Wee Siew Kim, the CEO of Nipsea, shares his ideas on CSR. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

SINGAPORE - Nipsea Group will spend $15 million to expand the Colour, Joy and Love Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives in more than 300 Asian cities over the next five years, according to the Group's Asia media release in Singapore on August 24. "We have been working closely with our communities on the CSR project. CSR is an integral part of the mindset of all our employees and business leaders, though we pursue market growth." said Wee Siew Kim, CEO of Nipsea Group, adding that the Group intends to spend $15 million on the initiative to benefit people in 300 Asian cities.

Through the efforts of staff volunteers, Nipsea Group hopes to create a better and more colourful society. With the theme "Eco Colour", the Group's CSR initiative aims to add colour to people's lives in an environmentally sustainable way. With operations in 15 countries including China, Singapore and Malaysia, the Group carried out a string of projects in these countries to encourage them to learn from each other and adapt their activities to benefit their society.

Nipsea Group's projects include:

Nippon Paint China's "Colour, Way of Love" began in 2009 to help rural primary school children in remote areas decorate, rebuild, and improve their campus and study environment. In addition, to date, over 3,000 school children have received art education support from over 150 student volunteers from five Chinese universities. The project has gained support from over 20 enterprises. "Colour, Way of Love" has become a sustainable open platform, expected to congregate more charity corporate partners like Wilmar International, BASF, Canon, Boeing, Dow, and more media to gain effective social resources and help more people. The project has helped build and repaint over 230 schools, create 195 art studios and reach out to 60,000 children.

Nippon Paint Singapore's "Our Hawker Centres – A Heritage & Art Project" is another program in which Nippon Paint Singapore donated more than 1,000 litres of premium paint and painting tools for student painters to create murals and art installations at more than 40 shopping centres in celebration of SG50, Singapore's Golden Jubilee.

Nippon Paint Malaysia's "Colourful Dreams" is a CSR initiative which addresses both the physical environment and developmental needs of children. Colourful Dreams Art Exhibition showcases many heart-warming art works and raises funds for the children, which they receive as a start-up fund when they turn 18 years old. Nippon Paint is also on a mission to give Painters' Training to family breadwinners in rural areas to help them find jobs. It will put a stop to the poverty cycle among villagers to ensure that families are well supported and have a steady income.

Nipsea Group activates staff volunteering by encouraging them to contribute their time and effort to help people in need. These include:

1. One plus three

? With an inclusion principle, Nipsea Group seeks to work with its employees and partners. The Group believes joint efforts will bring greater benefits to the community.

From left to right: Gladys Goh, the general manager, Nippon Paint Malaysia Group, Wee Siew Kim, the CEO of Nipsea, Charlie Ong, the general manager, Nippon Paint Singapore and Ariel Wu, PR and brand communication director, Nipsea. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

2. Green movement ? Nipsea Group adopts green manufacturing methods and offers a portfolio of green products to ensure sustainability. Paying great attention to environmental protection, Nipsea Group invests in energy-saving and resource reduction measures. It has been continuously developing environmentally-friendly products and working with its supply chain partners and suppliers to subscribe to its "green" expectations.

3. Society care

? Nipsea Group encourages its senior management to teach their employees to care for the society and community they work in. Initiatives include education programs for the young and improving the lives of the needy by giving time, products and money.

About Nipsea Group

Founded by Goh Cheng Liang in 1962 in Singapore, Nipsea Group is one of the leading paint and coating manufacturers in Asia.

Nipsea Group manufactures and sells Nippon Paint products in 15 Asian countries and regions, including Bangladesh, Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, the Middle East and Vietnam. Each of Nipsea's 60 manufacturing facilities and operations is committed to offering trusted, professional service to its customers. Overall, the company generates close to one billion litres of paints and coating annually, making itself as a supplier of choice in Asia. This reputation is underpinned by our 20,000 strong workforce efficiently serving all aspects of the business from product development and manufacturing to customer fulfillment.