Editor's note: With the dream of "thriving by scientific and technological innovation" in mind, KEDA Industrial Group is sure-footed, going outside the world from Foshan. The glory of Kodak Industrial Group is known far away in the world by promoting the global expansion of capital, production capacity, services and humanistic care. From this issue, the newspaper will launch a series of "Globalization" reports, so stay tuned.

 

"China", "KEDA", "Hello"... Students, with hunger for knowledge, are staring at the figure of Chinese volunteers and learning to read Chinese characters on the blackboard of KEDA DBSA (Dream Building Service Association) School in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. It is very rare among over 500 schools in the Masaray slum that African children can learn in the bright and clean classrooms with white tiles and wooden ceilings.
 


▲Completed KEDA DBSA school

As the second largest slum in Kenya and located in the capital city of Nairobi, the Massare slum covers an area of less than 3 square kilometers but is densely populated with 600,000 people who eke out an existence on less than a dollar a day.
 
Schools in the slum are often built with iron sheets. Classrooms are airtight and dingy. Smoke wafts into the classroom when people nearby cook, making the eyes of teachers and students water. The learning environment is really bad. To make things worse, a big fire destroyed Caso Upenda School (replaced by KEDA DBSA School) during Christmas 2016, leaving hundreds of children out of school.
 
At that time, Dream Building Service Association, a non-profit organization that conducts public welfare activities for impoverished young children and vulnerable groups around the world, especially in slum areas, contacted KEDA (Kenya) Ceramics Factory. Ruiqin LI, the GM of factory, went to the site for inspection. Passing through the residential areas with low and squalid hovels and facing the children's alive eyes with hope, He decided immediately in front of the burnt remnants: "KEDA is willing to assist in the reconstruction of the school. And all the tiles required for the reconstruction will be provided by KEDA free of charge."
 

▲ Contrast before and after the completion of school
 
With the help of KEDA and people from all walks of life, it took over a year to complete the new school officially: shiny white tiles were clean and tidy, steel stair railings were fine and solid and the rooms received natural sunlight through glass roofs with good light penetration...

Artists in the slum painted a picture of rising sun with bright sunlight by hand on the outer wall of the school, and the brightly colored text "KEDA DBSA SCHOOL" is next to it. More than 400 African teenagers returned to class and regained their dreams of becoming teachers, flight attendants and doctors, amidst the sound of reading aloud.

"We shall, within our best abilities, not allow poverty to deprive African children of the chance to realize their dreams." Ruiqin LI introduced that since it started to build factories in Kenya and other countries, KEDA Industrial Group had not only assisted in the localization development of African industry, but also produced more high-quality and affordable building materials, such as tiles and sanitary ware, to improve the local living environment. Meanwhile, a large number of local employees were employed to develop their working skills and improve their living standards.

Building schools, drilling wells and donating resources... KEDA Industrial Group helps people of different countries, colors and ages actively, while expanding its business in Africa and other places, to fulfill the mission of "Green Solution, Greener Life" and sow the seeds of "beauty" in the places where "KEDA" flags are flying.

（Jiasheng XIE, President Office)