Ocean Network Express (“ONE”) has provided free transportation of 23,000 English story books from Hong Kong to Cape Town to fill the mobile libraries and expand book access for children living in the rural area of Western Cape province of South Africa.
Working closely with South African Japanese NPO, South African Primary Education Support Initiative (SAPESI) and Sony Group and collaborating with the Western Cape Department of Education (WCDE), this joint initiative has further strengthened relationships between the Japanese and the South Africans. It is also the start of a great partnership for ONE to aid the disadvantaged children since it became operational in April 2018.
The books, handed to Ms Debbie Shäfer, Member of the Executive Council (MEC) of WCDE, by Mr Tadashi Hasunuma, Director of SAPESI, were collected by Sony Corporation of Hong Kong Limited, from Hong Kong citizen, Sony Group of companies and employees, South African Consulate in Hong Kong and Macao SAR, as well organisations and communities.
Currently, there are more than 60 mobile libraries in South Africa that reach out to 800 schools in the rural area of Western Cape province of South Africa. The organisations behind this joint initiative aim to increase the current fleet of mobile libraries from 60 to 100, so that they could eventually reach out to 2500 schools in rural areas of South Africa. To date, more than 280,000 books have been donated by Sony group globally since the initiative was implemented.
ONE, as a global shipping company with comprehensive global network connections, continuously advocates Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities.
