Philanthropic Initiatives in
South America
Highlights
Honda Automoveis do Brasil Ltda.
Providing food and fun to disadvantaged children
Since its foundation, Honda Automoveis do Brasil has been dedicated to helping the less fortunate of its home city of Sumare, a suburb of Sao Paulo. In the Solidarity Workshop, Honda associates provide the disadvantaged children of the city with food, entertainment and educational opportunities. Every month, Honda collects donations from associates for the Workshop and matches their total contribution, and associates volunteer to make Workshop events successful. In FY2009, associate and company contributions totaled R$196,196, and associates put on two charitable events. In October 2008, the Children's Day Party offered local youngsters a wide variety of cultural activities, and Honda donated 8.5 t of food to the community. In December, Honda's annual Christmas party—the region's biggest social event—welcomed 4,000 people. Honda gave away 18 t of food, and associates prepared bags filled with toys, clothes, educational materials and candy for 1,900 children.
Fostering children's traffic safety
In 2007, following instructions provided by the Sumare City Traffic Department, five Honda Automoveis do Brasil associates painted crosswalks and other road surface markings and installed traffic signs around five schools near the Honda plant in Sumare. These safety upgrades alert drivers that they are approaching a school and provide children a clearer path across busy streets. Then, the Traffic Department, Honda and teachers at the five schools prepared a special full-day safety event for the children in every grade. Teachers and Honda associates jointly organized the classes and taught traffic rules and safety principles in a fun way. In 2008, Honda Automoveis do Brasil not only maintained the markings and signage it had provided the year before but also donated equivalent traffic safety upgrades to the five other schools in the area. Honda again provided the special day of traffic safety instruction to all 10 schools, also giving out Honda South America's “Harmony in Traffic” leaflet, which encourages parents to drive safely and help their children maintain a high level of traffic safety.
Supporting environmental education
In cooperation with the local City Council of Sumare, Honda Automoveis do Brasil Ltda. is providing support for environmental education and awareness-raising initiatives, reaching approximately 40,000 elementary and junior-high school students attending 33 municipal schools. With the slogan “Environmental Education is a Duty, it is Cool,” Honda Automoveis do Brasil supports such activities as distributing 30,000 copies of an educational book dealing with environmental pollution and recycling, showing 12 videos on environmental themes in schools, giving out tee shirts and posters and planting thousands of trees to enhance the city environment.
Honda South America Ltda.
Educating disadvantaged high school students
Every year since 2007, Honda South America Ltda. has recruited 20 disadvantaged high school students from Recife, Brazil, to participate in a special educational program comprising three modules: personal development and citizenship; vocational training focused on motorcycle and automobile repair; and instruction in mathematics, Portuguese, English and computer science. In the selection process, the students receive an educational evaluation and a personal visit to ascertain their economic situation. Through this program, the students gain knowledge and skills that can help them become a motorcycle or automobile mechanic or pursue a career in a related field.
Educating motorcycle riders
Honda South America operates CETH (Centro Educacional de Transito Honda, or Educational Transit Center Honda) in Indaiatuba, Sao Paulo State (established 1998) and Recife, Pernambuco State (established 2006). CETH lectures effectively convey safe riding techniques to a large audience in just an hour and a half. At CETH test rides, participants receive careful guidance by Honda instructors based on their skill level and needs. CETH provides courses to leisure riders, instructors at companies and riding schools and riders in the military and police and fire departments. In FY2009, close to 300 CETH programs served 28,543 persons.
Moto Honda da Amazonia Ltda.
Helping protect the Amazon
The Adolpho Ducke Forest Reserve in Manaus City, Amazonas, was established to preserve the tropical ecology of 100 km2 of Amazonian forest and promote research into tropical ecologies. Since 2003, Moto Honda da Amazonia has partnered with the National Institute of Amazonian Research and the municipal government to help local people learn more about this natural habitat through tours of the reserve and its botanical gardens. Starting in 2009, Honda's program has focused mainly on elementary school children. Each month, associate volunteers transport some 250 children to the reserve, where they enjoy observing aquatic mammals, talking guided walks in the forest, watching environmental plays and puppet shows, playing environmental games and learning about hygiene, nutrition and malaria and other tropical diseases. In FY2009, the program served upwards of 3,000 persons with 12 Moto Honda da Amazonia associates regularly volunteering.
Helping provide food to lower-income people
Under the Food for Citizens Project, Moto Honda da Amazonia and twelve local suppliers have worked with local governments to establish two charitable restaurants in Manaus that provide highly nutritious, affordable meals to lower-income people. On an ongoing basis, Honda and the suppliers subsidize the meals, which cost one Brazilian real, contain 1,400 calories and offer the same food quality level that Honda associates enjoy through the Manaus Plant food service. The Human Development Council of the state of Amazonas manages the Citizen Food Restaurant, which is located in the eastern part of the city, while the Manaus City Department of Social Assistance to the Community manages the Easy Food Restaurant, which is located in the western part of the city. Each restaurant serves 500 meals per day, Monday to Friday.
Young Scientist Searcher Project
The Young Scientist Searcher Project fosters curiosity and deeper understanding about science among youth 12 to 15 years of age, who are encouraged to participate in research, science experiments, science fairs and other learning activities. Every year, support from Moto Honda da Amazonia helps some 40 students participate in science lessons conducted at Brazil's Amazon National Research Institute.
Clean Consciousness Project
Honda teamed up with local broadcasters to carry out environmental education targeting people who live near small rivers and streams. Built around a theme of ”One small seed for the future,” the project involved river clean-up along with workshops on newspaper crafts, art, how to make mini-sofas from plastic drink bottles, and other activities designed to promote a direct appreciation of the value of recycling.
Manaus Tree Planting Project
In cooperation with the Manaus city government, Honda participated in a campaign under the banner, “Now is the time to make Manaus green! Let's all plant more trees in Manaus. ”
Honda del Peru S.A.
Providing civics and vocational education to students
Honda del Peru has developed a civics and vocational educational program for students in 18 local schools and universities based on Honda's principles of corporate social responsibility. In addition to providing instruction in values and civic responsibility, the program offers plant tours to introduce students to the advanced motorcycle production processes of Honda Selva del Peru. The goal of the program is to foster civic pride and civic duty while encouraging an understanding of and interest in the knowledge and skills required to pursue a successful career at Honda.
Providing riding safety courses to local residents
Since September 2004, Honda del Peru has provided a traffic and motorcycle safety program to local residents that comprises three modules: a basic safe riding program, an advanced safe riding program and a training program for riding instructors. The company provides the program not only to leisure riders and commuters but also to the Peru National Police, Serenazgo City Security, firefighters, medics and company employees who work in supervision, sales, delivery and other roles. In addition to learning basic and advanced riding techniques, participants gain a new point of view that helps prevent accidents. In 2008, 360 persons took lessons in the program.
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