US based giant, Apache, is the No. 1 oil producer in Egypt and it is determined to build on its success, but not only in the core business, but also beyond that. Apache is indeed a pioneer in corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Egypt and has proved its commitment to the country through its numerous CSR programs.

Apache’s approach to CSR is based on a simple philosophy – “give where we live.” The company’s CSR programs encompass a wide variety of activities that create value for its stakeholders and the community. CSR activities include employee-driven philanthropic acts, civic infrastructures, building and maintaining schools, supporting future engineers and providing an environment that encourages a healthy workforce.

Springboard: Educating the Future

At the forefront of Apache’s community efforts is its ongoing campaign to provide educational opportunities through the partnership with Springboard: Educating the Future.

In 2004, Apache funded the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood’s project by building more than 200 schools in rural areas in Egypt. Overall, Apache Egypt built 209 schools out of which 125 are in Fayoum, 39 in Minya, 37 in Giza, and 8 in Matrouh.

Since then, Apache has supported the schools with regular maintenance activities, school supplies, computers and medical needs. As many as 7,000 students benefit from these schools yearly.

As the company’s Vice President and Country Manager, David Chi, told Egypt Oil&Gas, “I am proud to say that to date we have contributed to educating more than 10,000 girls.” Today, around 2,200 graduates from Springboard schools are currently enrolled in middle schools and high schools to continue their education.

Apache is keen on following up on the graduates’ progress and on providing them with assistance to pursue their dreams.

Matrouh Schools

In the Matrouh area in Egypt’s Western Desert, Apache has constructed a total of eight co-educational schools to benefit the Bedouins in the area. Around 300 students attend these schools.

These social investment initiatives have been conducted in line with the company’s philosophy. To articulate it in Apache’s words, the company is pursuing these activities in the localities “because we appreciate the people who live and work in the communities where we operate.”

Apache Egypt’s engagement with the Bedouins not only includes building schools, but also regular meetings to exchange information on Apache’s oil and gas exploration and production activities.

Furthermore, these collaborations across the community borders allow the company to provide employment and aid for the Bedouin families.

Health & Wellness Program

Philanthropic activities do not represent the full extent of Apache’s commitment to the Egyptian society. The company focuses on Fun Run/Walk/Cycle Events to encourage healthy standard of living of its employees, their families, and the entire communities.

As a responsible employer, every year Apache’s wellness program organizes several awareness campaigns and health events to encourage employees and their families to adopt healthy lifestyles.

Biometric screening protocol and health risk assessment tools are conducted to assess the employees’ current and future health risks.

Fitness facilities are open at no charge to employees and offer a wide variety of exercise equipment, fitness, and training classes, and programming to encourage employees’ overall fitness.

Developing Youth

To develop the role of youth in the oil and gas industry in Egypt, Apache supports the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) in 12 Egyptian university chapters.

Since 2012, around 500 students attended sessions conducted by Apache’s technical experts and received information about Apache’s latest technology.

In addition, Apache supports the AAPG’s “Imperial Barrel Award” in Egypt to allow university teams to compete against other AAPG university chapter teams from across Africa, then if successful, become part of the global competition.

Apache also supports the Egypt Exploration Society’s (EPEX) “Al Amal” program that mentors the top Geoscience graduates in an intensive program. In line with the program, the company provides opportunities for fresh graduates and young professionals to expand their skills and knowledge of the industry through practical training.

Apache’s summer internship and development programs specialize in land, geosciences, and petroleum and drilling engineering disciplines. The programs include subspecialties such as seismic mapping, well correlation, production, reservoir, completions, drilling and field operations. These programs involve extensive educational and on-the-job training with cross-functional and professional rotations. The internship programs thus aim to promote professional skills and invest in individual employees to develop their potential.

The success of these programs is critical to Apache’s future; hiring and retaining top-tier diverse talent ensures that the company maintains a robust supply of future leaders for the country to benefit from in the long run.

Civic Efforts

Apache Egypt and its employees support many civic efforts through volunteer work and financial contributions. In For instance, the company and Apache’s employees in some years raised as much as EGP 380,000, which marked a new record.

Apache has been helping Egypt’s orphans since 2005. A total of around 60 associations and orphanages all over Egypt benefit from the fundraising campaign yearly.

Furthermore, Apache has also donated medical equipment to several hospitals and clinics, proving that its understanding of CSR extends beyond the traditional forms and encompasses an enormous portfolio that can, indeed, serve a successful example for other oil and gas players coming to Egypt.

Having demonstrated a massive record of its social investments in the country, the company shows that forging strong relations with the Egyptian government and society alike is fruitful and beneficial for all involved parties.