North American banana distributor Turbana has launched a new social responsibility project in Colombia in conjunction with one of the company’s owners Uniban – the largest grower-owned banana company in the world.
The One Laptop Per Child initiative will see some 800 laptops donated to the library of the Uniban Institute in the banana-growing region of Urabá, Colombia, according to a Turbana press release.
Turbana said the project will benefit 1,956 students in eight rural schools by providing important learning tools and access to vast sources of information as well as global Internet communities.
“Following our philosophy of community development and socially responsible business practices, One Laptop Per Child is a perfect fit,” said Juan David Alarcon, Turbana’s CEO.
“We will support this excellent global mission in Colombia and integrate it into our existing community projects. For us, it is all about education and personal growth as the key for the development of the region, and there is no better place to start than empowering children to take an active role in their education and future,” Mr Alarcon added.
This project is perceived by Turbana management as key to sustainable growth and the development of the banana growing communities and is a natural extension of the multiple educational projects and schools operated by Fundauniban; Turbana’s social foundation.
Since 1987 Fundauniban has been actively involved in improving the banana grower’s community’s infrastructure, leadership, lending, education, housing, and environment sustainability for a better future of Uraba´ and its people.
