In Panama, development and sustainability are synonymous with cooperation and sharing. The story of Enel Green Power’s presence in the Central American country tells of a relationship that, for years, has linked the company and its personnel with the communities that live in the areas of two EGP plants: the Fortuna hydroelectric plant and the Chiriquí photovoltaic field. Education and Sustainability Many of us are engaged in volunteer activities aimed mainly at the young people of these areas, and we’ve formed a Social Committee in order to manage and organise educational initiatives and developmental assistance. In area schools near the plants, educational projects have been carried out for several years, focused on knowledge of the energy world, care for the environment and intelligent electricity use. "For years now, we’ve been regular company to the communities living near the two plants, both built in the region of Chiriquí." The Committee, made up of 15 EGP workers, has also provided financial assistance to more than 280 students from these schools by promoting the proper management of natural resources, such as the development of sustainable agriculture programs and of health, education, environment and infrastructure projects. A connection between people Our connections with local communities are a common thread of our presence in the Central American country. "In Chiriquí, ‘collaboration’ means the encounter between EGP workers and the region’s inhabitants, not merely between company officials and representatives from the communities." There are many examples of this connection: already in 2011, for example, EGP workers and their families were participating in events organised for the planting of 500 trees in the region, as part of a larger reforestation program coordinated by the Asociación Nacional para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (Ancon), the largest Panamanian non-profit association. Since its foundation in 1985, it has played an important role in environmental conservation in Panama. New light for daily life The Social Committee promoted a rural electrification project that benefited 33 homes, the school and a cooperative in a community near the Fortuna hydroelectric plant, which did not have stable access to electricity for 30 years. "Guaranteeing access to energy is a central objective in the collaboration between Enel Green Power and the local communities in Panama." Also as an initiative to bring energy to rural communities, three Panamanian women participated in a project developed by EGP in collaboration with the Indian NGO Barefoot College. In the Central American country, this also led to a program of electrification of 500 households in the communities living in the districts of Kankintú and Guayabito, in the indigenous comarca of Ngäbe Buglé.
