Every journey begins with a first step
Catalina Hornos founded Haciendo Camino, an organization dedicated to fighting child malnutrition in northern Argentina. Today, 18 years later, she continues to lead the way as General Director.
In 2006, Haciendo Camino was founded as the result of a search—a desire to change the reality faced by many families in the north of our country. However, that search began a few years earlier. In 2001, Catalina Hornos finished high school and said goodbye to Colegio Mallinckrodt to begin her university studies at the Universidad Católica Argentina (UCA) the following year.
During her period as a Psychopedagogy student, Catalina had the opportunity to travel to Añatuya, Santiago del Estero, on a volunteer trip to a boarding school, where she supported children in their studies and school reintegration. Her commitment with the place was so profound that she promised to return to Buenos Aires to complete her studies and, once finished, move back to Añatuya to stay at the school and continue supporting the children.
Then she moved to Añatuya, Santiago del Estero, and the idea of creating Haciendo Camino was born, with the objective of improving the life quality of families in socially vulnerable situations in northern Argentina.
Little by little, she began bringing people together to create profesional teams and volunteers who could support and assist children and their families.“I realized that I could become a bridge, connecting those who were in a good financial position and eager to help with those who were struggling on the other side of the country”, says Catalina.
Today, more than 200 professionals and 100 volunteers are working across three provinces. “Malnutrition is not just about feeding a child; it’s about influencing their entire environment so that, in addition to being well-nourished, they receive the stimulation and everything else they need to develop correctly in all aspects.”
The programs are not only aimed at promoting the growth and integral development of children from 0 to 5 years old but also at supporting and training mothers from pregnancy onward. “Our objective is to provide them with the tools to improve their lives through their own effort and personal growth.”
What started as a single center in Añatuya has grown into a network of 12 Child Development and Family Strengthening Centers, and also 22 rural communities in Santiago del Estero and Chaco.
Her remarkable work has led to several recognitions. In 2010, she received the Abanderados Award from Fundación Noble for her efforts in northern Argentina. Soon after, other distinctions followed. In 2014, she was awarded the Entrepreneur of the Year prize by Ernst & Young, and two years later, she received the Mujeres Solidarias distinction from Avon.
The scalability of her work has undoubtedly been one of Catalina’s greatest achievements. In 2022, the organization HELP Argentina honored her with the Social Leadership Award in recognition of her efforts to mitigate the effects of poverty and inequality in the country. A year later, Fundación Centro Rossi presented her with the Flor de Mujer Award.
In 2024, the Buenos Aires Legislature declared Catalina and Haciendo Camino as an organization of public interest and recognized them for their work in promoting and defending the rights of children and adolescents.
“We will never be able to replace the role of the state in achieving large-scale changes, but it gives me peace to know that in that family, in that home, in that person, there is a change—and in those children, there is a difference.”
Through years of tireless work, Haciendo Camino has supported more than 18,185 families.
Catalina will continue paving the way for an Argentina with equal opportunities, supporting every child and family because she knows that every step counts for their future. She believes that the only way to transform realities is by getting involved, connecting with others, and working together to achieve meaningful change.
