Fuji Xerox's volunteer organization, HASU Club, which comprises company employees, officers and retired personnel, will erect a building at a primary school in Cambodia as part of its international support and assistance activities. Construction will begin in April 2004 with plans calling for it to be completed a few months later in September. In addition to supporting the education of children in Asia, the building will also contribute to social enhancement by stimulating constant interaction between the local community and children.
The HASU Club was established in December 1991 as a volunteer organization engaged in activities in four distinct areas: Welfare, Culture & Education, Environmental Protection, and International Support. The current project, which will be carried out by the International Support Group, involves the creation of a new block with five classrooms at Phoum Prah Ang Primary School in Kompong Cham, Cambodia. Desks, chairs and other supplementary items will also be supplied, with four million yen to be spent in total. In October, an international camp will be held on the school grounds once the building is complete, while plans are also in place to put up a swing for the children.
The school was built in 1997 and still has only one block with two classrooms made of tin, while there are 300 students, from first year to fourth year. The school is therefore forced to conduct two classes simultaneously in each room. As there is no space for fifth and sixth year students, they attend a school seven kilometers away. The new building will allow all students to study at the same location.
Once the building has been erected, various activities are planned to strengthen relations between the school children and local citizens, including: 1) athletics, such as sports festivals and soccer games; 2) art and music, with painting exhibitions and performances; 3) culture and education, to explain the Japanese way of life as well as school cleanliness; and, 4) nature and science, to teach about astronomy, the environment, plants and animals. Ideas are also being developed to deepen ties between Japanese and Cambodian children.
The HASU Club began its overseas activities in 1994. With one of its primary focueses as the "education of children throughout Asia," the club organized a study tour in Cambodia in 2000. Subsequent to this and with the cooperation of non-profit groups that the club makes donations to, the organization has arranged a variety of camps and educational seminars in the country. The main aim of conducting these activities in developing nations is to help bring people out of poverty, raise their quality of life, create a healthy body, mind and society, and generally restore the country. To achieve these goals, rather than employ makeshift measures, the club views the education of children as a vital ingredient in a prosperous future. The reasons for choosing Cambodia included: the lack of classrooms due to the high proportion of children (43 percent under 15, compared to 14 percent in Japan); and, unrelenting internal conflict, which has impeded the development of its people.
The actual construction of the classrooms will be conducted by JHP (Japan Team of Young Human Power), a non-profit organization headed by Mieko Osanai, a Japanese script-writer. The HASU Club seeks to strengthen relationships among local children through activities that include: overseas camps (The first camp was held with the aid of JHP in November 2002); installing swings in primary schools; and donating harmonicas contributed by Japanese children. Based on these activities, the decision was made to go ahead with the current project under the guidance of JHP, which is vastly experienced in providing volunteer aid in Cambodia.
