Kemin Helping Rebuild School in China

DES MOINES, Iowa—Dr. Zhilin Gan, president of Kemin AgriFoods China, signed a sponsorship agreement on behalf of Kemin Industries Inc. to build the “Kemin Hope Primary School“ in Qin Chang Village, Ya An City, China. The village, located in Ming Shan County, received some of the most severe damage during the May 12 earthquake in China’s Sichuan Province. The mayor of Ya An City, the head of Ming Shan County, the head of Ming Shan County Education Bureau, the Secretary-general of Sichuan Provincial Youth Development Foundation, and the head of Ming Shan County Youth League attended the signing ceremony.

The original school in Qin Chang Village, located 120 kilometers southwest of Chengdu, the capital of Si Chuang Province, was completely destroyed by the earthquake and thousands of children in the area lost their homes and schools. After Kemin employees worldwide learned of this tragedy they immediately wanted to contribute in some way to help rebuild the earthquake-hit area.

The new Kemin Hope Primary School will be 1,568 square meters and will serve 300 students from Qin Chang and five nearby villages. One hundred percent of the funds donated by Kemin employees and the company will be used to rebuild the new school. The ground-breaking ceremony will be held early September and the building is scheduled for completion in early 2009.