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Lafarge Surma Cement Ltd.,
Bangladesh
Setting Footprints of Social
Responsibility
When
world leader in building materials
Lafarge along with local and
international partners initiated to
build an integrated cement plant at
Chhatak, Sunamgonj in north east
Bangladesh in the late nineties, the
first step was the acquisition of
land. As the project envisaged a
cross-border operation with a 17
kilometer long belt conveyor to
carry raw materials from the quarry
in East Khasi hills in Meghalaya
(India), a substantial parcel of
land were acquired. About 500
persons had been directly affected
as they owned or were living in
dwelling houses on the land
acquired. Other affected persons
were sharecroppers or agro-land
owners. However, a massive
Resettlement Action Plan was
undertaken for the affected people.
The Plan provided cash compensation
and assistance in finding
replacement land. Besides, a long
term community development program
was adopted to extend basic
non-formal child education, primary
health-care and vocational training
for womenfolk.
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Under the Rehabilitation
program, guidance and assistance
was also provided for improving
the living standard of the
affected people. Earlier, only
3.3 % of them used to live in
any kind of brick-walled
structures but following the
Rehabilitation program, 71 % now
live in well planned concrete
houses. Other aspects given
importance in this regard
included health-safe sanitation
and kitchen gardening.
Through the long term community
development program, children of
the rehabilitated people have
gained access to education.
Earlier, there was no school in
the villages and there was no
motivation for education. Today,
about 140 children attend
regular lessons in language,
mathematics, art, science and
geography at primary level.
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The health-care service of the program has
brought immense benefit for the
rehabilitated people. The imposing
Community Development Centre built near
the plant site houses a clinic with full
time attendance by a qualified physician
and paramedic. Patients are also given
free medicines from here. It also extends
child immunizations and family planning
guidance to mothers. Besides, the
physician and the paramedic organizes
satellite clinics in distant villages
taking medicare to the door-steps of the
far-flung villagers.
As a result of our health care service
child mortality rate and maternal
mortality rate has reduced significantly.
In the year 2001 child mortality rate was
15%, in 2002 it decreased to12% and in
2003 it reduced to 8%. Maternal mortality
rate in the year 2001 was 8%, in 2002 it
was 5% and in 2003 it was 1%.
The vocational training program for the
womenfolk has been changing the
socio-economic condition of the
rehabilitated families. All women earlier
used to be only house-wives. Today, after
receiving training in poultry rearing,
sewing and candle making, most of these
women have set up their own income
generating activities. This has not only
given them opportunities to contribute to
family income but sufficient empowerment
as well.
These success stories are the footprints
of social responsibility of the company.
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