New Expectations

The seven students with scholarships to attend the International Enterprise Forum- FIE 2011 held in Córdova – Argentina returned exited to Cajamarca, thanks to the initiative of the Asociación Los Andes Cajamarca (ALAC) in order to strengthen their enterprising spirit and define goals that contribute to the personal development.

The group was formed by Milton Pereyra Rodríguez and Wilman García Tabaco, from the “Pedro Paula Augusto Gil” school in Celendín, Milagros Mariñas Camacho from “Antonio Guillermo Urrelo” school, Luz Janet Arribasplata Arribasplata from “Santa Teresita” school, Karen Melissa Vargas Salas, from “Parroquial Inmaculada Concepción” school and Jhennifer Bacón Saucedo from “San Vicente de Paúl” school.

Wilman García Tabaco, “Pedro Paula Augusto Gil” school
“It is wonderful to know there are guys like us with a different culture. Thanks to this experience I will be able to apply in the future better ways of sharing, helping and be better each day”

José Luís Vargas Amezaga, head of family
“I feel excited and motivated for this event that allows the kids to have a wider vision to be part of the change in the region. I also congratulate ALAC for this very good decision and I hope they continue to trust young people, since they are an important bastion in our society”.

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Together for a better future

In a busy ceremony held in Celendín, the Regional Government of Cajamarca, the Celendín Provincial Municipality and Yanacocha signed a participation and commitment agreement to co-fund the Project “Construcción del centro de abastos de la provincia de Celendín - II etapa” (Construction of a supply center for the Celendín Province – II stage), valued in 9 million Nuevos Soles.

According to the agreement, the Regional Government (GR) and the Celendín Provincial Municipality (MPC) will provide 2 million Nuevos Soles each and Yanacocha, through the Solidarity Mining Fund on a regional level and the Conga Project, will contribute with 5 million Nuevos Soles. Aside from the amount mentioned, GR and MPC committed to draft and obtain the approvals required for the pre-investment and investment assessments.

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It is once again proven that when public and private institutions work together, important projects can be performed, projects to set the bases for sustainable development and allow the improvement of the quality of life for the population.

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"Alliance for the development against poverty"

On Wednesday the 9^th of February a workshop took place with members of the “Alliance for Development and Poverty” in Celendin. This workshop had the participation of authorities and CODECOS from the communities of Coñicorgue, Shanipata, Santa Rosa, Jerez, La Victoria Alto Huangashanga, Curapampa, Huangashanga, San Juan de Huangashanga, Primavera, Pring, Yanaquero and Florida

The purpose of this meeting was to confirm the commitment of the alliance with the CODECOS and the authorities to continue with the work to achieve the development of the communities

Through briefing sessions, dialogue and reflection it was possible to explain the wish of making this project real by working in teams to be able to achieve common goals.

The Neighbourhood Community or the Committees of Community Development (CODECOS) are the major organizations which seek to improve the capacity to formulate, implement and manage plans and community development projects with the participation of its citizens and both public and private institutions.

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Christmas in Conga

The employers `spouses of the Conga Project visited 32 hamlets of the territory in these festivities. They shared gifts and surprises with children of the educative institutions in a traditional Christmas event known as “Chocolatada” ..

Thus, with this type of activities we try to involve the families of our workmates to improve the relations with our neighbors. Not only in Christmas also in future campaigns in which we will ask for the active participation of the hamlets settlers, authorities, contributors and relatives.

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Visiting the Mine

The Yanacocha operations and the facilities of Porcón Farm were visited by students of the Technological Institute "Pedro Ortiz Montoya” from Celendin as well as primary students from the 5th class, teachers and parents of some educational institutions in villages near the Conga project, with the purpose of clearing up any doubts and fears about the environmental and social work carried out by modern mining in Cajamarca.

Visitors

"Our visit is really rewarding because students have learnt that it is possible for the agriculture, the livestock and the mining to live in harmony. Now I have realised that Yanacocha is a friendly- environment mining company.”

Walter Altesana Yallop, Teacher in the Institute of Technology.

"This visit is extremely important due to the information we receive regarding the mining operations, now we know how Yanacocha operates and how they care for the environment."

Mirzan Chávez Malaver, Student

"We are proud for everything we have seen in Porcón Farm. We have listened to those who say that mining damages the environment, but it is not true because here we have seen animals of all kinds and also trouts. I will take this message to my village so they come and see that mining does not hurt anybody.”

Salomón Cruzado Huaman, deputy Mayor of Huasiyuc hamlet.

"I thank the role of the authorities from our village and the goodwill of the Conga project who have made this visit possible for students, teachers and parents. We are happy because this trip allows our children to visit places they have never been able to visit before"

Eloy Quintana Ramos, President of Parents Association Huasiyuc IE.

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New business ideas for Celendin

Young people is in charge

The first competition on Business Ideas was carried out under the project: Training Program for Young Entrepreneurs Celendin (PFJEC for its acronyms in Spanish). This competition brought together young people from different secondary schools as: Jesus de Nazaret, Coronel Cortegana, Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Manuel de Pierola Castro, Jose Cabellos, among other educational institutions within the area.

This program aims to encourage a culture of success among Celendin youth, providing them with the abilities to develop skills which will facilitate their integration into working life and business.

How was the competition achieved?

• First, it began with the distribution of business ideas workshops in schools within the area.
• There was a call to young secondary students.
• Young people presented their projects
• Friday, November 19, finalists were evaluated by a jury, who were members of the Andes of Cajamarca Association (1), the UEGEL Celendin (1) and the Junior Achievement Peru (1).
• After the evaluation, 10 finalists were selected out of 103 submitted projects.

Each group (of two pupils each), achieved a presentation of ten minutes, and then responded to questions from the jury.

The winners

The winners were the participants of the Project “Coffee made of sweetened cereals to boil”, Edgar Pereyra y Wilman García, pupils of the secondary school Pedro Paula Augusto Gil; both received a scholarship to attend the International Forum of Entrepreneurs FIE 2011 (in Cordoba, Argentina)

The Project “Company of Ecotourism services”, whose participants were Nilson Fidelia Hoyos and Sanchez, pupils of the same school but from a different class, received a digital camera and a MP4 player.

The awards

The awards ceremony was held on the 29th of November at the Municipal Auditorium and included the presentation of the speaker Fernando Escudero Espinoza.

The commitment of institutions as the Association Los Andes de Cajamarca and Yanacocha – Conga Project, which is supported by the UGEL Celendin and the implementation of Junior Achievment Peru, made possible this type of educational initiatives which improve the development of Celendin.

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Conga´s recipe for dialogue

How to communicate with people?

In Conga we have designated days for dialogue: on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in Huasmín, Celendín and Sorochuco respectively.

These meetings attract hundreds of citizens to discuss issues of interest, such as those related to environmental work of modern mining in Cajamarca.

Citizens of the three districts have supported openly this dialogue initiative because it allows them to obtain information regarding mining issues, but also of initiatives to lay the foundations for sustainable development.

In these meetings participate:

Ramon Marchena Ortiz, a resident of Sorochuco:

"Because the information we receive is satisfactory for the knowledge of all of us"

Quiliche César Bolaños, a resident of Sorochuco:

"This is how the mining propose new alternatives for the development of its people. By the dialogue of settlers and mining representatives, both parts are satisfied”

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Could a mine promote development before starting to operate?

We have been working for the sustainable development in communities, despite the fact we have not become a mine yet. Why? Because we have a social and environmental commitment with Cajamarca.

We believe that sustainable human development is an approach which promotes fundamental skills of the people (education, health, income, civic participation, among others) and at the same time, train citizens to acquire high levels of autonomy.

There are a lot of cases we could share. At this time, we will introduce the case of the famous milk from Cajamarca.

Case 1: Healthy Cows = rich milk = quality dairy products.

We decided to work with dairy farmers in Cajamarca because they need more training and technical assistance. The aim is to improve the skills of dairy farmers in order to optimize their income and quality of life.

With this project, "Training and Employment Promotion in Dairy Cattle in Cajamarca", we have been able to train more than 8300 dairy farmers in the watershed of the Encañada, Cajamarca,Tumbaden and Conchan, also in the provinces of Cajamarca, San Miguel and San Pablo.

Thanks to the Fondo de Crédito para el Desarrollo Agroforestal (FONCREAGRO) which we are supporting, 870 families benefit from improved health conditions of livestock and plant improved pastures, among other services.Since the cows are the main source of milk produced in Cajamarca, we have implemented a preventive vaccination campaign and we have also boosted the registration and earrings of cows to optimize production.

Since the cows are the main source of milk produced in Cajamarca, we have implemented a preventive vaccination campaign and we have also boosted the registration and earrings of cows to optimize production.

Conga´s formula

How to contribute to human development for the dairy farmers to produce more milk of better quality?

• A strong and committed partnership with local actors
• A rich Credit Fund for Agroforestry Development (FONCREAGO)
• Intense training for dairymen
• Essential care for the cows (registration, vaccination and veterinary services)
• Good Pastures
• A lot of quantities of work committed to a long-term vision

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For the hamlets to produce more and better

Conga´s Teams of Social Development and Community Relations make the effort every day to visit neighbouring communities and share productivity methods with them. In the city of Cajamarca, more than 800 families from 38 hamlets in the towns of La Encañada, Sorochuco and Huasmin have already begun to experience positive changes through development projects which we carry out within the area.

Partners for Development: From left to right: Inés Pando Salazar, Conga Project Social Development Coordinator; Miguel Lacsa Fuentes, potato farmer of Uñigan Pululo Hamlet and Nicolas Caballero Bardales, Specialist in Productive Development of Asociación Los Andes de Cajamarca (ALAC).

Seven options to produce

Nicolas Caballero Bardales, a specialist in the productive development of Asociación Los Andes de Cajamarca (ALAC), tells us that within the next 3 to 5 years, seven projects will be implemented.

“At the moment we are developing programs such as: the native potato, dairy livestock and we are about to start the productive project of ground berry (aguaymanto). Next year we will implement a bio-commercial programme as well as a milk processing plant”.

Future Kings of the native potatoes

Thanks to the projects "Production of commercial native potato" and "Production and marketing of quality potato seed”, Miguel Llacsa Fuentes, potato producer of the hamlet of Uñigan Palulo, is learning to maximize his farmland by preserving the environment and getting trained in business management.

"We want to become great negotiators of potatoes and have a fixed market. Thus we could resolve our work and make a profit from it."

The project is implemented by the Asociación para el Desarrollo Sostenible del Perú (ADERS Perú).

The future king of native potato: Miguel Llacsa Fuentes, potato producer of the hamlet of Uñigan Palulo wants to become a great negotiatior and have a mixed market. Thus he could solve his work and “makes a profit from it”.

Cajamarca: Delicious, fresh milk

There are currently 870 families participating in the competitive development project of dairy livestock run by the Fondo de Crédito para del Desarrollo Agroforestal (Foncreagro) (FONCREAGRO, Credit Fund for Agroforestry Development) The goal is to optimize the quality of milk by improving sanitary conditions of the livestock, pasture, among others.

Communities with forward-looking approach.

In addition to these programs, in Conga we integrate an institutional network that promotes the creation of Community Development Committees (Codeco) as a strategy for community empowerment.

Consuelo Sanchez Cortez, vice president of Codeco in the hamlet of Uñigan Pululo tells us:

"Thanks to Codeco there has been a mass participation of people in the community. We have carried out many initiatives such as Improved Stoves, the creation of the Educational Institution “Uñigan Pululo” and, for 2011, we have planned a program of technical irrigation’

Ines Pando Salazar, Coordinator of Social Development in Conga Project says:

"These projects endeavour to improve the living conditions of farmers in neighbouring areas within the scope of the Conga project. The idea is to make our neighbors incorporate into their daily lives better tools and techniques in agriculture and livestock management, and thus gain more income”

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People first

In Conga, we are convinced that the social investment must be focused in a long-term vision. So, it is very important to work together with the development specialists and representatives of the populations to be close to the people, their families, custom and needs in order to recognise new alternatives to encourage the local and regional development.

With this in mind, we launched an important initiative: To set up the Alianza por el Desarrollo de Cajamarca y contra la Pobreza (The Alliance for the development of Cajamarca and reduction of Poverty). On February 11th, 2010 we subscribed with enthusiasm our Deed of Constitution. This Alliance involves habitants from 38 communities of the high Andes located in the border of the provinces of Cajamarca and Celendín. It is an inter-institutional platform composed of several collective efforts with a common goal: to seek sustainable development through innovative social, integrated and participatory projects that stir capabilities.

Thus, we can make individual and collective changes in the families of Conga, by improving their quality of life and reducing the poverty.

Who makes up the Alliance?

The heart of the Alliance is made up by 38 villages of the area of our Conga project. A number of public and private organizations and institutions specialized in sustainable development also takes part in this initiative. Such as:

• The villages of Agua Blanca, La Chorrera, Unigen lily, Unigen swarm Cruzpampa, El Tingo, Tablacucho, Faro Low, Santa Rosa de Huasmín (La Victoria), Huangashanga, Pampa Verde, El Alto No. 8 Chilac No. 8 Coñicorgue , Jerez, Shanipata, Quengorío Alto, Quengorío Bajo, El Tambo, Jadibamba Baja, alum, Namococha, Las Lagunas de Combayo, El Porvenir, Quinuapampa, El Valle, San Juan and Yerba Buena Yerba Buena Chica.
• The Regional Department of Health of Cajamarca.
• The Regional Management of Social development of Cajamarca.
• Minera Yanacocha - Conga Project.
• Los Andes de Cajamarca Association.
  
• PREDECI (Programa de Reducción de la Desnutrición Infantil).
• PRIE – IPAE – Empresarios por la Educación.
  
• Funder Perú.
• G y C.
• ADERS Perú.
• CEDEPAS Norte.
• Programa de Voluntariado de Minera Yanacocha.
• FONCREAGRO.
  

Different specialized institutions join the initiative of 38 communities from the Conga Project area in order to stop poverty and find the path to the sustainable development.

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Minas Conga will require a 3000 million dollars investment

Newmont’s Senior Official, Guy Lansdown said, "We are engaged with Peru and willing to make a 3 million-dollar investment to create sustainable development"

After having obtained the social license at the Public Audience of Cajamarca, with the aim to develop the project which will add half-million tons of copper to the national production, Conga Project, represented by Executive vice-president Guy Lansdown, had an important participation at the XI International Symposium of Gold.

In this event, the participation of Conga project was considered one of the most important gold-copper projects from Compañía de Minas Buenaventura and Newmont Mining Corporation. Conga operations will be managed by Yanacocha Peruvian Unit, the most important gold mining company in Latin America.

Newmont is planning to start Conga Peruvian project by the end of 2014 or at the beginning of 2015, so the decision about the advance of the project would be taken at the end of this year. Guy Lansdown said that the future project will require a strong investment of around 2,500 or 3,000 million dollars.

He also mentioned that the investment in Peru is favorable and competitive comparing with other countries of the region such as Chile, Mexico, and Brazil. "Keeping this investment environment is the key for which Peruvian economy is open, we are so pleased with the environment we have for gold investment."

Conga is an innovative mining project that wants to set up a new environmental and social management model for its influential area. The one will work on the construction of sustainable development of Cajamarca by generating direct and indirect jobs as well as social and economical contributions.

More related information:

• Diario El Comercio Perú
• Diario Gestión
• Andina Agencia de Noticias
• Sociedad Nacional de Minería, Petróleo y Energía
• Reuters Agencia de Noticias
• Yahoo Noticias

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Video: Conga Project – Public Audience

The Public Audience of the Conga Project took place in the small village of San Nicolas of Chaihuagon in Cajamarca on March, 31 2010 where the results of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the Conga project were put forward.

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Town in motion

A GREAT DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY
The Conga Project of Yanacocha organizes a public audience with great success.

The small village of San Nicolas of Chalhuagon was the scenery of a historic activity for the people from the villages of Huasmin, Sorochuco and La Encalada of the provinces of Celendin and Cajamarca on Wednesday, March 31.

The results of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the Conga Project were put forward in the Public Audience held on March, 31.

From 9 am different delegations arrived on foot, by trucks and buses, some with their community authorities, others with their majors and deputy governors. The scenery was massive. A four thousand country people attended, but only 3,094 were registered and participated officially in the audience.

In that event, all the doubts and questions were answered by technicians of Yanacocha, who presented the main features of the Conga Project, and also by specialists of the consulting company in charge of the Environmental Impact Assessment.

Darío Zegarra, External Affairs Manager of the Conga Project, said: „We are very grateful with our neighbours because we have the same interest; this mining project is a great opportunity because it will generate four reservoirs which will provide more water for the agriculture activities in dry seasons”.

As it is known, a lot of critics have been surprised because they thought that Conga project steals water from the agriculture activities. This surprise lies in the construction of 4 reservoirs done by Yanacocha which will work before the mine operates and compensate fully to the affected lakes.

The representatives of the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) and the Regional Direction of Energy and Mines of Cajamarca led the audience. OMBUDSMAN and the Public Ministry officials as well as deputy governors, provincial and district majors, local authorities and the community in general attended the audience.

The Audience closed a series of workshops for Citizen Participation that began several months ago following the Regulations of the Ministry of Energy and Mines as well as other consulting and reporting activities that the Yanacocha officials developed village by village.

It is expected that Yanacocha invests again in the region which would be one of the most important gold - copper projects in Peru after they have collected the citizens’ observations and the Ministry has approved the project.

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4 false claims about Conga

What you can find in the Environmental Impact Assessment.

1. If lakes disappear, farmers will run out of water
• Conga will affect 4 lakes: Three of them will be replaced by reservoirs and one will increase its storage capacity.

2. Tailings will pollute all the basins
• The deposit design of the tailings incorporates all the control measures to avoid pollution in the natural environment. On the other hand, the tailings will be thicker to minimize infiltrations

3. EIA was created without people participation
• Without the audience, around 1800 people who live in the project area, have taken part in the EIA workshops besides other activities such as; visits, meeting, conferences (Thursday dialogues), and technical expositions among others.

4. Reservoirs affect the equilibrium of the zone
• Conga Project will build dykes as reservoirs. What is a dyke? They are floodgates built over natural ravines which allow storing water during rainy seasons. So, the water is stored in the same ravine without affecting the area keeping the same conditions.

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Environmental Impact Study (EIS)

• The Environmental Impact Study (EIS) has been developed by the independent firm Knight Piésold, a specialized consultant with international experience and authorized by the Ministry of Energy and Mines (Ministerio de Energía y Minas del Perú- MEM).

• The EIS was submitted to the MEM at February 9th 2010 for its assessment and evaluation.

Conga Project Environmental Impact Study (spanish) http://elaguaprimero.blogspot.com/

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