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Sampoerna wins international award for clean water program
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T HM Sampoerna (Sampoerna) was recently named a runner-up for best company in the community category of the Asia Responsible Enterprise Awards (AREA) for its commitment in carrying out its "Access to Clean Water" corporate social responsibility (CSR) program.
This program saw the company collaborating with the IDEP Foundation from 2015 to 2016 to help provide thousands of people with access to clean water in the villages of Gobleg and Selat in the Banjar and Sukasada subdistricts of Buleleng regency in Bali.
According to Ervin Laurence Pakpahan, who is the head of stakeholder regional relations and CSR at PT HM Sampoerna (Sampoerna), these kinds of CSR programs are an important part of business.
"Sampoerna always believes that business success is not just measured from a company's business performance, but also from its ability to provide a positive and continued contribution for the wider community," Ervin said at the AREA ceremony held in the Philippines on June 1.
Through projects such as "Access to Clean Water", which are part of the company's "Sampoerna for Indonesia" program, PT HM Sampoerna (Sampoerna) conducts a wide range of social activities to help improve the nation and inspire, motivate and provide a means for the people to do the best for themselves and for the country.
Thanks to this clean water project in Bali, some 13,000 beneficiaries in the areas were able to benefit. Clove farmers were able to access water for irrigation, and the communities received good sanitation facilities.
These improvements are particularly important considering that 50 percent of critical land in Bali is located in Buleleng due to the lack of water, especially during the dry season. At the same time, 30 percent of Buleleng's economy is supported by agriculture, according to the Environment and Forestry Ministry.
"We are always committed to giving the best not only for consumers but also for the wider Indonesian public. That is why we are proud of one of our PT HM Sampoerna (Sampoerna) for Indonesia projects, namely, Access to Clean Water, which has successfully helped people around Buleleng gain access to clean water, a feat that has received international recognition," Ervin added.
IDEP Foundation executive director Ade Andreawan noted that this program had been a boon for the Buleleng community.
Citing data from the Buleleng Health Agency, Ade noted that productivity of clove farmers in Gobleg village had increased from 180 tons in 2015 to 195 tons in 2016, while clove farmers in Selat village had increased their productivity from 248 tons in 2015 to 251 tons in 2016 as a result of this program.
Ade added that this program was unique in the way in which local communities in the two villages were involved in the construction phase of irrigation facilities in order to raise their sense of belonging to these facilities. The women provided food while the clove farmers volunteered to carry the materials.
"We wholly embrace the existence of this program. Now is the time for us to be careful and use these facilities wisely. Together with all of the social organizations at our village, we will try to preserve and control the pipe distribution system and the toilet facilities," said Putu Sedana, a resident of Gobleg village.
In addition to being in line with Sampoerna's CSR program, Access to Clean Water was also designed to contribute to the President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo administration's 2015-2019 National Mid-Term Development Plan (RPJMN) and Nawa Cita, Jokowi’s nine-point development program.
"We hope that we can continue to do other programs that can give benefits to the wider community," Ervin said.
