Groups of employees at the company headquarters and at its projects have been collecting food and supplies for institutions and people in vulnerable situations.

2021 was a tough year in many ways for everyone. The pandemic continued unabated with the emergence of new variants, while slow vaccination campaigns prompted widespread uncertainty about the future. This was compounded by the economic difficulties created by the Covid-19 pandemic, which ended up translating into an increase in hunger and food insecurity throughout the country.

According to data published by the Brazilian Research Network on Food and Nutrition Sovereignty and Security (Rede Penssan), in 2021, 19.1 million Brazilians went hungry, some 9% of the total population. The network also established that over 116 million people, more than half of the population, are undergoing some degree of food insecurity, which is when an individual lacks full access to the food they need. In response to this alarming situation, Techint E&C in Brazil organized an initiative at its projects and at company headquarters to collect over seven tons of food for distribution to NGOs as well as among families living in vulnerable situations.

Donations across the country

In the state of Sao Paulo, the joint action taken by employees at Headquarters and the Techint E&C Machinery Park (TEPAM) to gather food donations amounted to 140.88 kg of products, which were sent to the NGO Bem da Madrugada, located in the capital. Meanwhile, in the north of the country, in Roraima, employees at the Jaguatirica II project collected 793 kg of groceries that were subsequently distributed among thirty vulnerable families in the city of Boa Vista, and also to the Associação Mexendo a Panela.

In Minas Gerais, where Techint E&C is developing two projects, employees collected 500 kg of food in total. The 200 kg of donations assembled at the MOA-Usiminas project were delivered to the Lar Divina Providencia Institution, in the city of Ipatinga, while at the CMISS, employees secured 300 kg of food for the Associação de Pais e Amigos dos Excepcionais (APAE) in Serra do Salitre.

Meanwhile, in Rio de Janeiro, employees from the PCI Project raised 250 kg of donations in the form of non-perishable food items and groceries that were handed over to the Casa de Repouso Ribeirinho, in the municipality of Itaguaí, in the Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro. Maximiliano Santos, the PCI Project Manager, points out that, “this action was driven by the scaffolding team who encouraged everyone to help improve the quality of life of the residents of this nursing home by donating what they could. This action sprang spontaneously from the workforce itself, which demonstrates the strong sense of solidarity in the hearts of our employees.”

At the Parnaíba V project, in Maranhão, Techint employees collected 5.6 tons of food, 108 toys and 16 school kits, which were distributed among different organizations in the region. These included the Guardianship Council of Santo Antônio dos Lopes, the Municipal Secretariat for Women, the Eliseu Ramos parish church, also in the city, the School of Family Agriculture in Capinzal do Norte, a Spiritist Center in the city of Dom Pedro, and the Fazenda Esperança Rehabilitation Center in Presidente Dutra.

Carlos Gomez, who is in charge of Social Responsibility, explains that, “Although we’ve been living through the pandemic for the last two years and many of our people had to work from home, our employees rose in unison to the challenge to support our Christmas charity donation initiative. To see such enthusiasm for helping others in action underscores our commitment as a company.”