Society
Social responsibility is a fundamental part of our business and we have commitments to the local communities at each of our mines. In particular, we support projects which our communities can sustain long after our mines are gone.
The following are some examples of our community activities:
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At the Taparko mine, we support the local school, including building new classrooms and providing drinking water for the teachers and children. We also support several other community projects aimed at helping local populations develop sustainable work practices in farming and ranching. We recently built a new health clinic and will be renovating the old clinic. We are also actively searching for better medical equipment. Finally, we are working closely with civil-society representatives in the region, to help them identify potential areas for improvement and structure programs and projects.
- At the Suzdal mine, we have made repairs and bought computers for the Znamenskaya Secondary School, provided a scholarship to the top student, repaired the road from Znamenka, constructed a water pipe from wells to Znamenka and supported cultural and social events in the village.
- At the Irokinda and Zun-Holba mines, we have committed funds to renovate the Dashenka child-care facility and provided support to the Okinsky District Administration and the Orlik village boarding school, as well as sponsoring summer camps for children and sporting and other community events.
- At the Berezitovy mine, we are helping the Tydinsky District Administration to support young people, the Skovordinsky Administration of the Amursky region, the Russian Children Foundation and World War II veterans.
- At LEFA, we support several community programs in villages near the mine. A few examples include the significant improvements made to the health clinic in the village of Lero, the construction of schools and the provision of school supplies in other villages nearby, and support to local women’s organizations in setting up and operating a produce farm to supply the mine’s needs.
- At Bissa, discussions with the government and local communities continue, as we develop plans to relocate two small villages. This includes working closely with the government to determine who should receive compensation. Our aim is to minimise the disruption to people's lives, while maintaining or improving their communities. For example, the relocated villages will retain the approximate layout of the existing villages, reflecting our belief that the shape of communities is important to their success. At the same time, we will provide a medical centre, school, church, mosque, community meeting place and a water supply. Where we are relocating people from agricultural land, we will ensure that the new land we provide them is fit for purpose. We will also ensure that we relocate people within the traditional boundaries of their land.