I set off from Pamplona, Spain, and arrived in Dakar for the long-awaited moment when I finally met my other European colleagues from Belgium, Luxembourg, France and Spain. Together, we would be supporting local populations through different initiatives.

But we would not be alone in our endeavour, as we were joined by other Senegalese volunteers. We all left for Saraya located about 750km from the capital in the South-Eastern region of the country, where we would be spending the week.

On Day 1, we distributed the tasks among the 40 or so volunteers with our main  activities including helping run the medical camp at Baralaya village, painting schools and some administrative things like document filing.
I feel lucky to have been able to take part in almost all of the activities that week. I found that people in Senegal are always willing to give a hand, with a smile in their faces and a special something in their eyes that cannot fail to move you. The whole experience made me re-think Europe and feel like there is a big part of the human spirit we need to recover.

In Africa

Being in a remote corner of Senegal, I saw a part of Africa that you will not see if you travel there for the typical holidays – a place where there is no running water, where women wash themselves and their clothes in ponds or streams, in the same parasite-laden water they use to drink, which in some cases causes blindness. I saw areas where there is no electricity; where colourfully-dressed women carry their children on their backs and heavy loads on their heads, where sadly the population is subject to diseases and under nourishment that kill many of them. Therefore, being able to contribute to bringing healthcare to people through this opportunity was even more meaningful.

I will never forget a 30-year-old mother with 5 kids, affectionately looking after her youngest son who was about 2 years old and who showed signs of moderate malnutrition. She seemed to be blind in one eye. As we were taking them to Saraya hospital, she spent the entire journey in the car protecting him from the air conditioning.

Another very moving experience was taking part in the cleaning activities and helping to paint schools and healthcare centres, together with the members of the local community. I remember the school at Saraya, where I worked with the children who, I would like to believe, are the future of Africa. These children painted the school with us, always holding out their hands, willing to help me move something or just to pass me the paint, and who even sang some songs in Spanish with me.

Thank you

I will always be grateful for this opportunity to experience Senegal and Africa. I feel very proud wearing the orange T-shirt given to me as a Solidarity Holidays participant. This experience also gave me the push I needed to go back to the volunteering activities I was involved in a few years ago. What I experienced in Senegal will be the shot of adrenaline I need to keep me going in difficult times.

I think it is essential that ArcelorMittal continues to carry out humanitarian projects. I believe that thanks to this Solidarity Holiday week, several lives were saved in Senegal. This alone is ample reason for continuing the work started there. I would also like to encourage all my colleagues to take on experiences of this kind, which help us grow as individuals and help us transform tomorrow. Together, we can do it.

Author: Carmen Toni, Supplier Accounting, Construction (Distribution Solutions), Berrioplano, Spain

The average age of a steelworker working for ArcelorMittal in the United States is around 57 years. The Steelworker for the Future program, which saw its first graduates reach the marketplace in November 2011, is changing that.

The program includes 4 semesters (2 years) of classroom training at a participating institution and up to 24 weeks (6 months) of on-site training at ArcelorMittal. The pilot program of this initiative was launched in 2008 with Ivy Tech Community College in Indiana and Prairie State College in Illinois in the USA. Eighteen of the 23 students were hired by ArcelorMittal upon graduation; this 78% successful recruitment rate is higher than some of the Tier 1 universities around the world.

Andrew Sweeney, one of the proud Steelworker for the Future graduates of the Class of 2010 at Prairie State, shares his experience: “I was working in residential electrical work when I learned about the opportunity to become a steelworker and applied. At Prairie State, I gained valuable classroom and practical experience that prepared me for work in a steel mill.

Through my internship at ArcelorMittal Indiana Harbor, the hands-on training and support from co-workers gave me the skills and confidence I needed to do the job well and safely. I recognize that I could have explored opportunities elsewhere, but the work and the people convinced me that ArcelorMittal was the right choice for me.

Today, I work as a Maintenance Technician Electrical for ArcelorMittal Burns Harbor.”

In collaboration with the United Steelworkers union, ArcelorMittal Cleveland and Lakeland Community College, the program has now been launched in Ohio and is open for applicants who hold a high-school diploma.

“As more men and women near retirement age, many manufacturers like ArcelorMittal will lose skilled workers,” says Eric Hauge, Vice President and General Manager, ArcelorMittal Cleveland. “Steelworker for the Future will help ensure that we have a prepared, skilled workforce in the future, allowing us to continue to compete in the global marketplace and produce safe, sustainable steel in Cleveland, Ohio and throughout the USA.”

To find out more about the 6 participating institutions and to apply, visit www.steelworkerforthefuture.com

As the main Press Officer for the ArcelorMittal Orbit, the question I get asked the most is “when can I go up it”? Up until very recently my usual answer to the journalists, politicians and employees has been – “not until next year”. However, a couple of weeks ago we were able to offer one special freelance photographer, working at the time for The Independent, the chance to be the first non-builder to go up to the top of the ArcelorMittal Orbit and I was lucky enough to accompany her.

The day didn’t actually start with a plan to go up the ArcelorMittal Orbit. We were on site at the Olympic Park in London to meet the guys who have lifted nearly all of the structure’s 2,000 tonnes of steel into place. John, Matt, Wayne, Kirk, Andy and Tom have built some of London’s most iconic buildings – the Olympic Stadium, the Shard and Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 5 – and now they can add the ArcelorMittal Orbit to their impressive resumes.

The guys are always ready with a quick joke – some better than others. They love to call me Clark Kent (on account of my glasses, I think) so this trip to hang out with them for the morning would be a bit of a sad one as their work on the Orbit has now finished and they would soon be moving onto new projects.

We managed to capture some great images of the crew and just before we were about to leave, John asked if any of us had ever been up to the top. Replying with a unanimous ‘no’, he asked us if we would like to. Well before we could even say yes, we were all putting on Personal Protective Equipment gear and were led into the construction elevator that would launch us 76m upwards to the first observation deck.

When completed there will be two observation decks, but that is still a few months away. Right now there is just one giant platform with lots of workers installing the windows, floors and other important fixtures. As a result you can’t see much, and so John took us up a set of stairs that would lead us to the top of the platform’s roof (this is already higher than any member of public will ever be allowed).

At more than 80 metres high, you are exposed to all of the elements. You can feel the wind blowing across the sculpture. I now understand why Cecil Balmond said steel was the only material he ever considered for the structure: it needs to be seriously strong. 

Looking straight up into the sky and to the horizon, I got a real sense of just how spectacular the view will be once the structure is completed. I can’t wait for the platforms to be finished and the ArcelorMittal Orbit to be opened to the public when everyone will clearly see just how innovative and special the ArcelorMittal Orbit is.

To read an article featuring John, Matt, Wayne, Kirk, and Andy that appeared in The Independent go to – http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/news/designed-by-anish-kapoor–built-by-kirk-matt-andy-john-and-wayne-6267694.html

Author: Tobin Postma, Media Relations Specialist, ArcelorMittal Corporate, London

Life has not been easy for the Cassavetes and especially not so for their now 13 year-old daughter, Nicole, who was born with a rare heart condition. Where 3 open-heart surgeries didn’t work, all at an age of less than 24 months, a heart-transplant is said to be the only thing that can help her. On October 30, thieves stole and torched the family’s only vehicle that was used to transport Nicole from Hamilton to her hospital in Toronto. Until, to their rescue came a humble hero, Jamie Zivanovich…

Jamie Zivanovich is very much a part of the ArcelorMittal family – he has been working at our Dofasco site for 12 years. A story detailing this incident and the Cassavetes family’s plight that appeared in the publication, The Hamilton Spectator, moved him so much that he went straight to the town’s Queenston Motor dealership carrying a copy of the article and asked to buy a car that he could gift the Cassavetes family.

Within minutes, the whole dealership was scrambling to help Jamie pick out a car and service it to perfection. On November 1 already, Jamie, his wife Kristin, son Jordan and daughter Jessica already delivered the SUV, a 2004 Saturn Vue, to the Cassavetes family.

Times have been tight for the Cassavetes family. The response to the family’s plight however has been overwhelming. Students and staff at Memorial School, which Nicole attended for Grades 6 to 8, even raised money for a gas card to keep the car’s tank full.

After reading in the Hamilton Spectator about what Jamie did, other residents of the area have been inspired also into doing whatever they can for the Cassavetes family and offers have been pouring in. “It really goes to show you that all we have to do is plant a seed and sit back and watch it germinate and grow. I am still overwhelmed with how this has all taken off. I’m not surprised because I know there are so many more people out there that would have done the same thing. What I can tell you is that this whole experience has been awesome for my family and me.”

Nicole successfully underwent yet another surgery on November 7 – a procedure to help get more air into her lungs – so that when that life-saving call for a heart comes, her body is in better shape to handle the transplant.

The vehicle needed to transport Nicole to the hospital is of course standing ready in the Cassavetes drive-way, thanks to the efforts of one colleague at ArcelorMittal Dofasco, Hamilton

An account at TD Canada Trust has been set up by the Cassavetes family grandmother, Lillian McConnell, for Nicole. The account number is 237 6354816, should you also want to make a difference in Nicole’s life.

“Being at the 9th Morelia Film Festival as one of the sponsors is a great pleasure and should be a source of pride for all of ArcelorMittal Mexico. This event gathers the most important leaders of various fields from the state of Michoacán and promotes the city of Morelia on a national and an international level,” said Virgilio Camacho, Head of Institutional Relations at ArcelorMittal Mexico.

At the Native People Forum, film director Yolanda Cruz was presented with an award by ArcelorMittal as acknowledgement for her contribution to local ethnic groups and their rights. Veronica Hernández, Head of Corporate Affairs at ArcelorMittal Mexico, presented Yolanda the award – a beautiful steel butterfly – underlining the significant career path followed by this film producer who grew up in the troubled southern Mexican state of Oaxaca.

Yolanda, best known for her film ‘2501 migrants’, has dedicated her life’s work to documenting the experience of native immigrants from Oaxaca, and the way they have influenced the culture of both Mexico and the USA. Her work is supported by the Rockefeller Foundation, a philanthropic organisation, the Ford Foundation, which promotes projects for social change, and now also recognised by ArcelorMittal! Yolanda’s productions – 6 so far – reflect the reality viewed through the eyes of the people in her films and are always narrated in their own voices.

The Morelia International Film Festival, always an important one on the film industry’s calendar has over the years seen the attendance of director Quentin Tarantino and actors Gael Garcia Bernal and Javier Bardem, among many others.

Our sponsorship of the Morelia Film Festival and this forum is aligned to our Corporate Responsibility approach, an integral part of which is to foster a company culture that supports the ethnic groups, minorities and communities around us.

Collaboration: Ricardo Guzman, Communications and Brand, ArcelorMittal Mexico

September 2011 was an exciting month for me. When I found out the Canadian Country Music Awards (CCMA) and Country Music Week were being hosted in Hamilton, Canada, I felt I needed to be a part of the action. Fortunately for me ArcelorMittal Dofasco was the main volunteer sponsor for the event weekend. As the main volunteer sponsor, of course providing volunteers was a part of the package!

I believe it was because of my enthusiasm that I was able to take on the role of volunteer coordinator for the ArcelorMittal Dofasco volunteers. It was an honour and proved to be very rewarding.

Over the weeks leading up to the event, I got to meet many other outgoing and willing colleagues. The ArcelorMittal Dofasco volunteers corresponded back and forth arranging timelines and attended some preparation and orientation sessions with the City of Hamilton and other volunteers.

Having never been involved as a volunteer to this extent before, I was very impressed to see the outstanding organization and preparation that went into everything. It was also very apparent how appreciative the City of Hamilton and event coordinators were of us volunteers. Extra effort was put into making sure the volunteers also had fun and that all felt appreciated for their contributions.

The main events that we were involved in were the FanFest and the CCMA awards show. Both were not only fulfilling from a volunteer standpoint, but fun and entertaining also from a country music fan’s perspective, especially as we got to see stars like Dean Brody and Johnny Reid perform.

This volunteer sponsorship offered employees a great chance to join in and shape how the Company engages with the community around it. I’m sure the sea of enthusiastic orange offering to help people made for quite a picture and left a lasting impression on everyone at the awards.

I look forward to the next time the CCMAs come to Hamilton and I am already hoping to be involved again. In the meantime, I am sure there are many other community activities to tide me and my fellow ArcelorMittal volunteers over.

No one had expected such glorious weather on September 25 for the final match of the Luxembourg Cricket Federation (LCF) league final. The picturesque Walferdange cricket ground was bathed in sunshine and we knew we were in for a good game of cricket under bright blue skies. ArcelorMittal Cricket Club (AMCC) took on Duck & Ferrets Cricket Club (DFCC) for the title of LCF Champions 2011.

In what turned out be almost a 1-sided game at the end; the ArcelorMittal team romped home as champions of the LCF League 2011. Our team won the toss and batted first and scored 177 runs in their allotted 35 overs with Taral Desai leading the way with an aggressive 64 runs and Sriram with a patient 20 runs. Here, special mention must be made of Samir Kalra, Mario Meyer and Aabhas Mandal’s skills, which along with the bowling accuracy of Suresh and Taral made a big impact.

Ravi Ramanathan continued this consistent display of excellence and picked up the wicket of the most dangerous batsman at Duck & Ferrets. Towards the end, Anurag Tiwary and Arvind Pandey together picked up 7 wickets making the opposition leave the field after a paltry 96 runs.

All through this cricket season, what really shone was the ArcelorMittal team spirit with the common goal of winning the trophy. And this showed in our team’s performances;, as we remained unbeaten through the whole season with all of our team members contributing at crucial moments and matches over the season.

This is just the second complete season for the team, and yet today we are the LCF 2011 Indoor League and Outdoor League Champions!

Kudos to the whole team ably led by Suresh and managed and inspired by Arvind.

Authors: Suresh Kalagara, Business Development, ArcelorMittal Sourcing and Arvind Pandey, General Manager, Business Administration, ArcelorMittal Sourcing

Inspired by the success of their first ever official marathon in 2010, ArcelorMittal employees from Villa Constitución, Argentina, organised a marathon of 10 kilometres, 5 kilometres and a short 0.4 kilometres which was attended by around 500 people, adults and children alike. This community day of sporty fun and the red-nosed guest of honour that joined it are fast becoming a special part of the town’s events calendar.

For those of you who have not heard of it yet; Villa Constitución is a small town located 250 kilometres outside of Buenos Aires in Argentina. This small town of roughly 50,000 residents is also the location of one of ArcelorMittal’s major long carbon facilities through Acindar, a company which is part of the ArcelorMittal Group.

For the second consecutive year, the Villa Constitución site hosted the marathon for residents and their children.

Like in other areas, ArcelorMittal’s footprint in this region is not limited to the business aspect and steelmaking activities. The Company is also committed to being an integral part of each community in which we operate. And events such as this recent marathon are only one of many ways to do so.

With around 500 runners, participation this year was even higher than the very successful launch event last year and a good day of family fun in the sun was had by all. 50 children took the chance to race those 0.4 kilometres, and just because it was not necessarily competitive sports did not mean that it was not taken seriously! Proper time keeping was done by 2 ArcelorMittal organisers with the help of some trackers and some technology! Coming 1st, 2nd or 3rd in the marathons was recognised by trophies.

Presence of famous local clown ‘Toad Pepe’ ensured a memorable day was had by all, especially the kids who are hopefully already looking forward to the next such event where ArcelorMittal and the community come together.

Collaboration: Carlos A. Vaccaro, Manager External Affairs,  ArcelorMittal Acindar

These are the lines with which Brittany Devenyi opened her special in the Canadian publication, The Waterloo Chronicle, in Ontario.

Sophia Schulz is the daughter of Jason Schulz, Galvanize Reliability Team Leader at ArcelorMittal Dofasco. She was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at birth, a disorder that primarily affects the lungs and digestive system making it hard to breathe or digest food. Only half of those with cystic fibrosis will live into their 40s and beyond.

But this has not dampened the hope or efforts of Jason and his wife. Together with Sophia, they call themselves Team Zoom Zoom after a song that Jason and Katie sing to little Sophia each time before chest therapy. They have become champion fundraisers for Cystic Fibrosis Canada, raising 60,000 CDN $ in 3 years, and regularly take part in events to raise awareness of the disease.

But that’s not all. Katie Schulz has been named ‘Local Hero’ 2 years in a row by Canadian television network CTV. She is also President of the Kitchener-Waterloo Cystic Fibrosis chapter. For the last Great Strides Walk, an annual event organised by Cystic Fibrosis Canada, the Schulz family raised 29,000 CDN $ – thanks to the generous support of ArcelorMittal Dofasco colleagues, friends, and family who have all played a big part in supporting the Schulz’s.

The goal across Canada is to raise 2.5 million $. All of the money is put toward research to find better treatments and to prolong the lives of sufferers.

Jason, who has been working at ArcelorMittal Dofasco since 2000, lives with his Team Zoom Zoom in Dundas, Ontario. “Our hope is that treatments will continue to improve and that eventually a cure will be found for this genetic disease, so that our daughter Sophia will live a long and happy life,” he says.

If you would like to donate or get involved, please visit www.cysticfibrosis.ca or contact Jason Schulz + 1 905 548 7200 ext 3001.

Email Team Zoom Zoom at Jason.schulz@arcelormittal.com or mrskatieschulz@gmail.com

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited condition affecting the glands that produce body fluids or secretions. In CF, these secretions are stickier and thicker than normal. This hinders the functioning of important organs Some 94% of CF deaths are due to respiratory failure. With improved medical care, the outlook for patients with CF has been improving progressively. Currently, half of those with CF will live into their 40s and beyond. Women at all ages have slightly lower chances of survival than men, for reasons that are still unclear.

It’s the break of dawn on April 14 in the small West African country of Liberia, home to our Greenfield Mining project. On location is a film crew shooting a 9-minute video that will answer questions such as: ‘What role is ArcelorMittal playing there? What impact has the financial crisis had on Liberia? What Corporate Responsibility initiatives have been rolled out to protect the environment and support communities on the ground? Gavin Knight and Mark Moreve, Director and Cameraman at Bladonmore respectively, share their impressions from the making of this fascinating video… 

Liberia has been devastated by long years of conflict and civil war. Today, the country is slowly but surely being resurrected and starting to blossom again thanks to the strength of its people. Our Company’s activities and operations there have helped the country begin to work towards a sustainable future. 

“Liberia is a country full of potential. The video shows the way ArcelorMittal approached their ambitions in tandem with Liberians and the interests of the country. Being there on the ground, I found it quite remarkable to see such enthusiasm from the local Liberians for the mine – from ministers, NGOs to the poorest of villagers,” Gavin explains with excitement. 

The film crew was accompanied by Lynn Robbroeckx, Media Relations Manager for ArcelorMittal, as well as photographer Stephen Hird, and supported by the entire team at ArcelorMittal Liberia. “It was a great team effort from the whole crew and all of those who helped us on the ground,” Lynn remarked.

Mark went on to explain: “Our biggest challenge was logistics – how to move filming equipment without knowing what we would come across. The best way of dealing with this challenge was to be prepared for anything. But it all went well in the end.” 

The filming took the crew from Monrovia to Buchanan and then on to Yekepa, to interview the key players of the Liberia Greenfield Mining project. “It was interesting to fly over the Yekepa mine and be able to see the past and the present sitting in the rainforest… burnt-out old trucks vs. brand new cars and buildings,” shares Gavin. 

To have a clear understanding of what ArcelorMittal is doing to help the surrounding communities in Liberia, it was important to speak to the people themselves and hear ‘their side of the story’.

“The most recurrent message was that of gratitude,” said Gavin. “The Liberian people were the most amazing, proud and happy people. Filming at the primary school; I was absolutely blown away. The children were so proud of the education they get, and when we got there they welcomed us by singing – they sang songs for us! It was very moving!”  Mark added.
Weeks have passed since their return from Liberia, with many, many hours spent on cutting and editing the wealth of footage they gathered. The video is being unveiled today.

And what do the film makers think of their video? “Looking back at my filming experience in Liberia, I would say that for me the key message of the film is hope – the hope that is coming out of Liberia after having had a really hard time for many years. And the pride of the people and improvements in the country are also of course clearly visible in this video,” said Mark. “What ArcelorMittal is creating is amazing, especially how they are helping to empower the people. Boldness definitely changes everything.”

“I think it’s the start of a long and hopefully prosperous journey for this country,” Gavin concluded. 

The Liberia video: Liberia mines again, from dream to reality