l
a
it
p
a
c
L
IA
C
SO
60
SOCIAL CAPITAL
ENL Limited | Annual Report 2016
This year, we invested Rs 17m to support community
development, the protection of the environment as well as
arts, culture and sports. Through ENL Foundation, we remain
close to the grassroots, aiming at improving the day-to-day
of local communities neighbouring ENL businesses, namely
Moka-St Pierre, Pailles, Alma, Gros Cailloux and L’Escalier. The
Rogers Foundation, on the other hand, is currently focusing on
the protection of coastal and marine ecosystems, with a special
focus on Bel Ombre.
The ENL group to which we belong, pledges funds beyond the
mandatory 2% CSR spend to support its corporate responsibility
initiatives. We target national causes while staying close to
vulnerable communities, working together with NGOs to bring
lasting changes in mindsets and in physical conditions of living.
Value creation through participatory approach
ENL privileges social integration and community development
through a participatory and integrated approach. We establish
relationships based on trust and respect with targeted
communities in order to obtain their buy-in. We also build
and sustain partnerships with the public authorities and other
members of the private sector. ENL Foundation is a reference
in community development and its credibility has attracted the
support of a number of partners. During the financial year under
review, ENL Foundation has received financial support to the
tune of Rs 4m from external sources.
“WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE
OUR COMMUNITIES BETTER”
61
ENL Limited | Annual Report 2016
900
households
benefitted from our
community development
programmes in 2016
130
vulnerable children
under remedial
classes programme
Community based projects
Its ability to mobilise third party support for its projects enables
ENL Foundation to be more impactful in its community
development initiatives. It thus led a rehousing project in Cité
Sainte Catherine targeting 5 families made homeless by a fire
outbreak last year. The project benefitted from the support of
the District Council of Moka and from several economic players
of the region.
ENL Foundation leads a number of ongoing projects including:
• Remedial classes where students from primary and
prevocational schools catch up on their schooling through
new techniques of learning. The success rate for the
Certificate of Primary Education and the number of students
pursuing secondary studies have significantly increased since
the programme was first implemented.
• Zenfans Sourire which aims for personal development
of children. Targeted kids are encouraged to express their
creativity when participating in different activities organised by
ENL Foundation. We have recorded a positive change in their
behaviour as a result.
• Baz’Art Kreasion which empowers women through
craftsmanship as well as life and leadership skills. Products
crafted at the centre are sold to the general public and the
profits accruing are shared among the participants.
• A youth leadership programme that aims at training and
empowering social leaders who will in turn become role
models in their communities.
62
SOCIAL CAPITAL
SOCIAL CAPITAL
ENL Limited | Annual Report 2016
This year, we also initiated an integrated community development
programme for Sainte Catherine spanning three years and
involving 250 families. The project is co-sponsored by the
Rogers and Food & Allied groups and centres on the people
of Sainte Catherine. The community’s vision for the future is the
conducting wire of the project which aims to empower residents
through training in life and leadership skills. A special emphasis
is placed on employment, education and environment.
Preservation of the environment
Through the Rogers Foundation, we continued to educate and
build awareness about the need to protect the coastal areas of
Mauritius. We have initiated the following:
- Bis Lamer, a classroom on wheels equipped with interactive
tools and laboratory equipment run in collaboration with NGO
Reef Conservation, is now in its third year of operation. So far,
the project has reached 10,768 students and 4,346 adults.
- Biologists, ecologists and conservationists were contracted
to evaluate the land and marine fauna and flora of Domaine
de Bel Ombre and to propose appropriate protective and
restorative measures.
- The inhabitants and other stakeholders in the Bel Ombre region
contributed to the elaboration of a sustainable development
plan for the area.
We also support a number of NGO initiatives in favour of the
protection of endangered endemic species such as sea turtles
and birds. We lay special emphasis on educating and sensitising
the younger generations to the need to protect the environment.
ENL Foundation sponsors the Green Spirit Club through which
50 youngsters from different regions of the island participate in
environment-linked activities.
63
ENL Limited | Annual Report 2016
Arts, culture and sports
Sustainable agriculture
ENL is a major sponsor of cultural and sports activities having
both a national and local impact. This year, the following
initiatives were backed by us:
ENL partnered with Le Vélo Vert, activist in the agroecology field, investing Rs 1 million, to improve its
distribution of fruits and vegetables from organic and
sustainable agriculture. Le Vélo Vert sources its produce
directly from farmers whom it also supports through
training and monitoring of best practice. ENL’s support to
this initiative is in line with its commitment to encourage
entrepreneurship and to promote a sustainable
agriculture.
• Porlwi by Light, a festival of contemporary arts which took
place in December 2015, attracting 450,000 visitors to the
capital city of Port Louis, according to the organisers.
• Festival Passe Portes, an international festival of francophone
music and theatre. We made sure that kids from Cité Sainte
Catherine benefited from the event and enrolled them for a
theatre master class run by French actress, playwright and
director of kids theatre, Marie Simon.
• Réalise to Rev, a 3-year programme which enables 13
children from the Sainte Catherine area to acquire superior
skills in the performing arts and sports. The beneficiaries have
been selected on the basis of their performance at theatre
classes run by ENL Foundation.
• Ti Pouce, a nursery situated in Vivéa Business Park, launched
in Janurary 2016 as part of our commitment to provide a
conducive work environment to ENL employees. The group
subsidises employees sending their kids to Ti Pouce: 12 out
of the 35 children cared for by the nursery belong to ENL
employees.
• Moka Rangers Sports Club, created and promoted by ENL as
part of our group’s commitment to support high performance
in sports. The sports club now offers professional coaching
as well as other services and facility, through Synergy Sport
and Wellness Institute. The club’s objective is to promote the
emergence of a Mauritian sports elite in selected disciplines.
• FootFive, the first private centre in Mauritius for the practice of
indoor football, opened in Bagatelle.
A new paradigm shift
We have witnessed major shifts in the economic and
political environment we operate in. Government has set
poverty eradication as one of its top priorities and has
appointed the private-sector-led Lovebridge Programme
as one of its executive arms. Mauritius ratified the
United Nations Social Development Goals (SDGs) and
a Marshall Plan against poverty has been drawn up by
United Nations experts present on the island.
These changes influenced ENL Foundation into
reconsidering its strategy and to align its CSR objectives
with the SDGs. The change in strategy will contribute
to enhance ENL Foundation’s credibility and allow us
to focus on meeting the basic needs of the targeted
communities.
We are concerned by the latest changes announced
to the CSR framework as they can potentially stall the
progress on the ground. We have joined forces with the
business and NGO communities to work out a strategy
to mitigate risks.
13
children
engaged in
Realise to Rev
3-year programme
80
children
participated weekly
to ‘Zenfan sourire’
workshops
18
women
participate to Bazar
Kreasion programme
5
families
were rehoused at
Sainte Catherine after
a fire outbreak, thanks
to a Public-Private
collaboration project
12
children from ENL
employees
joined Ti Pouce nursery,
an ENL initiative
250
families
involved in Sainte
Catherine’s community
development
programme