The magazine awarded PT Astra Agro Lestari Tbk for the company’s corporate social responsibility program to empowering communities around the oil palm plantations.

“One of the real program of PT Astra Agro Lestari Tbk is to create jobs and economic empowerment of communities through the plasma program,” said Abdul Gani, Chief Editor of the SWA, in his speech during Talk Show and

Appreciation Day of “Indonesia Social Entrepreneurship 2010’, in Jakarta (March 10).

Gani said, any social program to develop communities to become an entrepreneur is an honorable effort. ”The entrepreneurs are like heroes for their daring to take a risk in creating job opportunities for the people,” Gani said.

Yulian Warman, Head of Public Relations Division of PT Astra International Tbk, representing PT Astra Agro Lestari Tbk achieved the award from Kemal Gani of SWA.Some corporate social  responsibility programs has been conducted by PT Astra Agro Lestari Tbk including the plasma as well as the IGA (income generating activity) program. Nowdays, PT Astra Agro Lestari Tbk has a partnership with more than 30,000 local farmers through the plasma and partnering with about 4,000 local farmers through the IGA.

Meanwhile, the company also initiated activities to empowering indigenous people, Suku Anak Dalam in Jambi of Sumatra and Suku Binggi in Pasangkayu of West Sulawesi. The activities including training, education activity, and health services as well. (TM)