Dole Food Company, Inc. announced today that the Rio Viejo
Community, in the Guayas Province of Ecuador, celebrated the
inauguration of the brand new ´Ecuador Pais Amazonico´ elementary
school. Construction of the school began in September 2007 and is the
result of a partnership between the Dole Food Company, Inc. Bama
Gruppen (Norway), Bend It (Norwegian juvenile organization sponsored
by Bama), Fenacle (Ecuadorian agricultural workers´ organization), the
Marcelino Mariduena Municipality, UBESA (Dole´s subsidiary in Ecuador)
and the Dale Foundation (sponsored by UBESA and independent growers
producing for Dole). This US $300,000 joint project, fully and equally
financed between Dole and Bama, reflects the shared commitment towards
Corporate Social Responsibility by all the partners involved.
The new "Ecuador Pais Amazonico" school will provide students with
a modern building infrastructure including well-ventilated classrooms
spaces for recreational activities, a teachers´ room, a kitchen and a
cafeteria when classes resume. The school will serve over 300 children
from the Rio Viejo Community and surrounding areas.
"Education is essential for children´s development. This is why
one of the main focuses of the Dale Foundation, which drove the
project, is education, in addition to health and community
development. This new school, built according to the highest
standards, will provide outstanding learning opportunities for the
children of the Marcelino Mariduena area" said Sylvain Cuperlier
Dole´s Vice President and Director of Worldwide Corporate Social
Responsibility. "I hope this new school will bring as much success to
children as the existing Vicente Piedrahita school, the first school
built by the Dale Foundation, back in 2001".
"I am very proud of the whole team who contributed to make this
project a reality. Despite the recent difficulties this region ran
into due to very poor weather conditions which created floods, the
school was built on time and will welcome 300 children when the new
academic year starts", said Mario Padilla, Dole Ecuador General
Manager, "In addition to Bama´s financial support, it was essential to
get support from additional organizations, such as the local
community, Government, local authorities, local and national workers´
organizations to overcome these unexpected difficulties´.
The ceremony of inauguration featured several representatives from
the organizations supporting the school and included local residents
and officials of Marcelino Mariduena. Rene Maldonado - Mayor of
Marcelino Mariduena, Guillermo Touma - President of Fenacle, Mario
Padilla - General Manager Dole Ecuador, Oyvind Brisa, Bama Trading
Director and Magne Svartbekk- Bama CSR Director attended this event.
Dole Food Company, Inc., with 2007 revenues of $6.9 billion, is
the world´s largest producer and marketer of high-quality fresh fruit
fresh vegetables and fresh-cut flowers. Dole markets a growing line of
packaged foods and frozen fruit and is a produce industry leader in
nutrition education and research.
