Education for Future Generations
FUJIFILM Business Innovation Sustainability Initiatives: Education for Future Generations
FUJIFILM Sustainability Initiatives: Education for Future Generations
In a rapidly evolving, digitally transformed world, the importance of education cannot be overstated. With an educated, creative and sustainable workforce, the limits we face today will be a thing of the past tomorrow. However, for an innovation-led future to be realised, access to quality education needs to be made available to all.
The United Nation Sustainable Development Goal (UNSDG) 4 states that providing quality education for all is fundamental to creating a peaceful and prosperous world. It gives people the knowledge and skills they need to stay healthy, get jobs and foster tolerance.
In the Asia Pacific region where FUJIFILM Business Innovation mainly operates, many children still lack access to quality primary education perpetuating the cycle of poverty and social inequality. We have recognised that education is key to unlocking the potential of marginalised individuals. Access to quality education will not only improve their existing circumstances but also help to build a strong, sustainable future within these communities.
Goal: Narrowing Educational Gaps Through The Distribution of Learning Materials
To improve literacy levels, we developed and coordinated efforts to distribute learning materials to 100 000 children across the region in 10 years.
This sustainability project kicked off in the Philippines in 2014 and then expanded to Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
Results: Achieving our sustainable goal ahead of schedule
As of 2021, we have surpassed our original goal, helping 111 500 children across 6 countries in less than 10 years. While this number is significant, what matters more to us as an organisation is the lasting and sustainable impact we have created. We have connected underprivileged communities with businesses that are willing to provide via strong local charities. We hope that our project will inspire further partnerships for sustainable development.
Process: Coordinated efforts and sustainable practices
We worked with like-minded partners, customers and local charities who believed in our goal and supported this project.
The learning materials provided to the children consisted of exercise and storybooks. Story books were shared by a class of pupils or placed in the library for communal use while primary school exercise books were given out to individual children.
How were the learning materials developed and printed?
We partnered with local charities to engage schools that needed support and prepared the relevant content for the children’s primary education. We coordinated and engaged local print partners and FUJIFILM Business Innovation customers to print the learning materials. By using our energy-efficient production printers, we were better able to manage the environmental impact of our project.
Why did we choose to connect and work closely with local charities to prepare and distribute the printed learning materials?
UNSDG 17 encourages the global partnership for sustainable development. This goal emphasizes the importance of collaboration and cooperation between countries and organizations to achieve sustainable development.
As an international enterprise, we believe FUJIFILM Business Innovation can play an important role in connecting different parties to provide for the communities around us that have unmet needs. We also worked with local charities because they understood the situation on the ground. When we shared with them what we were trying to achieve, they connected us to the schools and children that needed the learning materials the most making the project more effective. It also reduced the amount of time required for the selection process.
Key Takeaway: Local charities are small and may lack the resources to provide long-term data and report metrics. Frameworks to measure project performance have to be simplified and streamlined. They must be easily updated with little investment of time and effort.
Interested in empowering local communities and creating a more sustainable world?
Partner with us in addressing educational inequality. Read more about our Sustainable Value Plan 2030 or get in touch with us to find out how you can play a part.