In the face of the social distancing scenario to prevent and combat Coronavirus (Covid-19), Hydro updated its social activities and sought virtual solutions to continue social projects. One of the actions is to strengthen the knowledge and activity of recyclable waste pickers in Barcarena, Pará, promoted by the Sustentar program, carried out by the companies Hydro, Alunorte, Albras and the City Hall. “It is a dream that is coming true. I started to learn that we, waste pickers, are competent people and that we had to dream big and believe ”, emphasizes worker Olivia Cunha, one of the beneficiaries of the program last year.

Sustentar supports solid waste management through training, cooperatives and environmental education for the population, with a special focus on people who work as collectors at the local garbage dump. In addition to Olivia Cunha, 960 more people were present in knowledge development activities offered by the Sustainable Program. In 2020 alone, in addition to this, other initiatives distributed in 10 social investment projects and with other actions in the areas of Human Resources and Supplies, reached more than 23 thousand people.

In Pará, the reach is in the seven municipalities where the company operates: Barcarena, Abaetetuba, Moju, Acará, Tomé-Açu, Ipixuna do Pará and Paragominas. “We are committed to making a relevant contribution to a more viable society. To this end, Hydro wants to make a positive difference in the territories where it operates, by strengthening its business partners, public institutions and local communities. And we understand that training to strengthen knowledge is important to boost long-term development, with respect to people and the environment ”, explains Luana Carvalhosa, Senior Manager of Sustainability and Social Programs at Hydro. In the company's methodology, coverage encompasses individuals who participated in courses, lectures, training and projects that support public agencies and communities.  

Initiatives - Participant in the Embarca Amazônia program, Amanda Pinheiro points out that the initiative has awakened its potential for entrepreneurship. “I never thought that I could start a sustainable company. Imagine you have the possibility to create a business that, in addition to giving you money, is protecting the environment. Today, I am very grateful for everything they have provided for us, ”she says. The program offers education and training for young socio-environmental entrepreneurs so that they can contribute to the sustainable development of the Amazon, with immersion in the social, economic, environmental, institutional and ethnic-cultural dimensions of the region, based on the productive chains of the forest, biodiversity, sustainable agriculture. and creative economy. Ten young people were awakened to entrepreneurship in 2020.

Another example is the Territory of Knowledge program, started in 2019 and carried out in the city of Paragominas. In it, more than 120 teachers and 40 school managers were trained last year, in online format, due to the pandemic. In addition, about 350 teachers participated in the workshop on digital tools to improve work skills on online educational platforms. The activities met the needs mapped by the school teams and, indirectly, benefited 12 thousand people. The Territory of Knowledge contributes to the improvement of the quality of education in the municipal network, with special attention to the reduction of illiteracy and functional illiteracy rates among young people and adults.

Corporate Social Responsibility - Hydro has restructured, in the last two years, its private social investment strategy, based on a transparent, respectful and egalitarian dialogue with all interested parties. This strategy is guided by 3 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Quality education; Decent work and economic growth; and Peace, justice and effective party institutions.

In Pará, in addition to the 10 projects that Hydro invests, it also promotes actions of the volunteer program and investments in initiatives of the Hydro Sustainability Fund, a non-profit organization that supports community-based projects and with participatory dynamics. In 2021, still in the Covid-19 pandemic scenario, social projects will continue in the seven municipalities, with important deliveries such as the Recyclable Materials Sorting Unit - one of the Sustainar program's tripods - and various knowledge-building and strengthening activities capacity of the population, contributing to the global goal of the company.