A chain of good in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic: Norwegian companies operating in Brazil are collaborating on several fronts in this battle and have already contributed about R $ 23 million donated to support actions ranging from basic food baskets to creation and maintenance of field hospitals.
Incentives for small entrepreneurs and the concern to contribute to the local economy are also some of the actions carried out by Norwegian companies in Brazil.
“The Norwegian government expects all Norwegian companies to exercise corporate social responsibility, whether they are state or private property, and regardless of whether activities are carried out in Norway or abroad. We support and appreciate that companies operating in Brazil are striving to mitigate the impacts caused by the new coronavirus ”, says Norway’s Ambassador to Brazil, Nils Gunneng.
Hydro, a company in the aluminum sector, donated R $ 10 million for the construction and maintenance of field hospitals in different regions of the state of Pará, totaling 960 beds. Since March, the company has also made a commitment to supply the shelter created in the capital, Belém, dedicated to people in socially vulnerable situations with mineral water. The field hospital installed by the city of Barcarena, PA, in the building donated by Albras, a company that belongs to Hydro and Nippon Amazon Aluminum Co., is also already operating.
Altogether, Hydro donated more than 100 thousand items in medical supplies and equipment for the municipalities of Barcarena and Paragominas. In addition, it donated about 30 thousand basic baskets and kits with hygiene products to municipalities in Pará, São Paulo and Santa Catarina. Entrepreneurs in the region were prioritized by the company in the purchase of face masks, basic food baskets and all possible items, also contributing to the local economy.
The same type of action taken by Yara Brasil, a world leader in plant nutrition, which has prioritized the purchase of products from small regional suppliers, whenever possible, to continue to stimulate the economy of the regions where it operates. An example is the acquisition of approximately 50 .000 handmade masks, which, while contributing to the income of many families, fosters local commerce. The company donated R $ 1 million to mitigate the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) in all 25 cities in which it is present in the country, which is used to purchase hospital equipment and supplies, such as masks and gloves, the acquisition and distribution of basic food baskets to families in social vulnerability, in addition to cash donations to the municipal health secretariats, Santas Casas and university hospitals in the most impacted cities where the company has manufacturing units. The company has its own operations in ten states in Brazil.
Equinor, a Norwegian energy company, made a donation of US $ 300.000 (approximately R $ 1.6 million on 7/1). Of this total, R $ 1 million was donated for clinical research and therapies to combat the virus, and for epidemiological monitoring by Instituto D’Or. ID’Or is a non-profit institution focused on science, education and innovation in the health field. Its main sponsor is Rede D’Or São Luiz, the largest private network of hospitals in Brazil. The rest of the amount was used to donate more than 3000 basic food baskets to several municipalities in its area of coverage and to supported projects. They also received 900 hygiene kits, and three thousand masks were donated to the State Government of Rio de Janeiro.
Jotun Brasil, which operates in the paint industry, supports a social project called Karanba, in Rio de Janeiro. 150 basic food baskets were donated by the company to the project, which uses football as an instrument to support children and young people in needy communities in Rio.
Statkraft, a leading hydropower company internationally and the largest generator of renewable energy in Europe, is donating to the Unified Health System (SUS) the amount needed to produce 4,000 molecular and rapid tests for the detection of coronavirus, which will be manufactured by the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz).
6000 hygiene kits (with bleach and detergent) have been distributed to residents of several municipalities in Espírito Santo. In Rio de Janeiro, the company will donate three nobreaks, four 3D printers and an injection mold for the production of faceshields (facial protection shields) to the Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF). In the South, the company will provide 500 masks for free to the needy population of Santa Catarina. And in Bahia, the company donated basic food baskets, hygiene kits and protective masks. The masks were made by the Associação Artesãs Filhas do Vento and distributed to the community. Thus, it is expected not only to help prevent the disease, but also to contribute to local economic development.
Aker Solutions, an energy solutions company, made its 3D printers available and donated raw material for the manufacture of thousands of face protection masks that are being delivered to hospitals in the states of Paraná and Rio de Janeiro.
The company also donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to these health units. Aker Solutions also donated around 600 food kits for social projects in Rio das Ostras.
Norway has major investments in Brazil. Oil and gas, shipbuilding, maritime services, mining, fertilizer and renewable energy production are the main sectors of activity of Norwegian companies in Brazilian lands. A relationship that has also brought results in the fight against the new coronavirus.
: