Anglo American opens six new schools in Chile’s earthquake-hit area
08 June, 2010
Anglo American has completed the construction of six modular schools in Chile that will benefit 4,500 schoolchildren in the areas most affected by the earthquake that hit the centre and south of the country on 27 February 2010. Anglo American has built the schools as part of its US$10 million donation announced a few days after the earthquake.
The last two of the six schools have been inaugurated at Yungay and Cocholgüe in Chile’s eighth region by John MacKenzie, CEO of Anglo American Copper, Miguel Ángel Durán, Anglo American Chile CEO, and Joaquín Lavín, Chile’s Education Minister.
John MacKenzie, CEO of Anglo American Copper, said: "A few days after the earthquake in Chile, Anglo American made a strong commitment to the country’s reconstruction, focused primarily on education. With the inauguration of these schools, we’re completing the hard work that has enabled over 4,500 schoolchildren not to lose their school year"
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Schools were previously inaugurated at Caleta Tumbes, Quirihue and Constitución, the latter by Chile’s President Sebastián Piñera.
The schools have been built with high quality, durable materials resistant to extreme weather conditions and are also fully equipped with furniture, computer rooms, libraries and study materials.
Yungay – the largest modular school
The new school at Yungay, fully built and equipped by Anglo American, is the country’s largest modular school built after the earthquake. It will cater to 2,000 schoolchildren from pre-kindergarten to the last grade of secondary education. More than 2,700 square metres in size, the school includes 34 classrooms, workshops, a computer room, library, dining room and teachers’ room, among other amenities. There are also green areas and a children’s playground outside.
The centre of Yungay, located in the province of Ñuble in Chile’s eighth region, was the area most damaged by the earthquake, particularly the adobe houses, the buildings around the main square, the church and the only two state schools in the town. Schoolchildren from both schools will move to the new facilities built by Anglo American.