On Thursday, March 25, Hydro delivered the tablets to UFPA in yet another partnership with the institution in the State of Pará, where most of the company’s operations in Brazil are located.

The donation of new equipment supports a digital inclusion program, created by UFPA, aimed at low-income students who are in social isolation and do not have the resources to invest in equipment that allows the continuity of remote study at the university.

“Due to the pandemic, remote education has become a reality and some students, who cannot acquire these materials, will now be able to study with adequate and quality equipment, thanks to this initiative. As good partners, we are dedicated to collaborating with the communities surrounding our operations and with the State of Pará. Care and Collaboration are Hydro's values, and it is important for the company to put these values into practice, investing in this partnership with the largest educational institution in Pará,” says Domingos Campos, director of Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) at Hydro in Brazil.

In the future, in a second stage of the project, restored corporate notebook computers will also be donated. The tablets were acquired through a fund created by Hydro for actions to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. The distribution of equipment and the choice of students will be carried out exclusively by UFPA. The institution has a process to select students who fit the criteria’s established to receive the benefit. The digital inclusion project will have an investment of approximately BRL 1 million by Hydro.

“Our digital inclusion program is an important initiative to enable students in socioeconomic vulnerability to continue their education during the pandemic. UFPA is very grateful to Hydro for being a partner in this initiative. Hydro has collaborated with UFPA in several activities and with the support for the Digital Inclusion Program the company demonstrates commitment to the social development of Pará. More students will now be able to continue with their studies and this makes us very happy”, says Emmanuel Zagury Tourinho, Dean of the Federal University of Pará.

Research supported by Hydro

Hydro recently partnered with UFPA to support three research programs to help combat the Covid-19 pandemic. Altogether, Hydro will invest more than BRL 880,000 in the projects:

• studies of the psychological effects of social isolation to create programs that help promote people's well-being during and after the pandemic.
• use of data science for the elaboration of epidemiological models adhering to the reality of the municipalities of Barcarena and Paragominas, in Pará.
• the development of low-cost respirators as emergency auxiliary equipment in intensive care centers.

Efforts during the pandemic

In addition, in support of efforts to prevent and combat Covid-19, Hydro made several donations, in 2020, to support the actions of the state government and in the municipalities where it operates in Pará, totaling BRL 20 million.

For the municipalities where the company is present - Paragominas, Ipixuna do Pará, Tomé-Açu, Moju, Acará, Abaetetuba and Barcarena - the company donated 36,000 basic baskets and hygiene items, purchased from local suppliers to help the economy, in addition to 10,000 kits for rapid coronavirus detection tests.

Hydro also delivered equipment and materials for health care in Barcarena and Paragominas, where its largest operations in Brazil are located. These donations went to city hospitals, health units and field hospitals in both cities, totaling more than 100,000 items, such as hospital beds, pulse oximeters, infrared digital thermometers, gloves, masks, disposable caps, goggles, aprons, lab coats and overalls for biological protection.

For Barcarena City Hall, Albras, a company that belongs to Hydro and NAAC, Nippon Amazon Aluminum Co., also donated a former employee quarters for use as a field hospital in the community of Barcarena. Since April 1 of 2020, Hydro's Community Environmental Emergency Brigade has been doing an important job of orienting actions to prevent and combat Covid-19 using a sound car for 30 communities in Barcarena.

The company also made donations to the cities of Itu and Utinga, in São Paulo, and Tubarão, in Santa Catarina, where Hydro Extrusions is located, responsible for the manufacture of aluminum products for use in civil construction and in the automotive and industrial sectors. More than 500 food baskets and 4,600 hygiene kits and medical equipment were donated.