Aramco Asia was recently recognized by China Charity Aid Foundation for Children (CCAFC) for its contribution to the “Children Benefit” initiative for the promotion of healthcare and education to children in need. This program included a raft of activities that aimed at ensuring children in need have free access to professional medical and mental care.
The recognition ceremony was jointly hosted by CCAFC and iFeng.com in Beijing on November25.
Representing Aramco Asia, China Country Manager Fahad Al Othman attended the ceremony and received an appreciation plaque. Sitting on a panel that focused on the company's citizenship efforts, Al Othman noted: “The Children Benefit program is one of the strategic programs we invested in to contribute to the welfare of local communities; especially underprivileged ones.”
“Helping underprivileged kids receive medical checkups and follow-up treatment that they may not otherwise be able to afford easily is instrumental in enabling them to live a healthy life and contribute to the growth and development of their nation, which contributes to the government's efforts around poverty alleviation”, he added.
Launched in 2018, the project will have benefited a total of 3,000 children from nine provinces and regions of Hebei, Liaoning, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Fujian, Jiangxi, Inner Mongolia and Tibet when it concludes in May 2020.
The “Children Benefit” program is one of several other programs Aramco Asia has been investing in to support underprivileged people and communities and protect the environment.
As a part of this year's programs, Aramco Asia co-organized the “Hope School” program with China Youth Development Foundation (CYDF) following the success partnership with CYDF in 2015 and 2016.
The Aramco-CYDF partnership is to build three “Hope Schools” in Liaoning, Fujian and Yunnan, 13 classrooms for performing arts, with one in each of these three schools and the rest ten in the rural schools in these three provinces, and provide one-week training to 50 teachers. The project is closely aligned with the “Project Hope”, a nationwide drive that helps children in poverty complete their elementary education.
On November 27, Aramco Asia Public Affairs Director Haitham Jehairan attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of one “Aramco Asia Hope School” in Zhongshu town, Luxi county, southwest China's Yunnan province.
Jehairan noted, “We are proud of being able to help improve the lives of the Chinese children. It is a great investment that could bring valuable benefits to the community. I am confident that the program will help these children realize their potentials and build a better future for themselves and their families. It is a rewarding mission for all of us.”
Aramco Asia has been dedicated to social welfare, environmental stewardship and people's health since the Asia headquarters was established in Beijing late 2012. It has launched a number of programs jointly with various organizations to contribute to the people's wellbeing and environmental protection.