In 2021, the Prysmian Group donated about €1,705,000 to local communities around the world in cash, in kind and in the form of time as part of the Corporate Citizenship and Philanthropy policy it adopted in 2019. Below, the company discusses one of its smaller donations.

Large donations draw a lot of attention, but sometimes a small one is equally important. In 2021, Prysmian supplied the cables required for developing a photovoltaic system at Hôpital Général de Référence d’Uvira. Prysmian’s solutions were used to ensure that the local population in the Democratic Republic of Congo enjoys access to a more reliable and effective hospital service.

The hospital is located in Uvira, one of the country’s major cities. Unfortunately, Congo is constantly plagued by ethnic conflicts and indiscriminate exploitation of underground resources, which place the health of the population at risk. With the participation of various organizations and businesses, the EIS project seeks to provide the hospital with energy independence from the city’s power plants to prevent constant power outages, of which there are an average of 10 a day. The multiple blackouts inevitably impact the hospital’s services, particularly in some wards, where electricity is fundamental to saving lives, such as neonatal care and surgery.

Prysmian Group contributed to the project by donating about four km of medium-voltage cables required to build up a photovoltaic system composed of 152 photovoltaic modules and 48 batteries that ensures that the hospital has access to a reliable power supply, based on renewable, sustainable sources.

The system’s storage capacity of 155 kWh helps the hospital to maintain a constant energy output, complementing the power supplied by the local public utility. This way, the system can provide reliable power not just for the most sensitive wards of the hospital but for the entire facility.

The Group’s support made it possible to develop a photovoltaic system that captures solar energy. Prysmian Group is proud to have contributed to this humanitarian initiative, in collaboration with a non-profit organization, Progetto Sorriso Nel Mondo, donating a new source of energy to the Uvira community thanks to its cables.

Manufacturers GIVING BACK

This is part 12 of Wire Journal International's first-ever feature presenting 16 manufacturers that have given back to their communities: hundreds others could just as easily have been here. Each entry has a unique story, yet the common thread is the people—of all ranks—who care about their companies as well as their communities. Big volunteer efforts deserve applause, but so do smaller ones as they all head in the same direction. In a time when there is seldom a lack of daunting news, one can take pride in the industry spirit.

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Companies Featured:
Hitachi Cable America (now Proterial Cable America), Viakable, Acme Wire Products, High-Performance Conductors (HPC), Kris-Tech, Allied Wire, Ulbrich Stainless Steels & Special Metals, Inc., Cerrowire, Belden, Fort Wayne Metals, Optimus Steel, Prysmian, Minnesota Wire, Southwire, Service Wire, Alloy Wire International
Bonus Content:
> Employer alert! Volunteers make for a better workforce.
> How can a small business start a ‘giving back’ program?