Meeting market needs without forgetting to give priority to social responsibility is a challenging task for large businesses these days. Economic activities linked to environmental conservation and social development make up the new profile of entrepreneurial responsibility.

In Brazil, large companies already allocate budget resources to be applied in social responsibility foundations in order to assure the enhancement of the institution's image in the eyes of society and to provide underprivileged children, youth and adults with a better quality of living.

The Suape Port and Industrial Complex, which is currently in a privileged situation regarding the development processes of the region, fulfills its social responsibility by not permitting the residents of its 13,500 hectares to suffer from the impact of the development that has been going on over the 26 years of its existence. Suape proves that it is possible to contribute toward improvements in the quality of living and the sustainability of society while ensuring market growth.
Take a look at the ongoing social actions:

- Professional training
- Educational infrastructure
- Clothes and food donations

Professional Training

In partnership with the Pernambuco State Secretary of Education, Suape offers its collaborators professional qualification courses and the Telecourse 2000 program. Classes are administered at four locales in the cities of Cabo de Santo Agostinho (Work Agency and Professional Training Center) and Ipojuca (Condominium of Courses and the Suape Port Training Center).

Initially, the goal was to offer employees, subcontractors and local residents the opportunity to finish high school through the Telecourse 2000 program. With the success of the first classes, Suape took the initiative to expand the qualification process and sign a new partnership, this time with the Secretary of Social Development and Citizenship to promote professional training courses through SENAI for residents in the cities of Cabo and Ipojuca.

A total of 832 professionals from diverse fields have already finished their courses and there are currently more than 1300 workers being trained. This training is financed with a total of R$ 1.4 million in resources from the State Fund for Combating and Eradicating Poverty (Fecep).

On another front, the Superintendence of Property and Patrimony Management and the Administrative Superintendence of the Suape Complex have made available 300 slots for formal education through a partnership with the State Secretary of Education and Culture (SEDUC). The priority of this educational project is to collaborate with access to Elementary Education I and II and High School Education for young people and adults among the occupants of the 13,500 hectares of the Suape Port and Industrial Complex.

A parallel project of professional qualification will make available training for assistant waiters and assistant chefs at the Senac Mobile Units in a partnership with the National Service of Commercial Learning (Senac), as well as for manicurists, pedicurists, hairdressers, receptionists, cleaning assistants and gardeners. All courses are administered at the Suape Training Center.

All these actions are geared toward encouraging the residents of the region to participate in Local Development Projects in order to minimize social issues, offer opportunities to make them autonomous entrepreneurs and train them to join the formal job market installed at the Suape Port and Industrial Complex.

New Schools

An intention protocol for the construction of two schools in the cities of Cabo de Santo Agostinho and Ipojuca, where the Suape Port and Industrial Complex is installed, was signed in the first semester of 2006. The schools will be for high school education and will have a capacity for two thousand students. The annual maintenance cost of the schools is estimated at R$ 3 million. Construction has the support of the State Government, the Suape Business Association, the Cities of Cabo and Ipojuca, and the Institute of Co-Responsibility for Education. Each school will receive R$ 1 million from the State Government. The city halls and other institutions involved will jointly invest another R$ 1 million.

Food Donations

Concerned with caring for the needy communities in the region of the port and industrial complex, Rexam, which is a company installed at Suape, contacted the port administration regarding the distribution of basic food packages and other non-perishable foods, reaching a total of five tons. The Executive Secretary of Social Programs and Human Promotion from the city of Cabo de Santo Agostinho was consulted to indicate organizations that develop work for the needy population.

The Executive Secretary selected the Armínio da Paz Community Residents' Association and the Casa de Maria Daycare Center in the Claudete community to receive the donations. Residents at both locations were very pleased with the donations. It was the first time that the 230 families of the Armínio da Paz community had received basic food packages.

The Claudete community had a similar reaction. The families were waiting for the donation at the Casa de Maria Daycare Center, which was the site chose for distribution, where educational activities are carried out with 210 children from the area. As in the Armínio community, collaborators from Rexam and Suape were present, along with authorities from the city of Cabo de Santo Agostinho.

The Suape administration congratulates the initiative of Rexam, pointing out that businesses that are interested in broadening the scope of this social work can directly contact secretary Edna Gomes for information on needy communities. Phone: (81) 8801-1350.