JM EAGLE and Columbia University's Earth Institute Develop Water Infrastructure in Senegal
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 29 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --
JM Eagle, the world's largest plastic pipe manufacturer and a former subsidiary of Formosa Plastics in Taiwan,
today announced its involvement in a major initiative with The Earth Institute at Columbia University of New York to
provide safer water to more than 11,000 of the poorest people in Senegal. Specifically, JM Eagle donated and
delivered over $800,000 worth of high-strength polyvinyl chloride (PVC) water pipe which has been installed in
Millennium Villages-projects designed to end extreme poverty in rural communities throughout Africa.
The initiative focuses on extending a severely inadequate water distribution system that reached only one-third
of the individual communities in the Potou area in northwestern Senegal. The new water supply network consists of
more than 68 miles or 110 kilometers of PVC pipe that connects to 53 villages, and increased drinking water
coverage to nearly 80 percent of the region.
"Now more than ever, water is the vital link to health and economic advancement across the globe," said Walter
Wang, CEO of JM Eagle. "Unfortunately, the world is facing a crisis, not just in the availability of water, but in its
management. By helping to develop the necessary water infrastructure in Senegal, we are fulfilling an immediate
need, as well as providing the basis for long-term, sustainable solutions. The ultimate goal is to build a water
infrastructure that will be the link to health and economic prosperity in communities throughout the region."
Wang added that most developing countries in the world are not
water-deficient -- they're infrastructure deficient. "These countries have water, but they don't have a way to get or
transport it. Our objective is to change that," he commented.
According to Jeffery Sachs, Director of Columbia's Earth Institute, JM Eagle's deep knowledge and expertise in
delivering and transporting water makes them the perfect partner for this aspect of the Millennium Village Project,
"It's my hope that their good work in Senegal will also motivate other corporations to become more involved in
reducing global poverty," he said.
Sachs noted that the distribution infrastructure JM Eagle is providing is also transporting non-potable water that
can be used to irrigate crops. With the benefit of a stable water supply -- versus relying on erratic
rainwater -- farmers can produce higher value foods that will ultimately enable entire communities to pull
themselves out of poverty. Just as importantly, people will have the ability to be more productive because they'll no
longer need to spend an exorbitant amount of their time and physical energy gathering water.
Fighting Poverty Through Philanthropy
The Millennium Villages Project JM Eagle is currently involved with is focused on achieving 8 globally-endorsed
targets aimed at fighting poverty, hunger and disease in twelve African communities. The initiative fights poverty at
the village level through community-led work that is supported by a variety of public and private businesses and
organizations. JM Eagle plans to expand its current work into more Millennium Village projects over the next five
years to bring both potable and non-potable water to some of the poorest people in Africa.
JM Eagle and/or Walter Wang have supported efforts to bring clean water to communities in developing
countries around the world, believing it is one of the essential needs to effectively address illness and poverty. Most
recently, the company announced a relationship with The H20 Africa Foundation, a
non-profit organization that's focused on creating widespread public awareness of the water crisis in Africa and
support for solutions. JM Eagle has also provided plastic pipe and other materials to transport drinking water from a
mountain spring to a community of 5,000 people in Honduras, and supported a project to develop water delivery
and sanitation systems for needy communities in Northern Thailand.
Additional philanthropic activities include:
-- Pledging $1 million to UCLA's Asian American Studies Center to launch a U.S./China Media Brief, an
innovative print and online resource intended to provide mainstream U.S. media with quick access to background
information on U.S.-China relations and issues.
-- Ongoing support for the China AIDS Initiative, an awareness and prevention program that has already
achieved important results.
-- Supporting two highly recognized documentary films - Bill Moyers' "Becoming American: The Chinese
Experience", which was nominated for four Emmys, and the 2007 Oscar-winning short documentary "The Blood of
Yingzhou District" by Tom Lennon and Ruby Yang - which has helped educate citizens and decision-makers in
America and across the globe.
-- Proving a significant donation for the Chinatown Public Safety Association and Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA) Museum in Los Angeles. The museum seeks to educate the public on some of our nation's
worst
problems -- illegal drugs and trafficking.
About JM Eagle
With 24 manufacturing plants throughout North America and a workforce of more than 2,300 employees, JM
Eagle manufactures the widest array of high-grade, high-performance polyvinyl chloride and high-density
polyethylene pipe in the industry across a wide variety of industries and applications, including utility, solvent weld,
electrical conduit, natural gas, irrigation and water/sewage. JM Eagle, a former subsidiary of Formosa Plastics, is
dedicated to developing the plastic pipe market by offering superior products and unparalleled quality, and ensuring
that its business makes a positive contribution to the environment, the communities it serves, its customers and its
SOURCE: JM Eagle
CONTACT: Jason Morley
JMorley@StantonCrenshaw.com
+1-212-780-1900
ext. 570, for JM Eagle
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