University and Media Recognition: The program attracted 300 urban families and 7 villages weekly, gaining invitations from universities and extensive media coverage with over 300 appearances.
Gearing Up for Growth: Operational and Tech Advancements: The foundation developed an internal Scale Model, customizing Modules for project implementation at scale utilizing the global leader CRM Salesforce. In response to the pandemic, teleworking models and technology were adopted 100% with communities and stakeholders, enhancing operational efficiency.
Global Engagement and Advisory Role: The ES VICIS Foundation became a government advisor, supporting legislative initiatives in Argentina, and attracted growing interest from stakeholders in 20 countries worldwide.
Panelista - webinar, Depopulate Cities To Promote a Better and Sustainable Quality of Life for all – Lightning Lab : Climate Kick Event
2021
First-Scale Expansion in Argentina: The initial expansion phase in Argentina involves the selection of five villages in Santa Fe from a pool of 70. This initiative is backed by winning a national call to repopulate rural areas, securing 70% financial support for the project.
Platform Customization and Knowledge Sharing: The "Welcome to My Village" platform customization is completed. Additionally, procedures and a Best Practice Manual have been developed to share knowledge with key country-stakeholders.Key Global Involvement: Cintia participated in 5Elements India, Zoho's rural renaissance webinar, and a UNITAR Hackathon. She also presented the "Welcome to My Village- Program" and served as an expert panelist, sharing insights on rural-urban challenges with representatives from UN-HABITAT, UNITAR, and FAO.
2022
Global Advocacy: ES VICIS participated in the Basel Peace Forum, where Cintia served as a panelist, with the team offering workshops to address urbanization challenges.
Projects on the Ground: We advanced in phases 1 and 2 of our projects in Pergamino, Buenos Aires Province, and in Santa Fe Province in Argentina.
Innovative Tools and Project Development: A new Measure Matrix was developed in collaboration with FLACSO Faculty of Social Sciences of LatinAmerica.
Academic Contributions: Cintia co-authored the article “Transformation of Urban–Rural Relationships in the Context of Global Challenges” with ICOMO advisor Arch. Paolo Motta and Prof. Federico Salmeron Escobar - University of Granada, contributing to the academic discussion on urban-rural dynamics.
Donor Engagement: Launch of New Funding Initiative: We debuted our membership program with 9 memberships during a benefit event, successfully attracting numerous supporters. Our focus is on securing smaller, multi-year financial commitments to strengthen our future financial planning.
2023
Revitalizing Communities through Change Agents Training: We trained 20 Change Agents in two support committees to enhance rural revitalization.
Entrepreneurial Network Development: We launched the "YO Emprendo en mi Pueblo" network, engaging over 50 entrepreneurs in six communities. Our efforts included workshops on business models and digital marketing, nine training sessions, and two in-person meetings. In partnership with Junior Achievement, we launched three youth programs—"I Can," "Plan Your Future," and "Personal Economics"—with 30 participants. We also hosted a financing workshop for 20 entrepreneurs without credit history.
Region Assessments: In Santa Fe Region we produced 450 reports for data analysis and identified over 100 business opportunities, for the revitalization of five communities with nearly 10,000 residents.
New Digital Tools: We integrated new Salesforce modules for project assessments and entrepreneur registrations. We also established two virtual classrooms with eight classes for 30 users.
International Engagement and Presentations: We presented at three events in Switzerland, including the Master in Business Transformation and Innovation at WWZ, Lions Club Basel Passerelle, and Lions Club Birseck. Additionally, we represented ES VICIS at #BforGoodLeaders2023 in the Netherlands and were featured on Chacra TV in Argentina.
Scaling-out- International Project Evaluation: We assessed countries for international scaling and reached out to Swiss embassies and potential partners in Colombia, Bangladesh, and South Africa. With Switzerland's new regional strategy, we decided to move forward with projects in South Africa and Switzerland for 2024, placing Bangladesh and Colombia on hold.