Toward the Realization of a Society Free from Inequality (From CSR Report 2010)
Marubeni Foundation-Welfare funding for facilities and organizations working with people with disabilities or serious illness
Based on the fundamental spirit of "marching forward, hand-in-hand with society," in 1974, the Marubeni Group established the social welfare corporation known as the Marubeni Foundation. Every year since then, for the last 35 years, The Marubeni Foundation has continued to provide 100 million yen in aid to social welfare facilities and organizations across Japan. The number of assistance grants has now reached 1,985, amounting to 3.5 billion yen on a cumulative basis. Furthermore, in the spring of 2009, Marubeni contributed 150 million yen in donations to the Marubeni Foundation. With the net assets of the foundation now at record high levels, this has supported stable aid programs.
Every year, from spring to early summer, the Marubeni Foundation invites applications for grants, and then in autumn, presentation ceremonies are held in various parts of Japan. In Fiscal 2009, the Marubeni Foundation received applications for assistance from a record-high 736 social welfare facilities and organizations. With consideration of the views of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and the Japan National Council of Social Welfare, the applications underwent rigorous screening by a selection council comprised of 5 social welfare experts. The board of trustees and the executive board decided to give assistance to 69 organizations. In screening applicants, in addition to giving priority to more urgent proposals, priority goes toward pioneering or groundbreaking proposals that are expected to have residual effects in enhancing and improving social welfare, and to proposals that will help improve the environment for people engaged in social welfare work. Various proposals were selected for assistance this time, including the purchase of equipment, instruments and vehicles for vocational aid, the purchase of welfare vehicles for transferring the elderly and persons with disabilities to and from home and for delivering goods, the construction and repair of buildings and facilities, as well as publishing, surveying and research.
Funding for the grants is not limited to just the investment gains on the funds contributed by Marubeni. There is also a fund-raising group called the 100 Yen Club, which consists of concerned present and former Marubeni executives and employees who make fixed monthly donations in multiples of 100 yen, which are then donated to the Marubeni Foundation. Marubeni then matches the donations collected and contributes this to the Foundation as a matching gift. In Fiscal 2009, the scheme, which began 15 years ago, raised 12.1 million yen. Together with the matching gift, the good generosity of the people associated with the Marubeni Group amounted to in excess of 24 million yen, and this is included in the total 100 million yen of assistance.
Both the company and individuals support the Marubeni Foundation. We are committed to continuing aid programs as the focus of the Marubeni Group's social contribution activities.
An electric wheelchair presented to a wheelchair soccer team
A pie roller presented to a nonresidential employment facility
Views of a stakeholder
Director, Department of Welfare for People with Disabilities
Japan National Council of Social Welfare
Kiyomi Furuta
The Marubeni Foundation was established in 1974. This was the year following the so-called "First Year of the Welfare Society," and it was also a period when rapid progress was first made in the quantitative improvement of welfare facilities under the government's "Five-Year Plan for the Emergency Provision of Social Welfare Facilities." During the 35 years since then, the annual assistance of 100 million yen has been of tremendous help, supporting trial efforts precursive to the social welfare system as well as small-scale businesses that lack the status of a social welfare corporation.
This foundation was started by Marubeni, the general trading company. Then there is the "100 Yen Club," which is made up of employees, executives and retirees of the Marubeni Group. The efforts supported by this organization certainly go "above and beyond" CSR, and even today, they continue to be a revolutionary initiative.
No matter how much the social welfare system is enriched, people who are faced with the difficulties of life cannot be supported by formal systems alone. I hope that support will continue for programs that flexibly meet the social needs that change with the times.
Marubeni's worldwide Scholarship Funds
To support children's education and upbringing in emerging nations, Marubeni has set up scholarship funds, mainly in the ASEAN region. The history of Marubeni's scholarship funds dates back to 1989 in the Philippines, following which other funds were also established in Vietnam in 1994 and in Indonesia in 1999. These funds promote operations that are in accordance with the child education environment of each country. In Brazil as well, Marubeni set up a scholarship fund in 2006 together with Cia. Iguaçu de Café Solúvel, a Marubeni Group company. Furthermore, in 2007, as part of its 150th anniversary projects, Marubeni also set up new scholarship funds in Cambodia and Laos.
To date, total contributions to overseas scholarship funds have amounted to USD 3 million in 6 countries. The total number of people that Marubeni has supported so far is nearing 5,000. We strive to continue to take responsibility as a member of the international community by providing financial assistance for educational purposes.
Marubeni Educational Foundation in Lao PDR
Presentation at the combined middle and high boarding school
The second awards ceremony for the Marubeni-Educational Foundation in Lao PDR was held at the Ministry of Education Building in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, in September 2009. The fund was approved by the Government of Lao in 2007, and provides assistance using gains made from managing capital of USD 200,000. At this second ceremony, textbooks, school uniforms, stationery, and school dormitory equipment, were distributed to 2 ethnic minority elementary schools in the districts of Sepone and Phine in Savannakhet Province (356 students), and to 1 ethnic minority combined middle and high boarding school in Savannakhet City (348 students).
Marubeni Educational Foundation in Indonesia
Award ceremony at the University of Sriwijaya
In November 2009, the second Scholarship Award Ceremony to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Marubeni's founding was held at the University of Sriwijaya in Sumatra, Indonesia. Attending the ceremony were the president and nine other officials from the university, 6 executives from Marubeni, including Marubeni's Chief Representative in Indonesia, as well as employees from MHP and TEL. Scholarships were awarded to 30 students. Currently, 86 graduates from the university are employed at TEL and 30 at MHP. A few of the graduates delivered speeches to the scholarship students on the Marubeni Group's forestation business, forest products business and social contribution activities.
Marubeni Cambodia Educational Foundation
In the rapidly-growing ASEAN countries, there are many children and students who have excellent academic results but who cannot attend school due to family circumstances, because the cost of education in these countries is relatively high compared to their incomes.The Marubeni Cambodia Educational Foundation was established for economically disadvantaged students who have performed excellently at the academic level at the Royal University of Phnom Penh. In November 2009, the (then) Marubeni Phnom Penh Liaison Office Manager, Mr. Yukio Hirata, visited the university, and presented scholarships to the university president for 24 students in Fiscal 2009.
Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training honors the Marubeni Educational Foundation in Vietnam
Ceremony for the completion of the new buildings at the Ninh Xuan Elementary School
In January 2010, the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam held the second award ceremony for activities run by educational support organizations. The ceremony was held at the National Convention Center in Hanoi, and was attended by President Nguyen Minh Triet. The Marubeni Educational Foundation in Vietnam was presented with its second consecutive award. The award bestowed this time was in recognition for over 15 years of achievement and, in particular, for its support for the construction of the Ninh Xuan Elementary School in 2009.
