Cai Mep International Terminal Co., Ltd. (CMIT) Promotes Road Safety Amongst Vietnamese Children in Tan Thanh District
Tan Thanh, 4 October 2010 - Nearly 700 students and teachers at Nguyen Thi Dinh Primary School in Tan Thanh received helmets and helmet use education thanks to Cai Mep International Co., Ltd.’s (CMIT) sponsorship.
CMIT donated the helmets as part of the Helmets for Kids program, a road safety intervention developed and implemented by the non-profit organization Asia Injury Prevention (AIP) Foundation. The Ba Ria – Vung Tau Department of Education and Training also provided invaluable support to the program.
CMIT, the Nguyen Thi Dinh Primary School, AIP Foundation, and the community celebrated the helmet donation and the beginning of the Helmets for Kids program at a ceremony featuring a symbolical handover of helmets to students, student performances, and speakers.
The Helmets for Kids program aims to educate students and teachers on the importance of traffic safety and to encourage participants to be safer road users. Helmets for Kids provides helmets and training on helmet use to the entire student body, teachers, parents and other school staff.
“Though adult helmet use is widespread in Vietnam, we continue to observe low child helmet use rates. Many parents still believe the myth that helmets cause neck injuries among children. Programs like Helmets for Kids are vital to combat this misinformation and promote child safety,” said Mirjam Sidik, Executive Director at AIP Foundation.
“Protecting children is a priority for CMIT; we believe children are the most vulnerable members of our society. The Helmets for Kids program is a great compliment to our company’s long-term priority, which is ‘Safety for Life,’” said Michael Them Rasmussen, General Director at CMIT. This is the 2nd time the two organizations have come together to support children in local communities.
To support the Helmets for Kids program, CMIT donated over 10,000 USD. State agencies and local groups including the Ba Ria – Vung Tau Department of Education and Training also partnered with AIP Foundation to promote road safety through Helmets for Kids.
“Programs like Helmets for Kids are a great asset to our community, as they help us build a new generation of safe, smart road users,” said Nguyen Huu Du, Chief Primary Office at the Ba Ria – Vung Tau Department of Education and Training.
About AIP Foundation
AIP Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to combating the epidemic levels of road traffic crash fatalities in the developing world. Founded in Vietnam in 1999, AIP Foundation implements school-based and nationwide public awareness education programs focused on road safety in Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia. In addition, AIP Foundation owns and operates Protec Helmets, the world’s first ‘helmet business for social progress’, a commercial operation wherein all profits are put back into AIP Foundation’s community programs.
In November 2009, AIP Foundation, in collaboration with the FIA Foundation and the World Bank Global Road Safety Facility, launched the Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative. With the mission of putting a helmet on every head in the Decade of Action for Road Safety, the Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative implements AIP Foundation programs in developing countries worldwide. As one of the focus countries, AIP Foundation will work in Vietnam implementing programs and interventions under the Vietnam Helmet Vaccine Initiative – the country-level implementing body for the Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative.
About CMIT
Cai Mep International Terminal Co., Ltd. (CMIT) was established on January 26, 2007 as a joint venture between the Vietnam-based Saigon Port, Vietnam National Shipping Lines and APM Terminals BV. CMIT, presently under construction, is located strategically in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province. When it becomes operational in January 2011, this modern and efficient container terminal facility will offer shipping lines and their clients fast and direct access to and from the main shipping markets in Asia, Europe and the Americas. It is CMIT’s policy to conduct its activities in a manner that protects the health and safety of its employees and communities.
For further information, please visit www.cmit.com.vn
Contacts:
Mr. Truong Tran Tuan Anh
Program Coordinator
Asia Injury Prevention Foundation
+84-8-6299-1409
Tuananh.Truong@aipf-vietnam.org
Ms. Tran Nguyen Phuong Huyen
Corporate Affairs Officer
Cai Mep International Terminal Co., Ltd.
+84-8-3824-2161