Social Contribution
Participatory Volunteer Activities
Activities of the OKI Mountain and Forest Brigade
The OKI Group has created the OKI Mountain and Forest Brigade, which is participated in by employees and their families. The brigade helps maintain local forest areas and works to improve relations with local residents.
In the year ended March 2007, we twice cut and thinned two forests associated with the OKI Group, a forest we are raising in Komoro, Nagano Prefecture and a forest we are tending to in the Kannonyama area of Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture. We also did thinning work in Izu, Shizuoka Prefecture. In conducting these activities, we received the support of the city of Komoro, the nonprofit organization Green Earth Center, Gunma Forest Management Department and other organizations.
Working at a forest tended by the OKI Group
Contributing to the Community Through Take-Tonbo
With the help of the International Take-Tonbo (Bamboo-Dragonfly) Association, since the year ended March 2000 the OKI Group has held a take-tonbo festival almost every year, inviting children from local care facilities. In the year ended March 2007, 20 children were invited to the Kyodo-no-Mori Museum in Fuchu on November 11 to make take-tonbo and puppets.
In addition, with this program serving as the springboard, we are also involved in a variety of social contribution activities with the International Take-Tonbo Association that center on making take-tonbo. At the 2007 Children/Dream/Future Festival held by the city of Saitama, we set up a booth where people could try making take-tonbo. We have participated in this festival every year since the year ended March 2003. In August 2006, we also helped sponsor an event promoting international solidarity among orphaned children held by the organization Ashinaga. The event was held to facilitate friendships between children in Japan and children overseas who have lost their parents due to natural disaster, war, terrorism, AIDS or other calamites. One hundred children from 17 countries and regions came to Japan for the event. At the event OKI helped run a workshop for making take-tonbo, one of the social activities held for the children.
Making puppets
At the workshop
Making and Donating Lao Picture Books
Together with the nonprofit organization Action with Lao Children, every year the OKI Group holds an event for making picture books in the Lao language and sends them to children in Laos. The event involves making picture books in Lao by attaching Lao translations of Japanese picture books. Simple Lao language courses and quizzes related to Laos are also held, all of which serves to deepen understanding of Lao culture.
Reading from a Lao picture book
In the year ended March 2007, employees of the OKI Group, their families, students from Gakushuin Women's College who will participate in a study tour in Laos with Action with Lao Children, and other volunteers helped make the picture books. In total 34 people participated, 12 more than the previous year. In total, they completed 60 books.
