School donated by Honeywell and its employees around the world as part of post-quake rebuilding efforts under Honeywell Hometown Solutions program
CHENGDU, China, May 21 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Honeywell (NYSE: HON) today opened the first school in Sichuan Province which it built following the May 12, 2008 earthquake. Honeywell, its employees and non-profit humanitarian organization Operation USA rebuilt and equipped the school to provide 280 schoolchildren with a safe, secure, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly facility. The school is among as many as 9,000 schools that need to be rebuilt.
The new school, named Honeywell United Primary School, targets to serve seven villages from nearby towns of Xiushui, Feishui and Suishui. The school, previously known as An County Xiushui Three Villages United Primary School, before served only five neighboring villages. The bigger and more upscale new campus will offer nursery, pre-school and primary classes to a capacity of 350 children.
A commemorative monument was also unveiled today by Shane Tedjarati, president and chief executive officer of Honeywell China and India. Engraved on the monument are words that read: "This monument commemorates the children and their families who lost their lives in the earthquake and salutes the people of Sichuan for their perseverance and optimism in rebuilding their hometown. May the children of Honeywell United Primary School grow up to be the hope and future of this great nation."
"A year might have gone by since the tragedy but the Sichuan people are still held close to our hearts at Honeywell," said Tedjarati. "Honeywell's post-quake efforts do not end with just the opening of one school... there is still plenty to do for the Sichuan people to help them on their journey to recovery.
"I am delighted that we have built the Honeywell United Primary School to be equipped with modern equipment such as personal computers and with a safer, more secure and more energy-efficient infrastructure," said Tedjarati.
Representatives from local government departments, as well as representatives from the United States General Consulate from Chengdu, Operation USA, Safe Kids China, teachers, pupils and parent representatives joined in the ceremony to unveil the commemorative monument and to open the school.
Honeywell United Primary School's headmaster Zhang Zhengbin said, "Getting our school rebuilt is already a dream come true. But getting a bigger, better equipped school that gives the opportunity for an education for more children is beyond our dreams. We say a heartfelt thank-you to Honeywell and everyone who worked tirelessly to give us this new school."
The rebuilding and equipping of the Honeywell United Primary School underscores Honeywell Hometown Solutions, an evolutionary approach that focuses its efforts on four important societal needs that align with Honeywell's heritage, products and people: Science and Math Education; Family Safety and Security; Housing and Shelter; and Humanitarian Relief.
To create a safe and secure environment for the schoolchildren, the school is installed with Honeywell closed circuit TV system, alarm systems, access control systems and smoke detectors. In addition, Honeywell is partnering Safe Kids China to provide lessons to the schoolchildren to develop a safety culture in the school.
To create an energy-saving and environmentally friendly school, roofing materials that provide better insulation to keep the school cool during summers and warm during winters were used, while energy-saving lighting, switches and solar water heaters will also contribute towards saving energy. In addition, a Honeywell Whole-house Water Pre-Filtration System is installed to provide clean, clear water to the entire school.
The strategic business groups in Honeywell that contributed technologies and equipment include Specialty Materials and Automation & Control System, of which several of its business units such as Honeywell Security & Data Collection, Honeywell Life Safety, and Honeywell Environmental & Combustion Controls provided solutions.
Honeywell will continue to identify and implement relief projects of high impact on the lives of those still affected in the quake-affected areas. Programs already approved include a second school to be rebuilt, the Zhong Jiang County Dabao village school, as well as the construction of five village clinics in the Liang Ping County, Chongqing.
In addition, Honeywell has already hired and settled in eight victims for its Shenzhen facilities as providing employment opportunities to quake victims was also of high priority in the post-quake relief efforts.
About Honeywell
Honeywell International ( http://www.honeywell.com ) is a Fortune 100 diversified technology and manufacturing leader, serving customers worldwide with aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes and industry; automotive products; turbochargers; and specialty materials. Based in Morris Township, N.J., Honeywell's shares are traded on the New York, London, and Chicago Stock Exchanges. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit http://www.honeywellnow.com .
