Dongfeng Honda opens school for Sichuan quake victims

Honda Motor Co.'s joint venture in China opened an elementary school Monday for children living in an area in the country's Sichuan province that was hit by a devastating earthquake in May 2008, the Japanese carmaker said.
 
Dongfeng Honda Automobile Co. and affiliated manufacturers offered 9.2 million yuan, or about 125 million yen, to build the school that can house 24 classes with a total of 1,200 students at the request of the local government.

The new school building, which has replaced the older one badly damaged by the quake, has a sturdy structure that is highly quake-resistant, Honda said.

At the opening ceremony held the same day, Dongfeng Honda President Seiji Kuraishi said, "We hope the school will be filled with the lively spirit of the children." A fifth-grade girl said, "Our makeshift school building used to get waterlogged when it rained but we can now study here without worrying (about rain)."

Among other Japanese companies, Kobelco Construction Machinery Co. has offered to rebuild a school in Sichuan, which is expected to open in September, according to the group firm of Kobe Steel Ltd.