Looking back on her childhood in Venezuela, Oriana Méndez Torres has plenty of fond memories — exploring beaches, going sailing with her father, and playing football. But those positive experiences were at times overshadowed by the realities of the country’s difficult political situation. “Growing up, one of the main things that I remember is that we were under a junta government,” she recalls. “I was therefore very aware that it was important to fight for my ideals. To fight for my dreams.”
Having graduated in business administration and started working at Siemens Venezuela, Oriana was 26 when she was offered the opportunity to develop her professional career by taking a similar position within the finance team Argentina. That was three years ago and, during that time, Oriana has been working on more than just her role as a Commercial Controller.
Along with her partner, she established Venezolanos Emigrantes en Argentina — a foundation that’s dedicated to supporting other Venezuelans who arrive in Argentina. “I came here with help from Siemens. But many people from my country, and immigrants from other countries, arrive with difficult situations,” she says.
At work, Oriana deals with budgets and forecasts, and ensures the myriad administrative tasks related to maintaining gas turbines are carried out quickly and efficiently. Put simply, her role demands that she is organized and prepared for whatever the future might hold. And in that sense, it’s not a million miles from the work she does with the foundation.
A helping hand
From securing a job and gaining access to healthcare through to ultimately becoming a resident, new arrivals in Argentina face many challenges and Oriana seeks to help them overcome each and every obstacle they might face along the way.
“We mostly help people find the right information so that they can responsibly immigrate to Argentina and other countries,” she says. “Many people arrive in a vulnerable condition, for example, they might be unwell or in need of government support. We give them guidance.”
It’s a huge challenge and one that is likely to be even more in demand as Oriana’s home country continues to face tumultuous times. “The Venezuela diaspora is not a secret to the world. We are providing aid in what is a humanitarian emergency,” says Oriana, who draws on her own experiences of arriving in a new country to inform her approach to helping others.
“As an immigrant, every day is a challenge. There are new cultures and new ways of expressing yourself that you need to learn. For example, we all live in Latin America and we think that because of that everybody speaks Spanish. But we have differences, so it’s very difficult to start over again. You are far away from what you know, and that means you have to create a comfort zone every day.”
In search of a better life, Oriana says she couldn’t have made the move without the support of Siemens. “Years ago, if you had asked me if I wanted to leave my country I would answer ‘no’. But I had this opportunity so I took it. I said ‘yes’, I will go to another country because I need to help my family and my friends. I think that Siemens is a company that appreciates their people as humans and wants to give them positive opportunities.”
So far, the foundation has helped 8,000 Venezuelans and Oriana is intent on changing the lives of more people. Part of this involves collaborating with various organizations, and Siemens has been actively involved over the years. A number of Oriana’s colleagues are volunteers and the company has been quick to donate essential items such as food and medicine, as well as laptops.
Oriana hopes that having a desire to give something back will encourage more people and organizations to get involved. “We have to be grateful in life,” she says. “I had this opportunity to move to Argentina and I think it’s important to return that kind of benefit in the form of something that people need.”
Oriana Méndez Torres lives in Buenos Aires with her wife and their dog. Find out more about working at Siemens.
Oriana is one of the many talented people working with us to make real what matters.
Photography: Franz Grünewald
Video: Mattias Matoq
