Corporate social responsibility makes a positive change in Anhui
- By Zhu Bochen
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E-mail China.org.cn, July 5, 2019
Local authorities in Wangjiang county, in the Chinese province of Anhui, have credited private enterprises for their efforts in helping to reduce poverty. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has played a vital role in helping vulnerable groups living in impoverished areas.
In 2017, Wangjiang county was listed as one of "the nine most impoverished areas" in Anhui province. Since then a series of government measures and corporate social responsibility plans have dramatically reduced poverty.
Statistics collected by one of the region's leading clothes manufacturers show that currently among its 11,000 employees, 2,043 are living in poverty. Since its establishment in 2008, more than 2,700 employment opportunities have been created for almost 3,000 poor families living in 108 local villages and communities.
"Compared with economic profits, we pay more attention to the social benefits that we can bring to locals in order to contribute our part to the government's endeavor of poverty alleviation," a vice general manager of the company surnamed Shen, told China.org.cn.
Shen also introduced a three-layered mechanism demonstrating the company's CSR in lifting vulnerable groups out of poverty.
"The first thing we do is to attract job applicants with a special focus on locals living in poverty. This is usually achieved through sending recruitment managers directly to their home, inviting them to an open day, and simplifying the administrative procedures of recruitment," Shen said.
"Our second step begins after they become employees. Considering their poverty-affected background and a lack of specialized skills, we hold various lectures to make them qualified for the job. Moreover, we offer them a minimum wage of 3,000 yuan in their first three months as a support during the transition period," Shen added.
More than 70 poverty-stricken employees of the company are currently taking college-level courses in order to further improve their competence in the labor market.
In addition, Shen's company have used public welfare and philanthropy to help further poverty allievation. This includes a 3-million-yuan ($435,540) donation to establish "Shenzhou Nursing House," a 50,000-yuan donation to build a local "poverty alleviation station," and a 30,000-yuan donation to help build a village school, just to name a few.
Poverty rates in Wangjiang county have plunged from 21.84% in 2014, to 2.57% in 2019.
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