May 11, 2016
Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. ("K" Line) has announced that it has provided free ocean transportation of books for children to be donated to the "Mobile Library Project" promoted by NPO "South African Primary Education Support Initiative (SAPESI)" in the Republic of South Africa.
SAPESI is an NPO established in South Africa to help improve the quality of primary education in the country, and the Mobile Library Project is an activity to operate mobile libraries, donated from Japan with books sent from various English speaking countries such as the United States, around primary schools across the country. "K" Line has been supporting the Project since 2011 by providing free transportation of children's books that are collected and presented by group companies of Sony Corporation, who has been supporting the activity of SAPESI as well. This year, "K" Line has already transported more than 12,000 books from Singapore, UAE and the United States to the port of Durban, South Africa, with its container vessels.
In addition, after the arrival of those books at the port of Durban, staffs of "K" LINE SHIPPING (SOUTH AFRICA) PTY LTD, an affiliated company of "K" Line in South Africa, have voluntarily provided repairing and sorting works of the book, which have been sorted by direction and sent to each mobile library (photo 2).
"K" Line, in cooperation with Sony Corporation at each other's local affiliates, has transported more than 100,000 books so far. Hoping that the books presented to the project may contribute to the improvement of the quality of education as well as give children in South Africa dreams for the future, "K" Line would continue to contribute to the society through its core business, ocean transportation.
* "K" Line's supporting activity to SAPESI is introduced on "CSR" pages its corporate web-site, namely "Collaboration with Stakeholders" (https://www.kline.co.jp/en/csr/community/#2) and "Social Contribution Activities" (https://www.kline.co.jp/en/csr/community/#3).
(Photo 1) Persons in charge of social contribution project at local offices of both Sony and
"K" Line in Singapore
(Photo 2) Sorting Works by staffs of "K" LINE SHIPPING (SOUTH AFRICA) PTY LTD.
(Photo 3) Children in South Africa delighted with the books