Chevron supports projects in Colombia that encourage economic development, education, health, the environment and culture and that improve the living standards of the communities where we operate.
In the province of La Guajira, Chevron is a member of the Regional Commission for Competitiveness. The commission is composed of 29 members, including unions, nongovernmental organizations and vulnerable populations. It aims to find new strategies to improve the region's productivity by creating partnerships between the public and private sectors.
We also work to improve health standards in the community. In 2010, Chevron provided training to family members of 22 Wayuu indigenous communities on how to classify, collect, transport and dispose of solid wastes.
Chevron has contributed to the strengthening of the health services in La Guajira by supporting the construction of six facilities to provide health and nutrition assistance to more than 600 children. Launched in June 2010, this project was implemented with our partners, the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare, the government of La Guajira and the municipalities of Manaure and Riohacha. We also supported Operation Smile, which provides free operations to children that suffer from cleft lip and cleft palate. More than 1,000 children have benefited from this program.
To address water problems in the region, Chevron has drilled water wells and done other maintenance work to improve living standards of the Wayuu communities near areas where we operate, benefiting more than 100,000 people.
Our efforts to support education include teacher training that has helped more than 1,500 students improve their national test scores. We also support projects aimed at increasing enrollment and improving access to new technologies. One such project, which began in October 2010, uses a portable, inflatable dome to present an educational exhibit to communities in La Guajira. Students and residents—many of whom have had little or no access to computers, the Internet, television or even a movie theater—are treated to multimedia presentations in the dome. To complement the experience, educational books and CDs are given to local schools. In 2010, the 50-seat dome visited the cities of Manaure and Riohacha.
To promote cultural development in Colombia, Chevron has sponsored part of a new wing of the Gas Museum in Riohacha. An interactive display educates visitors about the region's pre-Hispanic and Hispanic settlements. The exhibit explores the riches of the Wayuu culture, showcases the Riohacha Carnival and shares the music of La Guajira.
Chevron invests in economic development projects to strengthen communities. In the municipality of Mayapo, Chevron supports a cooperative where families can buy basic supplies and groceries at affordable prices. Profits are reinvested and distributed in the community.
As part of our seismic survey project in 2010, we contacted 150 indigenous Wayuu communities to involve the local workforce and create new business opportunities. Thirty percent of these communities were new partners for Chevron. We offered training in Chevron's Operational Excellence safety standards. According to Ecopetrol and the Ministry of Interior and Justice, our community outreach is a model for similar projects in Colombia.
Our workforce, our families and our partners also are active in the community. In partnership with our network of Texaco® retailers, the Foundation Bolivar Davivienda and the national television channel RCN, our employees volunteered their time to Texaco con Techron Pone Tus Manos a la Obra (Texaco with Techron Puts Your Hands to Work). This initiative works to improve primary school buildings throughout Colombia.
Updated: May 2011