COMMUNITY & SOCIAL PERFORMANCE
We are committed to meeting the highest standards of corporate citizenship by creating a long lasting, positive impact on the communities where we do business.
SOCIAL SUPPORT
We have a strong commitment to developing projects that improve education, health and the quality of life in the communities where we live and work. We support charitable and other nonprofit organizations, community projects, scholarships and employee volunteerism.We work closely with the local communities to help us understand and evaluate specific needs. This collaboration ensures the sustainability of our social responsibility program. In 2006 we invested over $4.5 million in cash donations worldwide, plus an additional $1 million in disaster relief contributions.
Our goal is to make a sustainable improvement to the social well being of the communities in which we operate. The key focus for our social support is education and health. In 2006 over 70% of our social spending in communities was on education.
In 2006 the majority of our planned social expenditures were in West Africa, Asia and the United States.
Some highlights include the following:
Equatorial Guinea
In Equatorial Guinea the company developed and initiated a 5 year program, in partnership with the government, to support education in the country. The company has committed $20 million of the $40 million program over the next 5 years to strengthen the nationwide educational system focusing on children between ages 6 to 18. The project will focus on improving teacher training, development of learning initiatives and improving school infrastructure.We began this program in 2005 by working with the Equatorial Guinea Ministry of Mines, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Education, and the international nonprofit agency, Academy for Education Development, to develop a feasibility study on national education improvement. The results of that study led to the funding commitments by the company and the government. The program represents a model for public/private cooperation and is designed to improve education and provide sustainable benefits for the country.
Gabon
Our Gabon operations sponsor a number of initiatives to improve education and health in the county. For several years we have sponsored a program which teaches school children about environmental issues and encourages them to produce individual artwork on environmental topics. This artwork is compiled into a calendar used throughout the schools and our operations. Schools and students who participate in this initiative receive support in the form of educational materials and general infrastructure upgrading. We also donate library books and computers to rural and village schools to support education in the least developed areas.
School children in
Indonesia. Hess is sponsoring educational
improvement projects in the Ujung Pangkah district.
Indonesia
In Indonesia, where we are developing the Ujung Pangkah Project, the company was proud to receive the government’s social investment award for its community investment programs and relationship building with local communities. This included an education improvement project to improve the schools and teaching methods in the Ujung Pangkah district.In cooperation with the Indonesia Street Children Organization, we are sponsoring 241 marginalized children in Central and North Surabaya. This program is working to prevent these children from becoming street children or child laborers by providing support and access to a better education.
The company has also facilitated community planning activities in the Pangkah and Gresik area. It’s main purpose is to build consensus among communities regarding future economic development, such as fishpond management, shrimp processing, livestock farming and crafts.
Thailand
In Thailand, in association with our Phu Horm development, the company is providing education support to 36 village schools located in the project area. We are also providing support to 15 regional healthcare centers and are increasing their capacity to manage long term healthcare issues, particularly diabetes and hypertension.We are also helping to combat deforestation as a result of agricultural development and are supporting local economic growth by assisting farmers in improving their cattle raising skills and providing training to local residents in marketing their produce.
Azerbaijan
In 2003 Hess began a program to improve emergency medical care in Azerbaijan. Working with our partners, the International Medical Corps and Johns Hopkins University, the company focused on improving emergency care at the First Medical Emergency Hospital No. 3, which serves a population of one million people in northwest Azerbaijan. The key elements of this program were to advance the skill levels of emergency personnel and improve the hospital’s infrastructure.The successful completion of this program in 2005 demonstrated that a second phase, involving the entire country, was possible. Working with the U.S. Agency for International Development, Hess recruited additional partners and expanded the scope to include five hospitals, new national emergency training centers and a new national policy on emergency care. In 2006 significant progress was made including improved ambulance and in hospital treatment, which has resulted in high quality care and an increased survival rate for trauma patients.
Algeria
In Algiers Hess has donated Braille software, computers, printers, tables and chairs to a local blind children’s school to create a braille computer science classroom.United Kingdom
We have provided support for several years to the Restoration of Appearance and Function Trust for medical research and education associated with reconstructive plastic surgery and other treatments for burns, skin cancer and other debilitating conditions. Employees have also raised additional funds for this cause and the company has sponsored various events during the year.
Hess sponsors the Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day at the United States Open Tennis Championship.
United States
Since 2004 Hess Corporation has been the presenting sponsor of Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day, a nationally televised, day long interactive tennis and music festival for children and families. In addition to honoring tennis legend Arthur Ashe, the program uses tennis as a means to instill the values of humanitarianism, leadership, and academic excellence. Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day is held annually as the kickoff event for the United States Open Tennis Championship in Queens, New York. Hess support provides many underprivileged children in the New York Metropolitan area the opportunity to participate. Hess works with organizations such as the local Boys and Girls Clubs, the Harlem Children’s Zone and area Community Tennis Centers, providing bus transportation to and from the event, souvenirs, and tickets to the main event. Each year, Hess employees join the volunteer team to spend the day performing various needed services on the grounds and courts.In Houston, Texas the company and its area employees are supporting the Houston Habitat for Humanity program through donations and volunteer work. Hess employees worked as “house builders” in 2006 to provide homes for families who typically have incomes equal to 25% to 50% of the area's median income.
Hess employees actively participate in the March of Dimes, an organization that raises money to fund research, education, and public awareness programs to reduce premature birth and to develop medical advances that support premature babies. Our employees also contribute generously to other charities, and to numerous clothing, food, toy, and blood drives throughout the year.