The Covid crisis in Brazil: Making a difference
Hydro has 6,000 employees in Brazil and a big role to play in the communities where we operate.
With 16 million cases there and nearly 500,000 deaths, Brazil is one of the hardest-hit countries in the world.
When the Covid-19 pandemic struck Brazil in the spring of 2020, Hydro launched a plan to help relieve the effects of the virus on our employees, their families and their neighbors. Those efforts continue to this day.
Nina Schefte is Head of CSR (corporate social responsibility) in Hydro in Oslo, and Luana Carvalhosa in Belém, Brazil, is responsible for social programs. They joined in this episode of the Hydro Talks podcast to discuss how these efforts were rolled out and how they have been received in our communities.
And there have been a lot local initiatives: Donations of face masks; baskets of food and hygienic items; digital tablets for students learning remotely; medical research; for helping build field hospitals in Pará; even games for children to learn good practices.
“Social responsibility is a core part of Hydro’s sustainability agenda and we are well aware that we cannot succeed in a society that doesn't succeed, either,” says Schefte. “So health and safety is of course important. First for our employees, but also for the people living in the communities where we are present.”
Adds Luana: “It's interesting when I look at some of the initiatives that we have been involved with that's being given directly to the people who are living their day-to-day lives. We could see people sharing their gratitude for the effort to help and support them in these challenging times, and especially, to together with them demonstrate how we can make a positive difference together.”
You can hear more in the Hydro Talks podcast, “The Covid crisis in Brazil: Making a difference” and view other topics on the Hydro Talks page, where you will find links to Spotify, Apple and Google podcasts
The podcast Hydro Talks sets out to explore the modern dilemmas for industry and society. How can we create a more viable society? How can we produce better while consuming less? What should investors expect? What kind of technology and innovation can we implement to work smarter? In Hydro Talks we try to make sense out of these dilemmas. Remember to subscribe!