As the Spanish-language crisis text line Aquí Estoy pushes to make crisis support available 24/7 across 20 Latin American countries, executive director Bruno Borges makes the case to Alliance columnist Gastón Wright that mental health deserves the same status as core social infrastructure—and why philanthropy’s short funding cycles are the wrong tool for a systems problem.

Bruno Borges has spent much of his career at the intersection of philanthropy, social innovation and regional impact, from Ashoka and TECHO to The Miami Foundation. Today, as Executive Director of Aquí Estoy, he is helping expand a model that has already trained more than 400 volunteers and supported over 120,000 conversations across 20 Latin American countries.

Borges sat down with Alliance columnist Gastón Wright to explore what Aquí Estoy can teach philanthropy about mental health as essential social infrastructure and how to use AI to strengthen, rather than replace, human connection.

The following interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Gastón Wright: Bruno, you now lead Aquí Estoy in Latin America. How did you first become involved with the organisation, and what convinced you that this mission was worth committing to?

Bruno Borges: I came to Aquí Estoy through a broader interest in how technology can support people in moments of vulnerability. In my previous work, I had seen both the potential and the limits of digital platforms in helping people in need. What really drew me to this work was how intentionally the model is centred on human connection.

At a time when so many conversations are focused on AI and automation—which are, of course, extremely important—being part of something that scales empathy rather than replaces it felt incredibly meaningful. The idea that you can be there for someone during their most difficult moments, with compassion and without judgment, resonated with me on a very personal level.

GW: Aquí Estoy began as a response to loneliness and emotional distress. How has the organisation evolved from its early days into the regional platform it is today, and what have been the biggest lessons from that journey?

BB: Aquí Estoy’s main goal was to create a space where people could connect, in real time, with a compassionate listener. From the beginning, the organisation has preserved that human-to-human connection as the core of the model.

Read the full article about Spanish-language crisis text line Aquí Estoy by Gastón Wright at Alliance Magazine.