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“None of you (truly)
believes until he wishes
for his brother what he
wishes for himself”.
Hadith by Prophet Mohammed; Peace be upon him.
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Savola Group Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Programs:
As part of its commitment to serve the community, the Group continued to implement a range of CSR programs during 2012. Key projects in the CSR initiative are: The Savola Center for Empowering People with Disabilities (Makeen); Leave The Change for Them Program in association with The Disabled Children's Association; Leadership Programs through, Al-Madina Institute of Leadership & Entrepreneurship (MILE); and other CSR initiatives administered in collaboration with various non-profit organizations, the Government, and various medical and educational institutions. Recognizing the importance of Savola's involvement in developing communities where it operates, the Group Board adopted a resolution to allocate 1% of annual operating net profits from its core sectors to support CSR programs.
The Group CSR Programs include the following:
a) The Savola Center for Empowering People with Disability (Makeen):
The Center was established to train and employ people with disabilities and assist them in securing appropriate jobs whether, in the Group's Operating Companies or in the private sector. In 2012, the Center trained and employed 120 people with disabilities within the Group and other entities in the private sector. Makeen Center has an ambitious plan to train and employ 200 people during 2013, Inshallah. The Center was able to accommodate 306 people into the Makeen Pilot Program during the past two years.
Makeen Center initiatives were as follows:
a-1) The Savola Total Accessibility Project:
At the end of 2012, The Savola Group has announced that it is 100% pecial needs friendly through the completion of its Universal Accessibility Project which covered its operational companies Afia International, United Sugar Company and Savola Packaging all of which are located in Jeddah.
The project aims to ensure an accessible workplace for people with disabilities and all facilities were assessed by the Global Alliance on Accessible Technologies & Environments (GAATES), an organization with a vast experience in Universal Accessibility., All the companies received the Compatibility Certificate confirming that they meet Global Accessibility Standards. This strategic initiative aims to develop appropriate conditions in the work environment that better serve the needs of the disabled community; it also aims to ensure easy mobility of employees and customers with disabilities within the various buildings and facilities of its Operating Companies and factories. The Group will continue during 2013 to invest in projects that create a better environment for people with disabilities.
a-2) The Buddy & Mentor System:
The Makeen Center has organized a training program titled "The Concept and Implementation of the Mentor and Buddy System," which took place in all the Group's, KSA based, Operating Companies. The training program aims to spread the awareness of dealing with employees with disabilities and to secure accessible workplaces for them. 85 employees from Human Resources and Production Departments have participated in this training program.
a-3) The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI):
The Group published its first Sustainability Report in 2012, which covers all the Group's activities in the previous year, according to the GRI (Global Reporting Initiative). The Report was reviewed by the Center for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE), a non-profit organization aiming to enhance economic sustainability, and the Group achieved a B+ rating for GRI. The Global Initiative Report provides data relating to the economic, environmental, and social performance of organizations. These reports are produced by companies to enhance and reinforce transparency and accountability in the organization and to assess their CSR and environmental practices.
b) Leave the Change for Them (Within Panda's CSR Programs):
Panda continued its strategy to support the community thorough various strategic initiatives such as "Leave the Change for Them", "Panda Caravan", and "Eid Clothing Donation". In addition, Panda recently adopted new strategic projects such as "Panda-Friend of the Environment" and many other socially responsible strategic projects.
"Leave the Change for Them" which first started in 2006 to support a number of charities such as the Disabled Children Association successfully raised SAR 6.7 million in 2012. In addition, Panda continues its strategy of developing its human resources by offering extensive training programs which helped to raise its Saudisation levels to 39% in 2012 as well as to win the award for "Best Working Environment in KSA" sponsored by Aleqtisadiah Newspaper.
c) Saudi Injaz Entrepreneurs Project:
Injaz-Saudi Arabia is a member nation of Junior Achievements Worldwide. This is the world's largest non-profit organization dedicated to educating students and preparing them for the work place. It runs hands-on programs in the areas of: Entrepreneurship, Financial Literacy, and Workforce Readiness aiming to prepare elementary, middle school, high school and university students to deal with business demands through developing their personal and practical skills by training them in workshops led by private sector volunteers. Injaz-Saudi Arabia's mission is dedicated to inspire and prepare Saudi youth to succeed in a global, knowledge based economy with a vision of delivering pioneering, hands-on programs to 250,000 male and female Saudi students Kingdom-wide by 2018, in partnership with the business community, Ministries, educators and volunteers. The Group is one of the largest supporters of the Injaz program, and a number of Savolans volunteered to participate in Injaz campaigns in 2012,
spending an average of 1,123 volunteer hours to train 1,727 students.
d) Other Bridges:
The Group continued to sponsor MILE in collaboration with Al-Madina Knowledge Economic City Co. (KEC). MILE aims to develop senior management resources in Saudi Arabia, as well as in other Arab and Muslim countries. Also the Group supported a number of community groups such as Zamzam Association for voluntary health services, Capabilities Childhood Programs (CAP), Jeddah Autism Center (Al-Faysaliyah Association), Al- Birr Association Jeddah, Jeddah Center for Speech and Hearing, and many other bridges.
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