Shared benefits, shared future
As a company determined to share its success with the communities in which it works, Star Energy is putting in place practicable strategies to increase self-reliance and overall standards of living in rural areas of Indonesia.
Star Energy takes its social responsibilities and obligations very seriously. It works pro-actively with all of the communities with which it is involved, and conducts extensive programs aimed at both Community Relations and Community Development. The aim is to build capacity in local communities, governments, neighbors and other interested parties, and to develop and improve the lives of local people by assisting them with infrastructure education, places to worship, improved health and sanitation, small business development and recreational opportunities.
At Kakap, Star Energy provides educational scholarships for elementary, junior & senior high school and college students, as well as giving recognition and encouragement to teachers exhibiting good teaching skills. The company undertakes free medical treatment for specific conditions, such as cataracts and dengue fever, and invests in creation of local infrastructure including the supply of fresh water and building local amenities.
Star Energy is an active participant in the International Skills and Training Institute in Health (ISTIH), which fosters the development of skills and training of health professionals in developing regions. ISTIH was formed after the 2004 tsunami when it became clear that a significant number of health training facilities had been destroyed, and that health workers and teaching staff had left the region. ISTIH has provided teams to help with existing training programs in disaster and emergency medicine and nursing in Banda Aceh, and is developing new programs focused on building health care capacity in other areas.
As part of its economic empowerment program, Star Energy is working with local people to develop new means by which the community can generate much needed income. Mindful of the abundance of coconut palms in the Kakap area, and the very low price of copra, Star Energy has enlisted the assistance of experts from Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, in establishing a new industry producing virgin coconut oil, a high value product used in traditional medicine. The company is providing the facilities and also helping to develop ancillary industries utilizing the coconut waste, creating fibers and briquettes from the coconut shell.
To raise local income levels, MNL is involved in a number of agriculturally based programs. Apart from providing help and support in improving animal husbandry and fruit production, MNL has also helped local farmers move from commodity vegetables to the farming of higher value silk worms for silk production, and is currently involved in planting 150 hectares of Arabica coffee for eventual export sales.
At Wayang Windu, MNL is also heavily involved in education, medical assistance and social development programs. MNL provides scholarships to local students, as well as providing books and stationery, computers and language library equipment. Infrastructure programs include fresh water supplies, the creation of sports facilities, and the construction of schools and places of worship.
At all its sites, Star Energy consults extensively with local authorities and communities before any initiative is launched, to ensure that it reflects local needs and desires and is accepted fully by the local community.