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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A new contribution for education

Conga Project representatives, along with authorities and hamlet Quengorío Alto inhabitants, participated in the ceremony of placing the first stone that marks the beginning of the construction of new rooms for Educational Institution N° 101030.

According to the technical file, the work includes three rooms designated to be used as auditorium, Computer classroom and Principal office respectively, with their own toilets. These are necessary significant infrastructures that will make students and teachers perform their functions in better conditions.

Hamlet Quengorío Alto authorities expressed their satisfaction for the beginning ofsuch significant work.

In this way, Yanacocha Conga Project works together with the neighboring hamlets, contributing in the fulfillment of projects in key places for sustainable development.

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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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More education

The quality of education not only depends on teachers, but of the commitment and coordination of all of us. Therefore, we have been promoting volunteerism with youth from different schools within the country.

In July, 10 young people from Markham school from Lima participated in this volunteer program along with other 13 students from Davy´s school from Cajamarca.

Together, students, parents and teachers, helped shoulder to shoulder in the repair and improvement of the infrastructure of a school in the hamlet of Agua Blanca, in the district of Sorochuco.

After extensive hours of work, the facade, doors, windows and the interiors of each of the classrooms looked restored. The access to the school as well as the sanitary facilities and drainage for rainwater were improved.

Reading for pleasure

Reading means more than just studying, it is a recreational activity. Thanks to all the volunteers we were able to renew the Educational Resource Centre with new textbooks, which will be useful to promote reading sessions under the name of "Reading for pleasure."

Authorities, teachers and the community in general, emphasized the team work, recognizing that actions like this should be replicated in other areas of the district.

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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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Shilicos from Trujillo are well informed

People from Celendin who live in Trujillo city expressed their points of view about the Conga Project in the program Visión Informativa, Channel 33:

"The mining set up in Celendin is going to be an alternative of progress and improvement for our population. Investment is a sign of progress so I ask to all my fellow countrymen to support this project, because it will bring progress and opportunities to Celendin. We should stop being negative and start accepting our responsibilities to make progress".

Javier Camacho Sánchez

"The good mining based on concerted action brings positive results and provides resources to implement projects which benefit the areas of education, health and transport. We should not lose this opportunity. Those people who don´t share this view, must realize that there are places where mining and agricultural activities co-exist without predation and environmental contaminants which damage the ecology (…) By agreements and dialogues, we can solve several problems of the province, such as the 68% of infant malnutrition, illiteracy, lack of health centres. For solving these problems we need to get into an agreement with the authorities and mining companies", he explained.

Álvaro Bazán Cabellos

"This is a good opportunity. What we should do with buried richness which is useful for nobody? That is greedy! With a responsible mining we can have a great economical opportunity to build hospitals, schools and roads. For this reason, it is important that all the people from Celendin must support this project without being selfish which only causes damage to the progress. Conga officials as well as Celendin authorities, and the interested party too, must explain the project to those who don´t still believe in it".

José Bazán Silva

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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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Informative Summary

A summary from the latest news related to the Conga Project and local development.

Jorge Tirado: Mining in Celendín is the beginning of a “boom” period
Regarding to the mining subject in the province of Celendín, Jorge Tirado Merino, President of the the Celendín management support commission in Lima, emphasized "I think this is the beginning of a 'boom' period. Celendín needed an opportunity like this, and I fervently hope that my people know how to reach this goal. We, in Celendín, have the capacity to succeed. I congratulate Celendín for making its own decisions according to its rights and interests”, he added. "I hope my brothers in Celendín know how to profit from the system of water concentration to prevent the stream flows into the sea. For example, efficient trout farming, livestock genetic improvement, reforestation and other activities related to environmental issues", said Tirado.
(News published on the April 26, 2010 in the program „Caliente Noticias” broadcasted by Radio Caliente)

The Program for Reducing Chronic Malnutrition in Celendín Children is being carried out successfully
The Program for Reducing Chronic Malnutrition in Children (PREDECI - Programa de Reducción de Desnutrición Crónica) is being carried out successfully in some communities of the province of Celendín, especially in the districts of Huasmín and Sorochuco. “After two years and a half, the project results are fruitful,” commented Shenny Villoslaba Terrones, Health and Malnutrition Coordinator of the Regional Government of Cajamarca.
(News published on the April 26, 2010 in the Program „ Prensa Veraz” broadcasted by Radio Antena Uno)

Municipality of Huasmín and Conga Project work together to install a drinking water system in Huasiyuc Jadibamba
Eugenio Cruzado, President of the Administrative Board of the Drinking Water Service in the Huasiyuc Jadibamba community and the district of Huasmín, thanked the Huasmín Major and the Conga Project, for the installation of the drinking water system in that community. The work consists of 72 familiar pools, construction of two harvesting systems and two reservoirs of 10 meters3.
(News published on the April 23, 2010 in the Program “Visión Informativa” broadcasted by Imagen Televisión Channel 21)

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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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