Samsung today laid the foundation for a primary school in the tsunami-affected Chinnakudi Village in Nagapattinam District at Tamil Nadu. The school, to be called the 'Samsung United Way School', is being set up in partnership with United Way Mumbai, a non-for profit organization. 

The foundation laying ceremony for the School was carried out today by Kyungchoon Min, MD, Samsung Community Relations; Bongsik Park, Director, Samsung India; Chris Brown, CEO, United Way International and Kyong Suk Aagesen, Director for Asia/Pacific region, UWI in the presence of local authority representatives and residents of village Chinnakudi.

The 'Samsung United Way', to be operational from January 1, 2006, will reach out to 250 children from nursery to the fifth standard in the first year. The school, to be set up over two acres of land, will increase the intake of children every year and also gradually add classes to soon provide higher secondary education to children. 

The 'Samsung United Way' School in Chinnakudi village will be the first English Medium School to provide quality education as well as state of the art facilities for overall development of children. The School will be equipped with a well-stocked Library, Computer Laboratory, Kitchen to provide wholesome mid day meal, spacious, ventilated classrooms and a playground for physical development of the children.

The 'Samsung United Way' school is being set up with the help of donations made by Samsung employees from all across the globe for Tsunami relief in the affected areas of Thailand, Indonesia and India. $400,000 is being provided to United Way towards setting up of this School in Chinnakudi. The total employee grant of $2 million to United Way South Asia Response Fund, is being designated on the request of Samsung employees, to construct and rebuild schools as part of United Way's overall effort to rebuild the infrastructure of these tsunami affected communities. 

The School will commence operations in a rented facility from January 2006 and the students will be moved to the new building from January 2007.

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