In addition to supporting various humanitarian programs around the world, the MDM Foundation awards the “Prix Hublot” each year to a person or organization having distinguished themselves through their work on behalf of the world's underprivileged children.




From left to right: Carlo Crocco, President and Founder of Hublot, Paco and Fernande Cagigao, René Felber, former President of Switzerland


The MDM Foundation “main dans la main” (Hand in Hand), under the presidency of Mr. Carlo Crocco, is awarding this year the “Prix Hublot” of CHF 50,000.- to Fernande et José Francisco Cagigao for their commitment with the Achalay Community, an educative Institution in Peru they created and which welcomes and takes care of children and teenagers living in extreme poverty and often handicapped or mentally affected, offering them the possibility of a new life until possible completed education. The action of Achalay is based on the human value of the person, whatever his or her problems and handicaps are, where educators and children live together, like a large family in a spirit of solidarity and mutual support.

The Achalay association has been founded by Fernande Cagigao in Peru in 1971, while she was attending a professional congress in Lima, Peru. Stroken by children’s misery in Peru, she decided to drop everything to help these thousand of an-alphabet children, suffering infectious diseases, amputations, and humiliations of all sorts. (In latin America, 15 million children are exploited) Fernande is creating at first a temporary “Home” in Lima welcoming her first children with an aged look darkened by atrocities.

In 1974, she is joined by José Francisco Cagigao who became her husband and whom she met through the handicapped children coming from the specialized college “la Allegria en El Señor”, in which he, himself handicapped, was teaching. Together they created another 5 day-care-centres for the small children of surrounding slums and with the increasing poverty, 4 food distribution programs, using the help of volunteering mothers for their preparation. At the same time, they coordinate an official adoption program with the Swiss and Peruvian Government.

After 10 years of begging, they finally got the Government to lend them a piece of land in the country up north to settle the children and the older handicapped to rebuilt a life outside of city chaos and violence. They had first to reconstruct the wrecked Farm and with the help of educators, the saving of badly hurt children through different re-education programs, and their rehabilitation with life, society, professionally, and with their family whenever there is one. All of the above with unconditional love. Nonetheless, the space is missing, children are arriving from all sides.

The MDM Foundation has been most impressed by a life of such dedication and is happy to support this fabulous project. The “Prix Hublot” 2004 has been awarded to Fernande and Paco Cagigao, under the Presence of Mr. René Felber, former President of Switzerland, during the press conference of Saturday 17th April 2004 at 13.00 p.m. at the Hublot Stand during the International Basel Fair.

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Source: Hublot Press Release