MOL Once Again Helps Out with Ocean Transport of Mobile Library Vehicles to South Africa

December 3, 2010

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. once again assists with transport of mobile library vehicles from Japan to the Republic of South Africa for the non-profit organization (NPO) Sapesi-Japan(*1) (South Africa Primary Education Support Initiative).

The NPO donates retired mobile library vehicles handed over throughout Japan to support the education of children in South Africa. MOL transported 12 vehicles last year and will ship a total of 12 more this fiscal year. The first mobile library vehicle was loaded on the MOL-operated car carrier Swallow Ace and arrived at Durban on November 28.

The December 1 ceremony for the shipment of mobile library vehicles took center stage as part of a celebration of the South Africa-Japan centennial anniversary. His Excellency Gert J. Grobler, the Ambassador of South Africa in Japan and a delegation from the South African parliament attended the ceremony. Executives from MOL, a partner in the effort, were also on hand.

The retired mobile libraries that played a vital role in local communities in Japan will soon gain new lives in South Africa, contributing to the education of both students and teachers.

Contribution to the United Nations (UN) Millennium Development Goals is one of the stated goals of MOL's social contribution activities. These goals aim to achieve measurable targets such as eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, and ensuring environmental sustainability by 2015. MOL will work proactively on activities that help achieve those goals as it grows in step with the development of the global economy and societies around the world.

(*1) NPO Sapesi-Japan (South Africa Primary Education Support Initiative)
The NPO Sapesi-Japan cooperates with the South African Ministry of Education to collect retired mobile library vehicles throughout Japan and donate them to South Africa to raise the level of elementary education. In 2008, it was established as NPO and in 200, it donated 12 mobile library vehicles to South Africa. The organization will donate a total 100 vehicles by 2014 to expand mobile library services to encourage children all over South Africa to read books.