Sustainable development is not something that begins when a company starts an operation in that region. It is an issue that is considered even at the exploration phase and AngloGold geologists are extremely mindful of the obligations and responsibilities placed upon them in operating in often very remote areas.

Started in 1995 with eight children and one building, the Lotus Children?s Centre in Mongolia owes its development to a range of volunteers and donor organisations. This centre currently supports 115 homeless children with food, education and accommodation. The youngest child is just one month old and the oldest ? a young adult ? is 20.

Some of the children are orphans, but others have parents who are not able to care for them owing to illness or poverty. Many of the children have lived on the street at some time, even in this extreme climate.

Says Barrie Parker, head of AngloGold?s Australian operations, ?A group from the Perth office visited the centre during a recent trip to Mongolia. It was an extremely emotional experience for me ? holding a one-month old baby who had been abandoned in the snow ? and who now had a chance of survival."

The centre also runs a soup kitchen, providing meals for 30 to 40 disadvantaged people in the Yarmeg community, as a response to the extreme poverty in the area.