Society

We believe that education and learning are the key to a sustainable future. Accordingly, we support initiatives worldwide that focus on helping the communities we are active in through education and learning.

In China, Bekaert has built strong relationships with various schools. One initiative includes creating and improving safety awareness of children at the Lianying Primary School. Through games and tips, they learn how to protect themselves from dangerous situations during the summer holiday.  

Another initiative in 2015 was to build a play room at the Xiyuan Primary School to improve children’s imaginative capabilities.  

In Brazil, Bekaert supports educational projects through various programs. In 2015 many projects focused on physical and mental vitality. Chess workshops and regional tournaments were organized in schools to improve logical thinking capabilities.

Bekaert Corporation (US) continued with the National 4-H Council launched in 2014. 4-H is the largest youth development and empowerment organization in the US, reaching more than 7 million 4-H youth in urban neighborhoods, suburban schoolyards and rural farming communities. Fueled by university-backed curriculum, 4-H'ers engage in hands-on learning activities in the areas of science, healthy living, and food security. Bekaert herewith expresses its engagement in helping America’s largest youth development organization to create a positive change and a better future for young people.

We support community initiatives that aim to improve societal conditions in the places where we are active.

Inchalam, Bekaert’s largest manufacturing subsidiary in Chile, donated Cercas Pro fences to the Santa Clara School in Talcahuano. This initiative is part of a pilot project at the national level in the country to protect pedestrians in the school areas.

Proalco Bekaert’s subsidiary in Colombia, supported various local environmental initiatives such as awareness creation programs at schools and projects aimed at enhancing the local community recycling efforts.

In Brazil, our colleagues have been organizing a “voluntary action day” for many years. This event was also held in 2015: employees donated gifts and organized activities for the children in daycare in Contagem.  Bekaert attaches great importance to health & safety inside and outside our plant operations. In Contagem, we supported the organization of a skate project with the aim of encouraging youngsters to practice sports. Other initiatives in Vespasiano, Itauna, Osasco and Hortolandia included football, tennis, taekwondo & skate board tournaments.