Working
with the communities
Trinidad Express
Port
Spain
Petroleumworldtt.com
11 19 06
Many in the world of business call it "social
responsibility". Others refer to it as giving
something back to the community. And a lot of this
takes many forms, from financial donations and sponsorships
to the providing of basic services for a specific
community and support for non-governmental organisations.
In
the case of BHP Billition Trinidad and Tobago, one
of the leading energy corporations in the country,
the approach is to select a specific community,
go to the people and solicit from them exactly what
they would like to have. This unique way of doing
things, which does not involve a great deal of investment,
has brought the community and the company to work
hand in hand for the best interest of the all the
people in the area.
Vincent
Pereira, the company president, believes that such
a partnership would have long-lasting benefits for
all involved, thereby shaping a firm legacy for
BHP Billiton. In fact, BHP has launched numerous
so-called community programmes and projects in many
areas around the country, including Mayaro, Guayaguayare,
Toco and Tobago.
One
of those successful projects is the cassava cultivation
in Guayaguayare where the community came together
in partnership with BHP for a venture in sustainable
farming. After timely training from the Ministry
of Agriculture in effective cassava cultivation,
farmers reaped a bumper harvest of cassava eight
months later. Other projects include the production
of preserved fish by the Women in Fishing Association
of Mayaro and the rabbit rearing programme, also
in Mayaro.
BHP's
Pereira likes to refer to these community partnerships
as part of a broader initiative aimed at "full
integration" with the communities around the
country, where in the distant future inhabitants
surely will have fond memories of his company.
"We
will be successful when the communities where we
operate value our presence and are themselves successful
and share outcomes that are mutually positive,"
according to Pereira.
Undoubtedly,
BHP Billiton's work with communities is highly positive
and a model for other companies to follow. Fortunately,
several other energy corporations currently operating
in the oil and gas industry already are engaged
in many "social responsibility" initiatives.
But as the industrialisation of the country goes
deeper, much more work is needed in this area. Surely,
more and more companies will come up with innovative
ways to work with the communities.
Trinidad
Express
Wednesday, November 15th 2006
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