Community Development - The Approach

We have adopted a holistic and long-term action approach for the overall development of the community - by processes such as stakeholder engagement and consultation process coupled with base line studies, need-assessments, and participatory exercises such as PRA and PLA. Our CSR team has been working closely with community members and our approach towards addressing community concerns have been through Public Private Partnerships, alliances with NGOs, Panchayats and local associations. Sesa Goa has participated in the lives of community members through the Sesa Community Development Foundation (SCDF), Specialised Need-based programmes for Community Development and Mineral Foundation of Goa (MFG).

Sesa Goa is one of the founder members of Mineral Foundation of Goa and the highest contributor to MFG which utilises this fund to address social and environmental concerns in the mining areas of Goa.

Our operations have not affected any communities residing in and around our premises and hence there have been no incidents of any dispute over natural resources noted during the reporting period. There are no indigenous communities residing in and around our operations.
 

Impact of Infrastructure Investment for Community Development

Initiatives fostering community development continue to be implemented through Sesa Community Development Foundation (SCDF) which runs the Sesa Technical School (STS) and Sesa Football Academy (SFA). STS has become a leading vocational training institute in Goa and has a reputation for identifying and nurturing potential excellence in young Goans. SFA has two centres; the Junior Academy continues delivering high quality of young footballers and the Senior Academy focuses to develop a team young players.

Sesa Community Development Foundation

The SCDF established in Goa in 1998, is registered under Societies Registration Act and its main area of activity remains the development of the local community surrounding the mining operations and facilities of the Company. The Sesa Technical School and Sesa Football Academy are initiatives managed by SCDF.

1. SESA TECHNICAL SCHOOL (STS)
Sesa Technical School (STS) established in 1994 in Sanquelim is a part of our exit strategy following the closure of mines. STS trains young inhabitants of the mining belt in Goa and arms them with the technical skills and knowledge that will enable them to earn a living. STS students specialise in becoming Machinists, Fitters, Electricians or Instrument Mechanics and are hired by various MNCs.

2. SESA FOOTBALL ACADEMY (SFA)
Goa and football have a cultural history dating back to the eighteenth century when it was introduced by an Irish Vicar as part of the academic curriculum for grooming students for sports and fitness. Goa has five major football clubs and, over the years, four Goans have captained the national Indian team. To nurture the talent of Goa’s young footballers, SFA was established in the year 1999 - to offer junior level training at Sanquelim, Goa. The Junior Academy has 36 boys in the age group of 14-16 years, selected on merit and they are being trained in football and given a formal education as well.

In the year 2010-11, the Junior Academy played 14 competitive matches of which it won eight and three resulted in a draw.

The Senior Academy of SFA started functioning from June 2008 at Sirsaim, Goa. To support the Senior Academy students, SFA’s infrastructure was upgraded in February 2010 with football turf, hostel, gym, indoor sports hall, AV room and saunabathing facilities at an estimated investment of Rs. 4 Crores. For the last two years, Sesa Goa’s Senior Academy has been an active participant in the Goa Professional League, besides participating in the 2nd division of the I-League, Governor’s Cup and various other tournaments. Within two years of the Senior Academy coming into being, eminent football clubs are chasing at least half a dozen of the boys from the Senior Academy with lucrative offers.

It is interesting to note that, while none of the top-notch clubs in Goa have a single football ground of their own, Sesa Goa has two beautiful turfs in Goa, created on restored mining land, proving that mining too can be made sustainable.

SFA has signed up former English Premier League player Terry Phelan as its Chief Mentor at an event in Panaji. The former Chelsea and Manchester City defender who signed a three year deal with Sesa Football Academy recently, has taken charge and already moved to Goa. Having moved on from being a professional player to becoming a successful youth coach in two continents - North America and Australia – Terry Phelan brings with him a wealth of knowledge and sporting skills.

SFA also announced the appointment of Libero Sports as the academy’s strategic marketing consultants. Libero Sports India, a subsidiary of US based Libero Sports LLC, through its global partnerships will assist in player representation and sponsorship packaging for the academy. SFA has plans to add a spectator stand, a swimming pool and a half pitch artificial turf. A tie-up with a top professional club in Europe is also in the pipeline.

Despite debuting only in 2008, the Senior Academy in 2010- 11 played for some prestigious series such as ONGC 2nd Div. I-league, Goa Professional League and the Federation Cup. Of a total of 32 matches in the above series it won 12.