As an active community member in Colombia, Chevron sponsors several programs. Recently, Chevron launched a number of projects in partnership with community organizations and national and local governments.
Among them is a project to provide water wells for the local Wayuu Indian tribe. More than 100,000 indigenous people who had no access to potable water now have safe, clean drinking water in their community.
Children who might not have had access to basic education can now attend primary school, thanks to Chevron and our partners. We support the Department Library of La Guajira as well as the Hermana Josephina Zuniga de Luque Library, which now has more than 5,000 volumes available to the community and is linked to the national library system.
Chevron also contributes to Operation Smile. Doctors working for the well-known nonprofit organization have performed cleft-palate surgery on more than 700 children.
With our partners, we support vocational training centers for adults and day care centers for young people. The Majayura Center offers job skills training to youths and adults. And in the town of Riohacha, we support the San Judas Home for displaced children.
Chevron works closely with the foundation A Roof for My Country, which is building emergency homes for those who are homeless. In 2007 and 2008, Chevron, along with our Texaco dealers, supported the construction of more than 350 new homes.
In recognition of these and other efforts in Colombia, our country manager for Chevron Colombia, David Bantz, received on behalf of the company a prestigious award from Minute of God, one of Colombia's most important foundations. The Rafael Garcia Herreros Social Order of Merit is given annually to individuals and institutions for outstanding work with the poor and their service to Colombia.
Updated: March 2009