TCC engages and works closely with local communities through its Community Relations Department to help develop sustainable development projects by providing resources, skills and knowledge needed to ensure that communities continue to prosper, grow and make lasting impacts on their lives.
Although our mining project is currently at an early stage in its development, a variety of community development activities are already under way and will continue over the years, through mining operation and mine post-closure. TCC provides ongoing support to the community in various social development activities in basic health care, primary education, literacy and skills development services in the surrounding areas.
Primary Health Care
TCC realizes that access to basic health advice, treatment and pharmaceuticals is the only option available to the local communities of Reko Diq. Health and personal hygiene awareness is promoted in schools amongst boys and girls and also through local Lady Health Workers (LHWs) amongst local households.
- TCC has built and staffed a basic health clinic at Humai village. The staff comprises one medical officer and two LHWs offering routine diagnosis, basic treatment and locally needed pharmaceuticals free of cost to the local community.
- Basic health services are also being offered at the TCC clinic in Nok Chah village.
- TCC provides the much needed vaccination service for children to save them from diseases in the early months and years thus increasing their chances of survival and averting crippling diseases.
- TCC extended financial support to the Rural Health Centre Nokkundi for their laboratory and X-ray machine.
- Training of Lady Health Workers (LHWs): In order to sustain health awareness and safer practices amongst the local communities five trainee women were selected from the local community to undergo training as Lady Health Workers. These LHWs are being trained to provide basic health advisory service for local women-folk and pregnancy delivery in line with healthy and hiegenic standards. Further these LHWs would also assist in creating First Aid, Health and Personal Hygiene awareness amongst school children.
Education
TCC recognizes that education is a key driver for sustainable development in any community. We are committed to supporting communities in the education sector in the surrounding localities of the Reko Diq project.
- In light of the growing interest of the local community in child education, TCC had expanded the Humai Primary School by 1 new classroom. Two more classrooms are under construction.
- TCC has hired a regular English language teacher for the Humai School.
- Free textbooks, stationery and children uniform are provided by TCC for each academic session.
- School boys and girls are encouraged to perform better and pursue further education by provison of small grants to schools in Nokkundi, Taftan and Dalbandin.
- TCC provides financial support to libraries and educational institutions to help create and promote a learning environment.
Water Supply and Sanitation
Water is life and clean water is quality of life. TCC is helping the local communities in tapping into consumable water resources and providing technical support in water and sanitation management.
- TCC water tankers regularly supply water to the Siah Reg and Humai villages.
- Water pumps installed at the Nokkundi, Durban Chah & Nok Chah villages for community convenience and efficient.
- Repair and rehabilitation of water supply scheme in Nokkundi was carried out with TCC support. A new engine was handed over to the Nokkundi municipality for the same project.
- TCC occasionally supplies fuel for the Nokkundi water supply scheme on need basis.
- Rehabilitation of water supply schemes was carried out for High School Rasool Bakhsh, Primary School Hashim Khan, Primary School Gharibabad, Middle School Fateh Mohammad Paddag and Middle School Mohammad Raheem.
- Construction of a prototype sanitation system was completed for the Humai School for easy replication within the community.
Sports and Cultural Activities
TCC provides donations averaging more than Rs. 1 million on an annual basis to sports clubs and association as well as for cultural activities such as the Chagai Festival. This helps in engaging and assisting a vast majority of unemployed youth in healthy activities and to encourage them to play a constructive role for the wellbeing of the society at large.
- TCC sponsors cultural activities such as the Annual Chagai Festival.
- Financial support is provided to sports teams and associations for sports like Cricket, Volleyball and Soccer.
- TCC has carried out rehabilitation of the play grounds in the locality.
- The Nokkundi Press Club and Library are furnished with computers, chairs, tables and books in order to create an attractive environment for learning.
Skill Development and Employability Support
Skill development is essential for improving employability chances of the local communities in any existing or new opportunities in and around the Reko Diq area. Realizing this need TCC has designed and implemented an integrated training program that provides basic life-skills to all trainees and takes successful candidates through work skills and vocational specialization thus enabling them to compete for employment opportunities both at TCC and other organizations.
- 124 men and women have been provided basic life and functional literacy skills.
- Planning is underway to provide literacy and basic vocational skills to 2000 illiterate persons form the Chagai District.
- Training courses in sewing and tailoring have been completed for local women enabling them to start related cottage industry for supplies to businesses. So far 27 women have undergone tailoring courses and new trainings are underway in Nokkundi.
Emergencies and Disasters
- TCC contributed US$ 140,000 for the flood relief program at district Chagai in 2007.
- A contribution of Rs.10 million was made to rehabilitate the effects of the Balochistan Earthquake at Ziarat in 2008.
- TCC committed Rs.8.5 million for the relief and rehabilitation of approximately 1200 families in Gwadar affected by the Cyclone Phet. So far Rs.4.6 million have been spent and the relief activities are ongoing.
- The flood affectees of Balochistan province due to the recent flooding are being aided with a Rs. 8.5 million contribution to the Government of Balochistan’s relief fund.
Local NGOs Development
Various capacity building initiatives are ongoing to capacitate and fund local NGOs in order to capitalize the youth capital for district development. These NGOs will be particularly involved to initiate health and education services.
- Nokkundi NGO Network (NNN) was established with help from TCC. Computer literacy and English language courses are supported by TCC both financially and technically. This is part of the wider Nokkundi Education Support program initiated by TCC.
- A total of 200 students were enrolled in computer and English language classes and the batch is currently undergoing training.
- Partnership with RCDC (a local NGO) in Gwadar has been initiated to support relief and rehabilitation activities in the backdrop of the devastation caused by Cyclone Phet.
Local Procurement and Services
In order to reap benefit from the business presence of TCC, the local vendors of district Chagai are being trained to understand, prepare and submit responsive bids as per the technical specifications of TCC. Currently, the total volume of local procurement and services averages about Rs.4 million per month through local vendors and service providers.
- TCC arranges meetings with communities on local procurement in order to encourage them to come forward as potential suppliers.
- Pre-qualification workshops are organized at Dalbandin and Nokkundi for capacity building of local vendors thus enabling them to competitively participate in bids
- E-Commerce Centre established in July 2001 and equipped with computing, communications and stationary items helps the local vendors in convenient preparation and submission of their bids. So far 30 vendors are registered with the facility.
- Business opportunities are created for local communities to participate and get practical exposure as well as make some financial gains. This includes activities like auction of scrap from the TCC camp operations.