Maria de la Luz Melo
Lawyer
(Santiago, Chile)
"I firmly believe that social change is truly essential and can only be achieved when beneficiaries are involved in the change process. CSOs have a key role to play in achieving social change and this is precisely why I believe in NESsT -- an organization that supports and promotes CSOs that stand out from other assistance-oriented organizations and target effective change through social enterprise."
NESsT BAN member and pro bono lawyer for NESsT in Latin America, María de la Luz Melo graduated from the Universidad de Chile and is a partner in a Santiago-based corporate law firm.
She is also a director of two nonprofit foundations: Fundación Educacional Belén, which aims to provide quality education to students from underprivileged areas; and Fundación de la Esperanza Joven, which seeks to promote young people from poor backgrounds and enable them to integrate into society.
Mariluz is currently setting up another foundation that aims to develop solidarity actions in the poorest and most needy countries in the Americas, focusing on cultural exchanges and unity.