Aperam Acesita Foundation

Social Sustainability: Aperam Acesita Foundation

Created in June 1994, the Aperam Acesita Foundation is a private and non-profitable institution. Its mission is to foster the integrated and sustainable development of communities where Aperam South America concentrates its main activities.

Present in the Vale do Aço regions, particularly in Timóteo and Vale do Jequitinhonha, the Foundation operates in partnership with public organizations and national and international institutions. Through either its own programs or those sponsored by projects approved by state and federal laws, it promotes the development of people and society. Its actions cover four areas – Education, Culture, Environment and Social Promotion, which work together towards multidisciplinary and complementary proposals.

The headquarters of Aperam Acesita Foundation was built in the 1950s and originally served as a home for employees who came from other towns to work at what was then Acesita. Built in neoclassical style, the building, which today hosts the Foundation’s installations, preserves several of its original characteristics. In addition to the administrative department, the complex has an open area of woods and a cultural centre that holds the Company’s museum, a space for exhibitions and various events, in addition to a theatre that receives different presentations.

The Aperam Acesita Foundation Celebrates 25 Years in 2019!

The Aperam Acesita Foundation celebrated its Silver Jubilee in 2019.

Over the course of these 25 years, several initiatives and continuous investments in social development programmes have been made. These actions are aligned with the interests of the communities where the company operates, either in the Vale do Aço, where our industry is located, or in the Vale do Jequitinhonha, where our renewable eucalyptus forests for charcoal production is located.

In 2019, we continued and implemented many projects focusing on improving the quality of education (29%), strengthening local culture (23%), social development (31%) and caring for the environment (14%).

Examples

Continuous Training for Educators
  • Provides training opportunities for educators, developing skills and technical and pedagogical competencies, making them aware of their professional responsibilities. In partnership with the cities where Aperam operates, the training focused on local and national standards. With nearly 1,000 professionals participating in the more than 6,000 hours of training, the programme has contributed to improving the quality of teaching in schools.
School Complementation Projects

In order to live up to our promise of becoming a sustainable safe company, we make sure that health & safety guides all our actions and we continue to work on programs to support the health and well-being of our employees.  This ambition is being reflected in our health & safety roadmap, structured around 3 axes:

  • Traffic education: in partnership with other entities, this year the programme involved 32 schools and benefited 1,882 students.
  • Drug resistance education: done in partnership with the Military Police, this programme teaches students skills for making good decisions, leading a safe and healthy life and avoiding negative influences related to drugs and violence. The programme has benefited 1,084 5th grade students from Timóteo schools.
Literacy for Seniors
  • Promotes literacy and socialisation for the elderly by stimulating effective and social learning through a process of permanent education that takes into account human dignity, experience, the pursuit of happiness and citizenship. This is realised through expository classes and visits to, for example, museums, businesses, banks, and post offices, among others. All educators are volunteers. In 2019, 49 seniors, aged 55 to 80, participated in regular classes twice a week.
Rural Professional Qualification
  • Organised in partnership with SENAR (National Rural Learning System) and Rural Unions, the programme aims to prepare people for the rural labor market and improve their overall quality of life. It does this by teaching a mastery of technology and management of the work itself. In 2019, 28 courses were held in the Vale do Aço region, with 301 participants generating 6,904 hours of qualification. In the Vale do Jequitinhonha, 34 courses were held with 420 participants, totaling 1,016 hours.