• 13-AUG-2014

Kia expands 'Green Light Project' in Malawi, Africa

Kia Motors Corporation today announced the expansion of its ongoing global corporate social responsibility (CSR) program, the 'Green Light Project', during celebrations for the grand opening of a new Green Light School in Malawi's capital, Lilongwe.

Kia's Green Light Project – a global social mobility program started by the corporation in 2012 – strives to improve access to health care and education for disadvantaged children in some of the poorest regions in the world, hoping to help them turn around their lives from 'red light' to 'green light'. At present, the program is working with local people on projects in three neighboring South Eastern African countries – Tanzania, Mozambique and Malawi.

In Lilongwe, the new secondary school's opening ceremony was attended by more than 1,000 local residents and a host of dignitaries, including Mr. Ziwusa, Malawi's Congressman, Mr. Nkata, Malawi's principal education officer, and Mr. Rev Kang, representative of MFHI (Malawi Food for the Hungry International). Also present were key Kia executives behind the Green Light Project, including Mr. Chang-Muk Choi, Kia Motors Corporation's Head of CSR Management Team.

Mr. Choi commented, "The global Green Light Project which has helped to create the new school we are opening in Malawi today, adopts all of Kia's corporate social responsibility values. Here in this poorer district of Lilongwe, the majority of the residents receive little medical care and secondary school enrollment rate is under 30 percent.

"Kia views people around the world as 'one family' and the program aims to provide local communities with the means to ensure that young people can achieve independence and build better lives in future. Looking forward, Kia is planning to expand the Green Light Project to other countries and regions through the cooperation of its global network," added Mr. Choi.

As well as investing in the construction of the Lilongwe educational facility, Kia plans to support the students and members of the local community by operating after-school programs for a further five years.

In addition to Kia Motors' construction of a secondary school and the donation of Kia K2700 trucks in Nagashanqui, Tanzania in 2012, Kia has funded the construction of a secondary school in Mozambique and several health clinics in Malawi. Kia plans to continue its investment in its Green Light Project until 2018, making a total investment of 14 million USD in the project.

Kia employees help with 'Green Schools' construction in Tanzania
Prior to the latest school opening in Malawi, 24 Kia employees from various regions around the world visited Tanzania last week as a 'global employee volunteer group' supporting the Green Light Project.

After going through numerous evaluations, including their English proficiency and past volunteer experiences, the selected participants spent 10 days working with local citizens. The main tasks of the volunteer group consisted of building construction and renovation, home-visits and educational service activities, school bus maintenance training and hosting an intramural sports festival.

To celebrate the second anniversary of the Green Light Project, the Kia volunteer group was joined by 500 local people and VIPs, including Mr. Chang-Muk Choi and Mr. Nam-Un Hur, the Branch manager of Good Neighbors Tanzania, the NGO charity founded by eight Koreans to alleviate poverty.

Mr. Choi commented, "We are confident that the endeavors of our 2014 volunteer group in Tanzania will create an opportunity for all of us to further enrich the current social value we've already established in this region of Africa."