| Education and training to reduce poverty - Holcim in Latin America |
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Description For almost two decades, Holcim has maintained a partnership with the Vivamos Mejor Foundation – a charitable organization initiating and supervising social development projects in Latin American communities. |
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Objectives These projects reflect two of Holcim's CSR focus areas by providing education while at the same time involving the community. The initiative in the small rural town of Maria Auxiliadora in Costa Rica's Alajuela province is similar to Holcim projects near our plants in Brazil, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. |
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ActivitiesIn Maria Auxiliadora, poverty is one of the main causes of high youth unemployment and school drop-out rates among 10 to 17-year-olds. Vivamos Mejor and Holcim try to support children while they receive a solid educational foundation, as this will enable them to sustain themselves both economically and socially. Begun in 2003, the project has the goal of reducing the school drop-out rate of 28% by half by 2005, as well as substantially lowering youth unemployment. |
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Results Apart from financial support, Holcim is actively involved in the Foundation by contributing experience and know-how to various project initiatives such as a study center, scholarships, and learning support groups. Unemployed youth receive technical training; and sport and recreational activities, open to both children and parents, help strengthen social skills while improving the community's overall quality of life. |
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Stakeholder comment Peter Tschopp, President of the Vivamos Mejor Foundation, on the occasion of our first corporate stakeholder dialogue, December 2003: 'Vivamos Mejor has had around 20 years of constructive cooperation with Holcim in Central and South America. It is important for development aid to not only be channeled from the North to the South, but for the South to also be actively involved. With its network of Group companies, Holcim is a leader in this field.' |
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