Chief Executive Officer of Metinvest Group spoke in an interview for Segodnya newspaper about the help to Donbass residents in the very beginning of hostilities, about incredible commitment of volunteers at difficult times and new initiatives of the Rinat Akhmetov Humanitarian Center.
Two years ago, the Rinat Akhmetov Humanitarian Center was established to provide a maximum help to civilians who suffered from the conflict in Donetsk and Lugansk oblasts. The Center pooled resources of all SCM Group businesses, with Metinvest Group being a locomotive of the move.
– Please, tell us how Metinvest started helping Donbass civilians.
– We started helping people before the Humanitarian Center was established — in May 2014. Employees of Mariupol steel plants volunteered to clear the debris of a partly burnt City Council and a destroyed police station and help locals who suffered during a counter-terrorism operation.
In June-July 2014, hostilities broke out near Avdeyevka, Donetsk, Yenakiyevo and Khartsyzsk, so we brought children of our employees to recreation centres in the Sea of Azov. Later Metinvest organised food deliveries from Zaporozhye to these areas. We did what we could to help people. Primarily, Metinvest focused efforts to support employees and their families. Realising that more civilians needed help, our majority shareholder made a decision to provide regular humanitarian aid and assistance.
Metinvest and the Humanitarian Center joined efforts to launch the first humanitarian logistics hub in Mariupol. It was established in this very city, because our employees of Ilyich Iron and Steel Works and Azovstal Steel Plant wanted very much to help their countrymen. Volunteers — steel plants’ employees and other Mariupol residents — still continue to pack grocery kits, load them to trucks and distribute the kits among people in need.
Today aid distribution points operate in all cities and towns where we are present in the conflict area and the so-called “grey” zone. In peak periods, up to 600 Metinvest employees were involved in these activities. Now it is up to 150.
– Do you think that the business must help people during war? Joining efforts with charitable organisations? How can this be done?
– Any charity is the decision of shareholders, not businesses. The objective of the business is to generate profits. Only a shareholder is in the position to decide how to use the profits. Rinat Akhmetov has made this decision, established the Humanitarian Center and allocated necessary resources, both human and financial. It was his decision to help people, first of all, pensioners, the elderly and children.
The top priority objectives of the organisation were to evacuate people from the hostilities area and provide them with temporary accommodation. We supported the Center’s activities in four areas: delivery and distribution of survival kits for adults and kids, targeted assistance, psychological support and provision of medications. Since its inception, the organisation has helped over one million people.
– Have you managed to build a system since the conflict began two years ago? Is it easier to work now? What are focus areas this year?
– We used to be greatly involved in the aid and help provision. Now the management structure and infrastructure of the Humanitarian Center help streamline all the processes. We assist in addressing some administrative issues. Certainly, the work of our volunteers helping the Center on the ground is also important. We have to help our friends, families and people living in the non-government controlled area no matter if they are our employees or not. This is the position of Metinvest and the Humanitarian Center, which resonates with people and changes their attitude.
In addition, Metinvest supports new initiatives of the Center. We have joined the Peaceful Summer for Donbass Children programme. Even in the hardest time, our company has not stopped taking care of health of our employees and their children. As an employer, we think this is our duty. We are happy to help improve health of other children from the conflict area.
In 2016, the Center launched another area — counselling. The major goal of the project is to help orphans get prepared for living on their own after they leave orphanages. We have kind and warm-hearted people in Metinvest. I am confident they will respond to the idea. After some training, they will be able to support the kids and help them find their way in life.
– Hundreds of Metinvest employees have become volunteers since the conflict broke out. They help pack and distribute survival kits at distribution points… We can say that now you have two professional holidays: the Metallurgist Day and the Volunteer Day.
– These holidays have a different mood. The Metallurgist Day is a traditional annual holiday that happily unites all cities of our presence and all businesses. The Volunteer Day is associated with very sad events for us. This is not even a holiday, but rather honouring and thanking our volunteers for their commitment. This is a day of sadness and pride at the same time. We are proud of our employees who actively participate in the initiatives of the Humanitarian Center. We have been awarding our volunteers for the second consecutive year. This year we’ve honoured them right on the Metallurgist Day.
– The Humanitarian Center is reporting on its two years’ activities. What would you like to wish people who work there?
– I wish the Center works as less as possible in an emergency mode and has as many long-term and strategic programmes for the development of regions and the country. I wish first and foremost luck to volunteers. They work in challenging times in a challenging environment, so they need luck. Once they have it, they will have everything else.