Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50the assessment’s recommendations to minimize negative social impacts. During numerous community consultations, the participants emphasized the importance of protecting the environment, sharing the sea with the local fishing industry, and their expectation that any future hiring or sourcing give preference to local people and companies. Following these discussions, we reevaluated our operational needs, and were able to identify and create additional jobs in Dakhla. In addition, Kosmos commissioned a leading global consulting company to complete an early-stage oil and gas supply chain analysis, which included a field mission to Western Sahara and locations within Morocco. This study has contributed to our understanding of the region so that we can maximize local employment and supply chain opportunities in the future. POSITIVE IMPACTS Over the past few years, Kosmos has conducted two separate needs assessments to inform our social investments in Western Sahara. One of the major conclusions of the assessments was that unemployment is a major challenge facing the region. This finding led to creation of a vocational training program in partnership with AMIDEAST to give 80 unemployed college graduates the skills required by the job market, including foreign languages, finance, computers and job-searching techniques. An additional 28 beneficiaries received training in entrepreneurship. As of the time of publication, 51 percent of the program participants in Dakhla are employed. A needs assessment in Boujdour revealed that seven local schools lacked hygienic and gender- segregated bathroom facilities. This was contributing to an above-average incidence of skin and eye disease among students, as well as lower attendance rates among female students. With the help of High Atlas Foundation, a nonprofit organization that establishes community development projects in rural areas, Kosmos provided seven schools in Boujdour with clean drinking water facilities and new, gender- segregated bathrooms. Kosmos also worked with the Ministry of Health to provide health education at the schools to increase student awareness of sanitation practices, disease prevention, and personal hygiene. In total, more than 4,750 students directly benefited from the project. On a visit to Western Sahara, Senior Vice President Bill Hayes meets with participants of the AMIDEAST vocational training program to discuss their future plans and offer career advice. 36 36