On 19 November, Arkema, the global leader in Specialty Materials held the opening ceremony of the “Clean Water Project 2021” in Taiping Primary School, ZhaiHao Town, Rongjiang County, Guizhou Province, which was attended by Anqing Luo, Standing Committee, the Organization Department Director and the Party School Principal of the County Party Committee, Guofeng Huang, Party Group member of the County People's Government, Director of the County Bureau of Education, Science and Technology, Geng Wang, Secretary of the Party Committee of Zhaihao Town, Yongliu Luo, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Trade Union President of Guizhou Phosphate Chemical Group, Hongjia Zhou, Deputy Director of the Office of Guizhou Phosphate Chemical Group, Ms. Julie Xiaoyu Zhang, President of Arkema Greater China, and Dr. Morgan Chen Ma, General Manager of Arkema-ArrMaz China. In its cooperation with One Foundation’s “Clean Water Project,” once again, Arkema exemplified the theme of “Walking Together as one in Boosting Education and Purifying Resources” by gathering heartwarming support from both internal and external stakeholders to contribute to a clean drinking water environment and conditions in schools in need in rural areas of Guizhou Province, and enhancing students’ drinking water hygiene and health awareness. Meanwhile, on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of the “ChemArt Green Innovation Class,” its long-term CSR program, Arkema expanded its footprint to Taiping Primary School and actively contributed to the holistic development of teenagers.
“Arkema Group has just developed a new positioning and further established our vision of innovative materials for a sustainable world. Water management is a key component of our Group’s efforts in contributing to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the transition to a more sustainable world,” Ms. Julie Xiaoyu Zhang, President of Arkema Greater China said. “Last year, we joined One Foundation’s Clean Water Project and provided practical help to schools in need in rural areas of Yunnan Province with the support of local governments and social organizations. This time, we gathered more stakeholders such as Guizhou Phosphate Chemical Group, our important client, as well as our partner, One Foundation, and brought their resources to Rongjiang county, to boost education, purify resources and create a sustainable future for students, which is in line with our spirit of ChemArt Green Innovation Class.”
This is the 2nd consecutive year for Arkema to join the Clean Water Project. Over the past two years, Arkema and its subsidiary, specialty surfactants leader, Arkema-ArrMaz have invested a total of CNY 400,000 to help schools in some rural areas improve their drinking water environment. This year, the project has installed water purification equipment from Midea Group in five schools in Rongjiang County, including Gaowu Primary School and Gaowen Primary School in GuZhou Town, Jiaoche Primary School in Sanjiang Town, Panxue Primary School in Zhongcheng town and Taiping Primary School in ZhaiHao Town, equip students with safety water bottles, and carry out water and hygiene training, with approximately 900 students benefitting from the program every year. Arkema and One Foundation will also conduct strict supervision of the equipment and project management and assist the schools in follow-up management and maintenance.
A safe drinking water environment and good handwashing habits are key priorities under the context of regular epidemic prevention. With this in mind, on the day of the opening ceremony, employee volunteers from Arkema China, Arkema-ArrMaz and Guizhou Phosphate Chemical Group carried out knowledge training of “Water and Hygiene” and tutored students on using water purifiers, safety water bottles and the importance of drinking water safely in a bid to foster hygiene awareness and help them develop good hygiene habits that will benefit them for life.
In addition, after visiting various schools and gaining a thorough understanding of their resource and supplementary education needs, Arkema and Arkema-ArrMaz donated 155 sports equipment and 3000 pediatric masks to five schools, bringing them warmth amidst the chill of late fall. Volunteers also delivered classes according to the learning and growth needs of the local children and accompanied them in completing the Nazca Lines activity based on the theme of this event. Students responded enthusiastically and participated actively in the classes and activities. To express their gratitude towards all who came from afar and provided them with strong support, the students presented an exciting performance with the brilliant Dong Minority culture, dancing and singing to local music, and touching everyone present with their joy and true affection.
According to the specific needs of these schools, Arkema and Arkema-ArrMaz will regularly mobilize volunteers to provide ChemArt Green Innovation Classes about hygiene, health, safety, the environment, and other related campus activities in the future, so as to broaden students’ horizons, provide them with access to knowledge from different sources, and contribute to their holistic development.
The Clean Water Project was initiated by the NGO One Foundation, with the goal of “Every child deserves clean water.” Arkema and its subsidiary, Arkema-ArrMaz, joined the project for the first time in November 2020, helping students in rural schools of Yunnan province gain access to clean and safe water, thereby addressing the school’s most practical need. In addition, the project will also work together with local governments and schools to help more children grow up healthy and happy through establishing exemplary counties and provinces.
The project is not only another major step towards deepening Arkema’s CSR in China based on local conditions,but also reflects Arkema’s CSR commitment in “fostering open dialog and close relations with stakeholders,” and its determination to “develop long-lasting relationships built on the foundation of trust and openness” as part of the Common Ground® agreement. Guizhou Phosphate Chemical Group, Arkema-ArrMaz’s key client, a world-class phosphate chemical firm, actively participated in this event, working together with Arkema to contribute to the success of the project and the healthy growth of the children. Arkema remains committed to continuing its corporate social responsibility initiatives and sustaining long-lasting relationships with all of its key stakeholders to jointly put their best foot forward in contributing to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.