Luz María Sanz Masedo, general director of the Vicente Ferrer Foundation: “Just because conflicts are forgotten in the media doesn’t mean they cease to exist”

The Vicente Ferrer Foundation is not just another NGO; it is an institution with deep roots. Vicente and Anna Ferrer arrived in Anantapur, India, in 1969, more than 55 years ago, with the goal of lifting one of the country’s most arid and overlooked regions out of extreme poverty. They did so by applying a model they still use today: moving beyond simple charity to real action, empowering communities to take the lead in their own recovery.

The main reason we are here today is the 30th anniversary of the opening of its Spanish branch, established in 1996. To mark these three decades of work, the organization is preparing the Esentia Gala, which on June 18 will transform the Glass Gallery at Madrid’s Palacio de Cibeles into an elegant venue.

Under the theme “the great night of childhood,” this charitable event aims not only to celebrate the journey so far, but also to raise additional resources to protect the future of the most vulnerable. It is an evening open to anyone who wants to contribute and be part of the change.

Over the past 30 years, the Foundation has undergone a profound transformation, establishing itself as one of the strongest humanitarian organizations in Spain. It no longer operates only in India; it has expanded its experience to Nepal, Mozambique, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines, and has even taken on work in conflict zones such as Palestine. In addition, at the end of 2024, it carried out its first operation on Spanish soil in response to the flooding emergency in Valencia.

Rediscovering the belief that the world can truly change

Luz, before we dive into the Foundation’s work, I’d like to pause on your background. You are a psychologist, criminologist, and an expert in major disasters. What was the personal and professional path that led you to become Director General of the Vicente Ferrer Foundation in Spain? What did you see in this project that made you think, “this is where I belong”?

My training and focus have always been in the social field; I have always felt very close to people. I started as an aid worker in Latin America, and when I returned to work in development cooperation, one of the organizations I was connected with was the Vicente Ferrer Foundation.

I knew a great deal about their work and always thought, “If I go back to fieldwork, I would love it to be with them.” The opportunity came up, I traveled to India to visit the project, and there I rediscovered the belief that the world can truly change.

I saw, on a small scale in a specific place like Anantapur, how people’s lives had genuinely improved thanks to opportunity. I understood that if we all did a little, poverty could disappear. I came back in love with the project, and here I am; I have now been with the Foundation for 16 years.

“It is a great responsibility, but also an immense gift”

I imagine taking the reins of an organization founded by such iconic figures with so much history is not easy. Does it feel daunting to take on the role of Director General in Spain for a project shaped by such influential founders?

It is very daunting. I spent 13 years as the regional delegate for central Spain, and when I stepped into the role of Director General, I felt a huge responsibility for all the prior work and, above all, for the trust of so many people who give up part of what they have to think of others.

But I have never felt alone in decision-making. I share leadership with the management team, and we are like a big family of professionals, partners, and volunteers. Sometimes we have to make bold decisions, like when we chose to expand our work beyond India.

We did it by following Vicente and Anna’s guiding principle: reach people who are suffering, wherever they are, and do not remain indifferent to that suffering. We explained it, and people supported us. It is a great responsibility, but also an immense gift.

“We have grown exponentially because every human being has a need to connect with a cause”

It has been 30 years since the Foundation officially arrived in Spain in 1996. You started as a small branch seeking support to strengthen the work in Anantapur, and today you are a leading institution. How would you summarize these three decades?

Vicente Ferrer began in Anantapur in 1969, receiving very specific support. But when he visited Spain, his leadership and compassion were incredibly motivating; he clearly saw that we could build strong support here.

In 1996, the Spanish branch was created with modest expectations, but we have grown exponentially because every human being has a need to connect with a cause. Vicente conveyed distant realities by talking about very basic needs: food, housing, or access to a hospital.

We have always encouraged people to travel to India to see the project firsthand, and when they returned, they became ambassadors for the Foundation across Spain. Thanks to symbolic support through sponsorship, which benefits entire communities, we now have more than 111,000 supporters.

“It is not a one-way conversation; we listen to our supporters”

Over the years, how do you think the profile of the “Spanish donor” has changed? Do you feel there is now a more critical and demanding awareness compared to the 1990s?

Today there is much greater access to information, and as an organization, our duty is to be completely transparent. If we need to communicate a delay in a project in India or the extreme difficulties in Gaza, we do so. It is not a one-way conversation; we listen to our supporters.

Some prefer email and sustainability-focused communication, while older individuals still find great meaning in receiving a physical letter from India. That level of expectation is fantastic because it pushes us to deliver higher quality and helps everyone move forward.

“We have to stand by them”

At the end of 2024, you made the historic decision to intervene in Spain for the first time following the flooding disaster in Valencia. For an organization that has focused on Asia for half a century, why act here, and what did your work involve?

It was a bold decision, but Vicente and Anna had always said that if there were ever a need in Spain, we should give back the support we had received. By an extraordinary coincidence, Anna Ferrer was there on the day of the disaster, and she immediately said, “We have to stand by them.”

Since there are already expert organizations handling immediate emergencies, our idea was to contribute in the medium and long term without competing with anyone, focusing on specific needs: mental health support alongside the Spanish Confederation for Mental Health, community work with older adults, and rebuilding schools.

Interestingly, we were about to partner with Valencian cooperatives to build schools in India, and after they lost their own, we decided to build them here instead. We also experienced powerful moments that show how everything comes full circle.

The president of a local association whose headquarters we rebuilt showed us a letter from 1960 in which Vicente Ferrer thanked his father for a donation. Now the Foundation is returning that support to his son. Moments like that show that when values come first, we are much more connected than we think.

“In every disaster around the world, the same thing happens: you cannot lose hope”

Given your experience, what similarities did you find between major international tragedies and what you saw in Valencia? What lessons applied?

In every disaster around the world, the same thing happens: you cannot lose hope. If someone believes their life cannot improve, it is very hard to move forward. But to regain hope, you cannot feel alone.

We have seen in every country that while an individual may have strong determination, real strength and success come from community action. That collective support and network that prevents people from collapsing is something shared by Valencia and rural areas everywhere.

“You have to understand that each place has its own rhythm”

Your work now extends beyond India to Nepal, Mozambique, the Philippines, Sri Lanka. Can the Anantapur community-based model be replicated across such different cultures, or have you had to adapt it?

In India, we have been working for 57 years and have a fully developed, comprehensive approach. In newer countries, where we have only been present for one or two years, the key has been listening to local organizations.

The foundation remains the same, always prioritizing the most vulnerable, especially children. But the pace and priorities differ: in Mozambique, our focus is on infectious diseases and HIV; in Nepal, we are transferring our knowledge from India about disability. We are even working in urban environments, which is new for us.

You have to understand that each place has its own rhythm, and it must be respected. Change has to come from within those communities.

“Within that instability and trauma, we need them to feel some sense of normalcy”

One of your most complex projects is in Palestine, supporting children living through conflict. As a psychologist specializing in crises, how can you emotionally help a child in a place where war continues and safe spaces are scarce?

This is our first time working in a conflict of this magnitude. We are fortunate to collaborate with an organization based in the Gaza Strip that is committed to staying. The project focuses on creating safe spaces that serve as meeting points for children, their mothers, and professionals to work on psychological support and mental health.

Within that instability and trauma, we need them to feel some sense of normalcy. There is also direct humanitarian aid, such as hygiene and food kits. Right now, the most important thing in Gaza is that people feel heard, that they are not forgotten, even as other conflicts take more media attention.

“When women begin to earn their own income and contribute financially to the household, they gain social value that breaks down patriarchal barriers”

Returning to India, you have a network of more than 90,000 women participating in “sanghams” (support groups), and you have legally registered more than 1,200 homes in women’s names. How does ensuring a woman legally owns her home help reduce gender-based violence or change her position in the community?

Projects involving women take the longest. At first, husbands would attend the sanghams to monitor what was being discussed. But when women begin to earn their own income and contribute financially to the household, they gain social value that breaks down patriarchal barriers.

Housing was a priority because everything used to be inherited through the male line. If a woman became widowed, she could end up on the street with her children. Now, every house we build has a plaque on the door with her name.

This gives her dignity, ensures she cannot be evicted if her husband leaves or dies, and requires others to respect her. These women’s associations are now so influential that if a family tries to arrange a marriage for a minor, the community leader intervenes and seeks alternatives.

“The major challenge is mental health and caring for the aging population”

More than half a century ago, the Ferrers’ priorities were hunger and extreme poverty. Looking ahead, what would you say is the major challenge of our century that you will need to address in the coming decade?

Education remains a fundamental pillar. But looking ahead, the major challenge is mental health and caring for the aging population. As life expectancy increases through healthcare and education, degenerative and chronic diseases emerge, especially in densely populated countries like India. Globally, our challenge is to understand that the traditional north-south dynamic no longer applies; we need to create partnerships and learn from one another.

“It belongs to all of us”

Finally, if you had to choose a single image, moment, or glance from your time leading the Foundation that perfectly captures why your work is still so necessary 30 years later, what would it be?

I would choose the feeling that sometimes, without touching and just by looking at each other, we feel part of something unique. When there are no barriers, only unity. I always say, even in new countries: it is not “their” hospital in Mozambique or “our” project here, it belongs to all of us.

That sense of unity, that mutual gratitude without needing words, being part of something shared, that is the image that comforts me and shows me that all of this is worthwhile.

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