COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

On Wednesday, September 18, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL; President & CEO: Takeshi Hashimoto; Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo) held a session "Thinking about social contributions - Lessons from the WAKASHIO Incident and Insights into the MOL Group's Initiatives." After the grounding and oil spill incident involving the MOL chartered vessel WAKASHIO, MOL provided assistance to Mauritius through two funds: the MOL Mauritius International Fund for Natural Environment Recovery and Sustainability (the Fund) (Note 1) and the MOL Charitable Trust (the "Trust") (Note 2). The session was held as a follow-up event to the WAKASHIO Memorial Day, which has been held annually since 2021, with the aim of considering how each and every executive and employee in the group should engage in social contribution activities, with the goal of linking social contribution activities in Mauritius to the development of all people and communities related to the group.

On Wednesday, September 6, local NGO APPEL (Note 1), which receives grant support from the authorized public trust MOL Mauritius International Fund for Natural Environment Recovery and Sustainability (the "Fund") (Note 2), opened a new training center in Port Louis, and MOL Chairman, Junichiro Ikeda visited the center to celebrate its opening day

The MOL Charitable Trust ("the Trust") (Note 1), established in Mauritius in June 2021, has made its fourth call for proposals for the period from Friday, September 6 to Monday, September 30, 2024. The Trust was established with the goal of supporting social and environmental projects in line with the intent of the Trust, focusing on activities in the southeast of Mauritius.

On Monday, April 29, 2024, "Caritas Mauritius" (hereinafter called Caritas) (Note 1), a local NGO funded by the MOL Charitable Trust(the Trust )(Note 2), held a ceremony to celebrate the completion of a program aimed at helping residents gain essential life skills and prepare for employment. Mr. Kazuhiko Sugano, Managing Director of MOL (Mauritius) Ltd. who also serves as Chairperson of the Trust's Enforcers Committee, was on hand for the event.

On June 11, MOL Mauritius International Fund for Natural Environment Recovery and Sustainability (Note1) held an online meeting to report the outcome of the projects implemented in the Republic of Mauritius. At the beginning of the meeting, the chairperson, Mariko Kawaguchi, spoke about her firsthand experience of seeing the passion with which each organization tackled social issues during her previous project inspection in Mauritius. She expressed her anticipation for the reports of the day.

The MOL Mauritius International Fund for Natural Environment Recovery and Sustainability in Japan (Note 1) will hold its 2nd Year Project Outcome Reporting Session 2024 on Tuesday, June 11, with organizations which received grant for the second year. This is the second reporting session since the establishment of the fund in November 2021. The objective is to introduce the audience to a wide range of activities and results of the funded projects to promote environmental restoration and conservation in Mauritius and contribute to local communities.

The MOL Charitable Trust (Note 1) on January 31, 2024, announced the selection of 15 projects proposed by NGOs and educational institutions for funding in the third call for applications (Note 2). This third round of grants centers on projects in line with the priority areas of the MOL Group's policy of corporate citizenship activities: "marine environment," "biodiversity," and "human resources development" (Note 3).The 15 newly selected projects will contribute to the realization of a sustainable society and the achievement of its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The MOL Charitable Trust (the "Trust") (Note 1), established in Mauritius in June 2021, released the third edition of its Newsletter in December 2023. The third edition covers the joint event held in the second half of 2023 that brought together the authorized public trust MOL Mauritius International Fund for Natural Environment Recovery and Sustainability (the "Fund in Japan") (Note 2) and the Trust, and the results of activities of the second year (2023) of organizations supported by grants from the Trust. In addition, an interview with Dr. Mariko Kawaguchi, chairperson of the Steering Committee of the Fund in Japan is featured on page 6.

On Wednesday, December 20, and Thursday, December 21, 2023, MOL (Mauritius) Ltd teamed up with Celero Ltd. (Note 1) to give out Christmas gifts to children. In this annual event, the companies presented gifts to children aged 3 to 10 years old living in Bambous Virieux and Mahebourg in southeastern Mauritius.

On Tuesday, October 10, 2023, the MOL Charitable Trust (the Trust) (Note 1) held a networking meeting on the advancement and promotion of women. The objective was to build connections among NGOs to share best practices and further develop their projects to promote the status and advancement of women. On hand for the event were representatives of local NGOs that promote the empowerment of women, as well as steering committee members of the MOL Mauritius International Fund for Natural Environment Recovery and Sustainability (the Fund) (Note 2).

The Authorized Public Trust 'MOL Mauritius International Fund for Natural Environment Recovery and Sustainability' ("the Trust in Japan") (Note 1), established in November 2021, has opened a call for project applications for FY2024, with the application period running from October 30 to December 22, 2023. The Trust in Japan was established to promote sustainable economic growth and culture in Mauritius by providing support for nature conservation activities and initiatives that contribute to local communities.

On Thursday, July 20, the MOL Charitable Trust (the "Trust") (Note) held a roundtable meeting of local education-related NGOs. It was the second roundtable meeting, following last year’s event, with the objective of sharing knowledge and boosting cooperation among local NGOs. The theme of this year's roundtable was "The Role of Parents in Education and Effective Involvement," and participants included representatives of 14 local organizations working in the field of education and members of the Trust's Committee of Enforcers.

MOL Charitable Trust (the "Trust") (note), established in Mauritius in June 2021, has newly launched the second edition / 2023 of its Newsletter with a focus on the projects supported under the Call for Proposal 2 towards Arts, social and education strands. It is also the opportunity to offer a glimpse on the activities conducted under second and third quarter by the Trust in Mauritius.

On Wednesday, July 12, 2023, the authorized public trust MOL Mauritius International Fund for Natural Environment Recovery and Sustainability (the "Fund") (note 1) held an online project outcome session in Japan and the Republic of Mauritius.During the session, seven of the 11 NGOs selected for 2022 grant recipient projects reported on the results of their activities over the past year. An event room was organized in Mauritius, where local NGO groups attended in person and their presentations were broadcasted in real time to Japan, inspiring a lively exchange of opinions.

The MOL Charitable Trust ("the Trust") (Note 1), established in Mauritius in June 2021, has made its third call for proposals for the period from Monday, September 3 to Friday, September 29, 2023. The Trust was established with the goal of supporting social and environmental projects in line with the intent of the Trust, focusing on activities in the southeast of Mauritius.

The MOL Mauritius International Fund for Natural Environment Recovery and Sustainability in Japan (Note 1) will hold its 1st year Project Outcome Reporting Session 2023 on Wednesday, July 12, with organizations which received grant for the first year. This is the first debriefing since the establishment of the fund in November 2021. The objective is to introduce the audience to a wide range of activities and results of the funded projects to promote environmental restoration and conservation in Mauritius and contribute to local communities.

On Friday, April 14, and Tuesday, April 25, 2023, "Caritas Mauritius" (hereinafter called Caritas)(Note 1), a local NGO funded by MOL Charitable Trust (the Trust) (Note 2), held ceremonies to celebrate the completion of a program aimed at helping residents gain essential life skills and prepare for employment. Mr. Kazuhiko Sugano, Managing Director of MOL (Mauritius) Ltd., who also serves as Chairperson of the Trust's Enforcers Committee, was on hand for the events.

On Saturday, December 31, 2022, the local NGO "RESPECT" (Note 1), funded by the MOL Charitable Trust (the Trust) (Note 2), opened an agricultural training center in Mare Tabac and started operation on the same day. RESPECT is an organization which provides trainings and supports to young farmers by providing theoretical education and hands-on training on efficient agricultural techniques. RESPECT was committed to the construction of a greenhouse, which will serve as the training hub of the project on the long term.

The "MOL Mauritius International Fund for Natural Environment Recovery and Sustainability" (the Fund) (Note 1), an authorized public trust, completed the selection of new projects to be funded at the steering committee meeting in March 2023, and at the end of the same month, it started the disbursement of grants.

On Wednesday, December 21, 2022, MOL (Mauritius) Ltd. collaborated with Celero Ltd. (Note 1) to distribute Christmas gifts to children in Ville-Noire and La Flora, in the southeastern part of Mauritius. Among those in attendance for the gift distribution were Mr. Bobby Hurreeram, Minister of National Infrastructure and Community development, Mr. Stephan Toussaint, Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sports and Recreation, and Mr. Shuichiro Kawaguchi, Ambassador of Japan to Mauritius.

The MOL Charitable Trust, which was established in June, 2021 in Mauritius ("the Trust") (Note), issues a report on activities in the projects funded during its first year. Of the total of 26 projects selected for funding in the first year, 22 were accomplished as planned. The Yearly Report details activities of each project and the Trust for the year.

The MOL Charitable Trust (the "Trust") (Note 1) held a ceremony in Mahebourg on Sunday, January 15, 2023, to announce the 20 projects selected for support from the Fund among those submitted in the second call for applications. The Fund also exchanged Memorandums of Understanding with each organization (Note 2). Among those in attendance were Mr. Shuichiro Kawaguchi, the Ambassador of Japan to Mauritius and Mr. Junichiro Ikeda, the Chairman of the Board of MOL who expressed his hopes for the success of each project and his gratitude to everyone involved.

On Monday, November 21, 2022, the MOL Charitable Trust ("the Trust") (Note 1) signed a sponsorship agreement for the Indian Ocean Sports and Youth Commission Game, "Commission de la Jeunesse et des Sports de l'Océan Indien" (CJSOI2022) (Note 2) to be held in Mauritius from Sunday, December 4 to Sunday, December 11, 2022. Of the 11 events in CJSOI 2022, Beach Handball and Sailing will be held in Blue Bay, Pointe-Jérôme, in southeastern Mauritius.

On Saturday, October 15, 2022, "La Chaux Mahebourg Academy Football Club (LCMA)" (Note 1), a local NGO funded by the MOL Charitable Trust (Note 2), held a ceremony to donate football equipment to local children. Mr. Goro Yamashita, Managing Director of MOL (Mauritius) Ltd., who also serves as Chairman of the Trust's Enforcers Committee, was on hand for the event.

On Saturday, October 15, 2022, the local NGO "Mouvement Bien-Etre de la Cite la Chaux" (MBECC) (Note 1), a recipient of a grant from the MOL Charitable Trust ("the Trust") (Note 2), held a launching ceremony for its fishing boat, The MOL Vansouet. MOL (Mauritius) Ltd. Managing Director Goro Yamashita, who serves Chairperson of the Trust's Enforcers Committee, was on hand for the event.

The Authorized Public Trust 'MOL Mauritius International Fund for Natural Environment Recovery and Sustainability' ("the Trust in Japan") (Note 1), established in November 2021, has opened a call for applications for projects to be funded in fiscal 2022, with the application period running from October 31 to December 28, 2022. The Trust in Japan was established to promote sustainable economic growth and culture in Mauritius by providing support for nature conservation activities and initiatives that contribute to local communities.

On Thursday, September 8, 2022, a ceremony was held to inaugurate a project by the local NGO, F.A.L.C.O.N (Farmers in Agriculture, Livestock, Cooperative, Organic Network) Association (Note 1), subsidized by the Authorized public trust "MOL Mauritius International Fund for Natural Environment Recovery and Sustainability" (the Fund) (Note 2). Mr. Goro Yamashita, Managing Director of MOL (Mauritius) Ltd., was on hand for the event as a representative of the Fund.

MOL Charitable Trust ("the Trust") (Note 1), established in Mauritius in June 2021, has made its second call for proposals for the period from September 2 to Septemeber 26, 2022. The Trust was established with the goal of supporting social and environmental projects in line with the intent of the Trust, focusing on activities in southeast Mauritius.

On Thursday, June 16 and Friday, June 17, 2022, a review meeting was held to discuss the project by the local NGO "Caritas Mauritius," a recipient of a grant from the MOL Charitable Trust ("the Trust") (Note), with Mr. Goro Yamashita, Managing Director of MOL (Mauritius) Ltd., who also serves as Chairman of the Trust's Enforcers Committee, in attendance.

On Friday, June 3, 2022, the MOL Charitable Trust ("the Trust") (Note) held a roundtable meeting of local education-related NGOs.

On Friday, March 18, 2022, five local non-governmental organizations (NGOs), grant recipients from the MOL Charitable Trust ("the Trust"), gathered for talks at the agricultural ecology center operated by NGO Eco-Sud in Ville-Noire, an area of Mahebourg located in southeast Mauritius. The meeting was aimed at building connections and sharing knowledge among the NGOs with the attendance of representatives or staff of the NGOs that are working on projects related to agriculture and sustainable development, as well as Mr. Goro Yamashita, Chairperson of the Trust’s Enforcers Committee and Managing Director of MOL (Mauritius) Ltd.

On Thursday, March 17, 2022, a presentation ceremony for the picture book "WAKASHIO-OIL SPILL IN PARADISE- (Note 1)" about the Wakashio grounding and oil spill incident, was held at the headquarters of NGO Ti Rayons Soleil (Note 2) in Vacoas-Phoenix, a town in inland Mauritius, with the attendance of Mr. Goro Yamashita, the Managing Director of MOL (Mauritius) Ltd.

MOL (Mauritius) Ltd. teamed up with Celero Ltd. (*) to distribute 400 Christmas gifts to children in areas with many needy households, such as Mahebourg in southeast Mauritius. They spent two days to bring Christmas joy to as many children as possible-in Grand Sable and Quatre Soeur on Wednesday, December 22, 2021, and in Mahebourg and Pointe Jerome on Thursday, December 23, 2021.

For the second year in a row, MOL (Mauritius) Ltd. teamed up with Precious Plastic Mauritius (*) to distribute Christmas gifts to households in Cite Tole, a low-income district in Mahebourg, southeast Mauritius, on December 21, 2021. They gave youngsters toys as well as chocolates, cookies, and cakes, bringing bright smiles to the kids' faces.

At a ceremony held in Mahebourg, Mauritius on Friday, December 10, 2021, the MOL Charitable Trust (the Fund), which was established in Mauritius in June 2021, announced its intent to fund 26 projects(*) led by NGOs and other local organizations, selected among applicants for the first call for grant applications. The Fund also exchanged Memorandums of Understanding with each organization.

On Tuesday, August 31, 2021, a social event was held with local children at Mahébourg Espoir Education Centre (MEEC), located in Cité La Chaux, an area of Mahébourg, which was hit by the oil spill incident, and many of local residents work in the fishing industry. Among those in attendance at the event were His Excellency Mr. Shuichiro Kawaguchi, the Ambassador of Japan to Mauritius, Mr. Francis de La Haye, the President of Mahébourg Espoir, and Mr. Goro Yamashita, the Managing Director of MOL (Mauritius) Ltd.

On August 10, 2021, a launch ceremony for the English-language edition of Wakashio the Book, a children's book by Ms. Anita Bacha, an author living in Mauritius, was held at the office of MOL (Mauritius) Ltd. Ms. Bacha, His Excellency Mr. Shuichiro Kawaguchi, the Ambassador of Japan to Mauritius, and Mr. Goro Yamashita, the Managing Director of MOL (Mauritius) Ltd. were on hand for the event.

On Wednesday, July 28, 2021, a ceremony to mark the donation of aid supplies to those involved in the local fishing industry and their families was held at Trou d'Eau Douce, , with guests including Japanese Ambassador to Mauritius Shuichiro Kawaguchi, Secretary General of the international NGO Caritas Mauritius Patricia Adèle-Félicité, and MOL (Mauritius) Ltd. Representative Goro Yamashita.

A resurgence of COVID-19 infections has made life more difficult for people in the region who had already faced difficult economic and social conditions since the first lockdown in March 2020, including fishermen (registered and non-registered) and boatmen who were also severely impacted by the oil spill.

Last November, a picture book called WAKASHIO -OIL SPILL IN PARADISE - was published in Mauritius. The books are on display in hotels and schools, and some of the sales proceeds will be donated to support people affected by the incident, through a local NGO.

Caritas Mauritius is a Mauritius-based international non-government organization (NGO) founded in 1965. It works under the following mission: "An initiative in which charity would at the same time be devotion and expertise." MOL decided to cooperate in their project that supports fishermen and their families whose activities were negatively affected by the oil spill.

On Tuesday, January 26, a handover ceremony was held to mark MOL's donation of a 40ft shipping container to the non-government organization (NGO) Precious Plastic Mauritius and the opening of the facility made from the refurbished container.

On December 22, together with the NGO Precious Plastic Mauritius (*) (founder: Mr. Valery de Falbaire), MOL delivered Christmas presents to 9 families living in extreme poverty in the deprived areas of Mahebourg, located on the South-East part of Mauritius. The organization is collaborating with other inhabitants of the area to help those families in addition to its major activity of recycling plastic waste. The MOL dispatched team in Mauritius joined their initiatives and helped them by giving our original Mauritius T-shirts and masks. The children and their families also received toys and cookies. MOL will continue to cooperate with the NGO to support deprived families in the region.

On December 23, the Ministry of Blue Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries & Shipping, the Japanese Embassy and MOL jointly hosted a Christmas Party for some 250 primary school students within the nearby villages affected by the oil spill incident as well as their parents at Bamboo Virieux located near Mahebourg in collaboration with CELERO Group, the local partner of MOL.

On Thursday, December 10, MOL dispatched team met with Mahebourg Espoir, a local NGO actively involved in helping poor communities in Mahebourg, which is one of the closest towns within the oil polluted area where many local residents derive their living solely on the sea for fishing. The NGO operates the Mahebourg Espoir Education Centre (MEEC) for children coming from vulnerable families who have been dropped out of school.

On Friday, November 13, and November 20, MOL donated four containers to NGO EcoMode Society (*), which is engaged in environmental protection activities, and the MOL-dispatched team was on hand for the handover ceremonies.

On Friday, October 9, the MOL-dispatched team visited a public school in Bois Des Amourettes, which had been forced to close for four days due to the offensive odor caused by the oil spill. The team presented all students with sets of stationery, origami cranes and shuriken throwing stars, with our sincere hopes that they will find our gifts useful in their studies.

On Tuesday, October 6, members of the MOL-dispatched team visited two local schools. At the Special Education Needs (SEN) School they visited in the morning, they created paper airplanes with the children and then went outdoors to see them fly. We also presented other origami works made by the team leader that the students could play with, such as cranes and shuriken throwing stars.

On Friday, September 18, the MOL-dispatched team in Mauritius met with the Ministry of Blue Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping and Agricultural Marketing Board (AMB), and started considering the AMB site as the first choice as the location for the reefer container, which was donated by MOL and delivered on Friday, September 11.

On Friday, September 11, a delivery ceremony for an MOL-donated reefer container(*1) was held at a pier in Port Louis after the MOL car carrier Prominent Ace, the vessel carried the container, arrived in port.