Barrick Beyond Borders - May 2012 - Barrick Gold Corporation

ABOVE: TEACHERS AND STUDENTS FROM ONOFRE ILLAÑEZ SCHOOL IN LA CIENAGA, JACHAL.Leading our group was Miguel Greco, Barrick’s Superintendentof Sustainable Development for Argentina. Greco is a former doctorand is often seen as the trusted face of Barrick. Greco and histeams in Jachal and Iglesia designed the projects I was to visit.They taught me that relationships are what count most, and thatthe company’s role is to engage with communities and let themtell us about their needs and priorities. “It is not primarily aboutmoney. People want to know they can trust you and work froma friendship that is based on mutual respect. That is how we canhave the greatest impact and maintain support,” Greco said.To get to the projects, we drove through the Andes Mountains,which provided unparalleled vistas at every white-knuckle turn.Greco and his team make this trip through steep winding roadstwo or three times a week.Our first stop was La Cienaga, where a lack of access to potablewater for homes and farms has long been the number-one issuefor this rural village of 60 residents in Jachal. Barrick worked withthe community and two levels of government to construct a sixkilometerwater pipeline, with plans for further expansion. Milo24Diaz, President of the La Cienaga Neighborhood Association,explained that before the pipeline was built, families didn’t haverunning water in their homes, which had a profound effect ontheir quality of life.Since the pipeline was completed, the value of land in the areahas doubled in just one year, small-scale farming has improved,and fewer young people are leaving the village. The enormousneed for water infrastructure would be a consistent theme that Iencountered in many San Juan communities. Barrick’s approachis to collaborate with governments, which have primary responsibilityfor this infrastructure, and engage the community directlyin the solution.As Greco pointed out, “At first, it was difficult, because somepeople thought we were Santa Claus, and it was hard to say no. Butin time everyone understood that we all had to work together. Wesigned an agreement with the local and provincial governments,brought in technical experts and materials, and the communityprovided the workforce.”Just down the road, we visited La Cienaga’s small primaryMay 2012