CASE STUDY
Barrick partners with Chilean NGOs to support housing, education and health initiatives
A landmark alliance recently signed between Barrick and three non-governmental organizations in Chile is hoping to alleviate the pockets of poverty in Atacama through targeted programs and initiatives. Called the Atacama Commitment, the focus of this unprecedented partnership is on housing, education, health and socioeconomic development.
Despite the Atacama region’s wealth of natural resources and its unique beauty, the area is home to some of Chile’s most impoverished and isolated communities. Thousands of residents live below the poverty line and are struggling with the basic necessities of life: education for their children, jobs to provide economic security, and affordable housing.
“The Atacama Commitment is a powerful alliance that brings together some of Chile’s most respected organizations and Barrick in a concerted strategy to alleviate poverty in the region,” - Igor Gonzalez, president of Barrick South America.
The alliance brings Barrick together with Teletón, Un Techo para Chile, and América Solidaria. The first phase of the Atacama Commitment is expected to benefit more than 4,000 of the region’s most underprivileged residents. The full implementation of these initiatives ranges from three to five years, with some projects already underway.
Key Programs:
New homes for families
Eliminating substandard housing and building new homes is one of the cornerstones of the Atacama Commitment. Barrick will be working with Un Techo para Chile, a volunteer-based organization that has already built thousands of homes across Chile. Under the leadership of Un Techo para Chile, the project will provide 700 families, an estimated 3,000 people, with new homes in safe neighbourhoods.
“Seven hundred families from the Atacama Region will finally leave the campamentos behind and move to houses in better neighbourhoods, where their children can grow and develop,” said Un Techo para Chile founder and chaplain Father Felipe Berrios.
Help for children with disabilities
Today, families living in the Atacama Region who have children with disabilities must travel to other areas in order to receive specialized medical assistance.
With Barrick’s support, Teletón will be establishing a new centre in the city of Copiapo to serve the needs of these families. The centre will provide integrated medical, therapeutic, psychosocial and other services and assistance. Barrick has agreed to fund the management and operation of key programs at the centre for a five-year period. In addition to serving local families, the centre will also create jobs in the region.
Ximena Casarejos, Teletón’s executive director, says local labour will be used for the construction and priority will be given to local professionals when filling health care and administrative jobs once the centre is open. “We hope that the Atacama Commitment, which will have a tremendous social impact in the region, will be replicated in other regions,” Casarejos said.
Sustainable Development
One of the key steps to eradicating poverty in the long term is the creation of sustainable development programs. América Solidaria is committed to helping the Atacama region do just that.
With the support of Barrick, América Solidaria will send volunteers from Latin American countries to work with local residents to design and implement programs specifically tailored to meet the needs of the region.
Bringing technology to the classroom
The Atacama Commitment also incorporates the Class 21 program, which is a collaborative educational partnership involving the Fundación Cisneros, Intel Corporation and Barrick.
The partnership began in June 2008 as a pilot project involving two rural schools in Chile’s Huasco Valley. Under the Atacama Commitment, the program will now be extended to 12 schools in the region over a three year period.
With support from existing partners and Edu Innova, a multi-disciplinary organization specializing in collaborative learning and technology, Class 21 will provide more than 1,000 students with access to laptop computers, computer laboratories and an enhanced learning environment.
CASE STUDY DETAILS
- Published
- 09 March 2009
- Company
-
Barrick
- Location
-
Latin America
RELATED PUBLICATIONS
Community Development Toolkit
Read more
Download PDF
-
Working together: How large-scale mining can engage with artisanal and small-scale miners
» Download PDF -
ICMM responds to War on Want report
» Download PDF
» Read more -
ICMM Newsletter: Volume 4 Number 3 - Oct 2005
» Download PDF -
Resource Endowment initiative - second multi-stakeholder workshop
» Download PDF
» Read more -
ICMM Newsletter: Volume 4 Number 2 - Jun 2005
» Download PDF -
Mining and Indigenous Peoples Issues Review
» Download PDF
» Read more -
ICMM's letter to Commission for Africa on Transparency of Natural Resource Revenues in Africa
» Download PDF -
Resource Endowment initiative - multi-stakeholder workshop report
» Download PDF
» Read more -
ICMM Position Statement on Mining and Indigenous People
» Download PDF
RELATED LINKS
- MMG supports crocodile conservation in Lao PDR
- Goldcorp builds community trust through independent monitoring
- Anglo American invest in infrastructure at Barro Alto
- Rio Tinto welcomes tourists to Madagascar
- Mitsubishi pioneers metals recycling scheme in Japan
- Teck saves native Oregon oysters in Coos Bay
- Teck workers sleep easy at Carmen de Andacollo lodge
- Teck helps protect grizzly bears in Canadian foothills
- Newmont's integrated malaria, HIV/tuberculosis program at Batu Hijau, Indonesia
- Vale Inco contributes to the preservation of traditional languages in New Caledonia
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK
Principle 09:
Contribute to the social, economic and institutional development of the communities in which we operate
© International Council on Mining and Metals 2010 │Terms and Conditions │Privacy Policy