Case studies: Brazil

Schools’ competition focused on United Nations Millennium development goals

In 2006, AngloGold Ashanti’s Brazilian operations decided to develop an active outreach programme in support of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) (see box). This was one of a broader set of projects involving a national and business coalition in Brazil in support of the MDGs.

In 2007, AngloGold Ashanti decided to involve children and young people, as they are the groups that stand to gain or lose the most by the achievement or otherwise of MDGs.

“We decided to involve students from the surrounding cities and towns of Nova Lima, Sabará, Santa Barbara and Raposos as these are closest to our operations,” says Dirlene Taveira, Social Relations co-ordinator at Brasil Mineração.

To support the campaign, the company has encouraged the participation of its employees through the company’s long-established employee volunteer programme, the Holding Hands initiative. Volunteers visited schools in these cities and towns, creating awareness of the MDG objectives, stimulating interest and telling students how they can participate on an individual level. In total, 21 company employee volunteers spoke to more than 1,650 students over a period of 15 days.

“We want to encourage them to participate because it is only through their active involvement that we can change their behaviour and that of their families,” explains Taveira. A feature of this programme introduced in 2007 is a competition developed to create interest in and awareness of the MDGs. Schools were invited to nominate five students to represent them in the competition. Each group has to develop and present a project related to the achievement of the MDGs in their own communities.

Judges drawn from local business and social leaders adjudicated the competition and students, teachers, and company volunteers all participated in an awards ceremony in December. The projects will also all be reviewed by AngloGold Ashanti and, should they prove to be appropriate, they may be selected to be implemented by the company as part of its corporate social investment programme.

The five pupils participating in the winning project team will each be awarded a savings account with $1,000 and a further $3,000 will be awarded to the winning school. The project placed second will earn MP4 players for each of the five students, and $1,000 towards their school.

While on a small scale, this project has created interest and participation: in total, 19 schools have entered, five from Nova Lima, nine from Sabará, four from Santa Barbara and one from Raposos. That brings the total number of students participating to 95 in this first competition, although most schools had an internal selection process first which means that many more students participated early on.