with many of the supplies and services the mine relies upon.  This has resulted in the creation of countless small businesses that have been estimated to employee an additional 3,500 people in the region.

Looking back over the past 10 years, there are signs everywhere of improved living standards amongst the communities in close proximity to the Mulatos Mine, which can be largely attributed to the employment opportunities created in support of the mine.

Education

Until recently, many of the local children didn’t complete school past grade 6, the highest mandatory level of education. Two significant obstacles to their continued education were the distance to the secondary schools and the financial burden to relocate children to those schools in Sahuaripa or Hermosillo. With Alamos-funded scholarships and relocation efforts for families who can benefit from such moves, more children are receiving a complete high school education. This has, in turn, opened up opportunities for post-graduate schooling, 

which children from the community are now beginning to pursue. Alamos is also proud to participate in the “Adopt a School” program established by the Governor of the State of Sonora.  This program benefits small schools throughout the State by helping to improve the quality of education. In 2009, the Company supported a total of five schools in the Municipality of Sahuaripa, three of which directly support youth in the town of Mulatos.

In addition to the Adopt a School program, Alamos continues to support youth in the Mulatos area by providing scholarships and ongoing economic support for education programs throughout Sahuaripa, the municipality in which the Mulatos Mine is located. The Company awarded 16 university scholarships, 23 university preparatory school scholarships, 3 high school scholarships, and 4 primary school scholarships to members of the local communities in 2009.

In 2010, our commitment to this important benefit intensified, with the number of scholarships awarded by Alamos almost doubling.