Kia Motors Corporation has formally handed over a healthcare center in the town of Mayuge in eastern Uganda, having funded the build of the facility and its day-to-day management during a start-up phase. The center, which provides much-needed medical support in the region, has been renovated and furnished with new medical equipment as part of Kia’s ‘Green Light Project’ initiative – a corporate social responsibility (CSR) program which aids social mobility and self-sufficiency.
Today’s handover ceremony was attended by local dignitaries, including the Mayuge mayor and Mayuge health commissioner, as well as other Ugandan politicians and Kia executives.
Kia’s Green Light Project – started by the carmaker in 2012 – strives to improve access to healthcare, education and employment for disadvantaged communities in Africa, in particular by helping to establish much-needed facilities. The program seeks to improve social mobility and self-sufficiency, and help people challenge and overcome any obstacle. With the establishment of each Green Light Project facility, Kia’s final goal is to hand over full control to a local community.
“Kia has handed over a number of ‘Green Light’ facilities across Africa, with the aim of providing local people an opportunity to build better lives through improved access to healthcare, education and vocational training,” Kyehwan Roh, Kia Motors CSR management team leader, said “As with all of our Green Light Projects, it gives us great pleasure to pass management of the Ugandan healthcare center over to the people of Mayuge.”
To support Green Light Project, number of Kia employees from around the world visits one of GLP locations as part of a Green Light Project global employee volunteer group. The group spends a combined total of 10 days working with local people, completing home-visits and joining educational activities.
Kia’s ‘Green Light Project’
Since 2012, Kia has supported a series of communities and initiatives in Africa through its Green Light Project to provide easier access to health, education and employment. Green Light Projects in Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania and Malawi have resulted in the successful establishment of five schools and a health center with a mobile clinic. The latest projects bring the total number of Green Light Project locations to seven.
As well as setting up education, health and training facilities, Kia provides small fleets of support vehicles to serve local needs, such as school buses, mobile mechanics, mobile libraries, and mobile health clinics. The Green Light Project also aids local citizens with school uniform production, micro-loan facilities, fertilizer lending programs, and vehicle workshop facilities.
