La Loma, September 03, 2024
Ratifying its commitment to contribute to improving the quality of life of the communities in its area of influence, Drummond Ltd. is moving forward with its High Impact project, agreed with the municipal mayors of La Jagua de Ibirico and Chiriguaná, Cesar, fulfilling the dream of having their own and dignified housing for 240 families in the territory.
“We are very happy with the progress we have made with our project, with which we contribute to the reduction of poverty and the transformation of the lives of the beneficiary families. This is how we demonstrate once again that we are a good neighbor for the communities in our area of influence,” said Juan Pablo Arteaga, vice president of sustainability at Drummond Ltd.
The social investment project, with which homes are delivered, was agreed with the National Mining Agency (ANM) in Addendum No. 15 of the contract for exploration and mining exploitation of La Loma, and agreed with the municipal mayors of La Jagua de Ibirico and Chiriguaná.
Selection process of the beneficiaries of the High Impact project
For the objective and transparent selection of the beneficiary households, award committees were formed, made up of representatives of the different interest groups identified by the Universidad de Santander, Valledupar campus (UDES), within the framework of the process of structuring, formulation and evaluation of the projects, in the feasibility phase.
In addition, the technical regulations and methodological guide for the selection of beneficiaries of the project were constructed, with which the evaluation of the registered households was carried out according to their current condition based on 20 variables making it possible to guarantee the prioritization of households with a higher level of vulnerability, highlighting the prioritization of mothers who are heads of households, households with people with disabilities, and population of special protection groups, among others.
Citizen validation and oversight of the High Impact project
The entity in charge of exercising citizen oversight is the Fundación Universitaria del Área Andina, an institution widely recognized for its experience in promoting transparency and strengthening citizen oversight in the region, leading initiatives such as the Monitoring Committee for the Investment of Coal Royalties – CSIR.
Among the efforts led by the oversight has been the validation of the warnings formally presented by different members of the local community, in order to corroborate compliance with the conditions established in the Beneficiary Selection Regulations, of some households on which such warnings were made.
There are 120 households that will benefit in each municipality, for a total of 240 families who will be able to enjoy decent and safe housing in the municipalities of Chiriguaná and La Jagua de Ibirico. Of the 240 homes, 158 are part of Stage 1 of the project and 82 are part of Stage 2, which was recently assigned and is starting the construction phase. The closure of the project is scheduled for the end of 2025.
It should be noted that the project contemplates an investment of $28.8 billion and the construction of homes has an area of 71.40 m², designed with characteristics that guarantee optimal living conditions for the benefited homes.
With the development of this project, Drummond Ltd. contributes to the fulfillment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 1 and 11, eradicating poverty and contributing to more sustainable communities.
