Bekaert strives to be a loyal, responsible partner within the local communities in which it operates. We make a point of interacting with local governments in a transparent, constructive way, and we are firmly committed to complying with national legislation and collective labor agreements. Bekaert adheres to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the treaties and recommendations of the International Labor Organization.
In supporting local communities, Bekaert attaches high importance to learning. Educational projects, therefore, form the backbone of funding and other community-building activities. In addition to these, we also support local activities and projects for social, cultural and economic development, and for disaster relief.
Helping youth and society in Asia
Ever since 1999, Bekaert has been supporting the Shenyang Enlighten Intelligence Kindergarten. This organization provides preschool education to both disabled and non-disabled children.
In China Bekaert provided financial support to the Gift of Sight program established by the China Foundation for Disabled Persons (CFDP) and aimed at restoring sight to the visually impaired. The money went to a special fund which finances surgery aimed at restoring sight for people suffering from cataract blindness, and at fighting poverty caused by this condition. Also in 2010, through the Bekaert University Scholarship Program, we supported talented students from three top level institutions: Xi’an Jiao Tong University, University of Science and Technology Beijing, and Harbin Institute of Technology.
With the funds donated by Bekaert, a brand-new 6 200 m2 playground was completed in 2010 for the Weihai Welfare Home for Children in the city of Weihai. This project is one of Bekaert’s initiatives, aimed at contributing to the wellbeing of orphans and disabled children in the local community.
Also in the city of Weihai, Bekaert donated CNY 50 000 to the Xi Yuan School for the construction of a children’s recreation activity center, a place where kids can enrich their extracurricular life, develop their reading skills, and practice a wide range of sports activities. The opening ceremony of the ‘Children’s Recreation Activity Center for Migrants Family’ of the Xi Yuan School was held in June 2010.
In 2010, we donated advanced electrical teaching equipments for each classroom. The aim is to help disabled children learn easily and efficiently. On the celebration of Children’s Day, Bekaert also donated toys and teaching aids to the children.
China shows appreciation for Bekaert’s community support
- Our tire cord plant in Weihai was awarded the title of ‘Model Enterprise in harmony and sustainability’ by the Working Committee and the Administrative Committee of the Weihai Economical & Technological Development Zone
- The Bekaert Asia Headquarters received from the Red Cross Society of China, Shanghai Branch, a ‘Certificate of Appreciation’ in recognition of its contribution to and support for the Red Cross services and humanitarian aid and relief.
- Bert De Graeve, CEO of Bekaert, was awarded the title of ‘Honorable citizen of Shanghai’ by the Shanghai municipality.
North America
In the Rogers (U.S.) plant, we participated in the Head Start program, the country’s most successful, longest-running, national school readiness program. It provides comprehensive education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to disadvantaged children and their families.
Throughout 2010 the teams in Rogers raised money through fundraising to buy Christmas gifts for disadvantaged children.
Latin America
Peru
In 2010 our Peruvian subsidiary Prodac entered into an alliance with two institutions: Cayetano Heredia Peruvian University and Empresarios por la Educación. These have developed an overall methodology to improve the way public school teachers teach reading and writing skills. Prodac co-financed this project.
In another project in Peru, our Prodac plant
contributed funds to the Summer School of the nearby Sarita Colonia community. The Sarita Colonia Summer School offers children between five and seventeen free courses to develop their arts and sports abilities.
The ‘Reading to grow’ program is based on the strength of abilities of public teachers. By improving teaching methods, children learn to write & read fluently.
In addition, Prodac received recognition from Global Compact, the United Nations’ international network that supports a shared set of principles on environment, labor and human rights, for its ‘Tu Casa’ program. The program helps its employees and families with limited economic resources find a place to live.
Colombia
Proalco, our subsidiary in Colombia, developed in 2010 the environmental training and awareness program ‘Niños defensores del Agua/Our children as water defenders’ in cooperation with the regional environment authority CAR. The program promotes the sustainable use of natural resources.
Through events and conferences we raised the awareness of some 150 children of our plant’s employees on environmental care. In an awareness workshop, the children learned about caring for natural resources, by answering questions such as “Why is water essential for life and how can we use and save water and energy in our home?”
During the first stage of this program, children controlled water and energy consumption in their homes with the help of an informative notebook, containing tips on how to reduce water and energy usage. An award was given to the two families showing the best decrease in energy and water consumption, thereby consolidating also at family level the children’s newly acquired resource savings culture.
Brazil
In Brazil, Bekaert is a partner in the Welding City program, which aims at training youth at risk in welding methods so that they can enter the labor market. The first group of students graduated in February 2010.
Belgo Bekaert Arames collaborates closely with SENAI, the National Service for Industrial Training and with the communities which are home to a lot of socially vulnerable youth. SENAI trains these youngsters in specific professions such as welding. Since there is no shortage of job opportunities for skilled welders in Brazil, these young people are able to find work matching their qualifications faster after completing the training. Bekaert provides the materials used during the training sessions.
Also in Brazil, Bekaert partnered with APAE, an association of parents and friends of children with special needs. Since separate schools for disabled children do not exist in Brazil, teachers are often not qualified to interact appropriately with these children. The aim of the cooperation program is to prepare teachers to deal with and stimulate the interaction between the special needs children and their non-disabled schoolmates. Through donations, Bekaert supports lectures, workshops and training courses. 35 teachers were trained in 2010.
Still in Brazil, Bekaert donated funds to sponsor a European tour of the Orquestra Jovem de Contagem, a project designed to train 250 young people as professional musicians or music teachers. The main objective here is to keep the children and adolescents off the street where they run the risk of getting involved in drugs and/or gangs.