Upgraded SafeTStop offers Internet connection, health and traffic advisory to local community along busy transport corridor
Doraleh, Djibouti / Dubai, United Arab Emirates, - Monday, October 10th 2011 [ME NewsWire]
DP World‘s programme to develop health and educational capacity along transport corridors in Africa has taken another concrete step forward with the opening of an internet-connected, solar-powered community station in Djibouti.
The upgraded SafeTStop facility is located at PK 12, a community of 25,000 people close to DP World’s container terminal in Doraleh, Djibouti, strategically located along the busy corridor through which more than 800 trucks transit every day. It is one of 23 operated by DP World’s project partners, Family Health International (FHI) and the US Agency for International Development (USAID)
With the installation of solar panels and VSAT (very small aperture terminal) Internet, the community station now runs three computers, a refrigerator, lights, fans, and several charge points, allowing truckers and local residents to access health-related software and information on road conditions, charge cell phones and make short VoIP calls to relatives elsewhere along the Djibouti-Ethiopia transport corridor.
Joost Kruijning, Vice President and Managing Director, DP World, Africa Region,said:
“The successful upgrading of the SafeTStop in Djibouti is another tangible step in our programme to develop medical and educational capacity along transport corridors in Africa. DP World is committed to the development of communities in which we operate, with particular focus on bringing the benefits of major infrastructure projects to urban and rural communities. We commend the work done by USAID, FHI and the government of Djibouti, our partners in this first-of-its-kind project in the Horn of Africa.”
The station will also support the establishment of community micro-businesses, such as the sale of cold beverages and evening entertainment with movies and sports events projected on outside walls.
The upgrade was jointly funded by grants from DP World, its supplier South Africa-based IT provider Dimension Data, and sister company Economic Zones World (EZW), while Dubai-based company Intersat, which manufactures the solar-powered connectivity hardware, contributed with labourand reduced the cost of the hardware.
DP World is set to open a much larger, primary-care clinic close to the facility, two internet connected solar-powered clinics in Mozambique and Senegal this year, and a series of health posts in Puntland, Somalia by the end of 2012.
-ENDS-
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About DP World
DP World operates more than 60 terminals across six continents(1), with container handling generating around 80% of its revenue. In addition, the company currently has nine new developments and major expansions underway in nine countries.
DP World aims to enhance customers’ supply chain efficiency by effectively managing container, bulk and other terminal cargo. Its dedicated, experienced and professional team of nearly 30,000 people serves customers in some of the most dynamic economies in the world.
The company constantly invests in terminal infrastructure, facilities and people, working closely with customers and business partners to provide quality services today and tomorrow, when and where customers need them.
In taking this customer-centric approach, DP World is building on the established relationships and superior level of service demonstrated at its flagship Jebel Ali facility in Dubai, which has been voted “Best Seaport in the Middle East” for 17 consecutive years.
In 2010, DP World handled nearly 50 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent container units) across its portfolio from the Americas to Asia. With a pipeline of expansion and development projects in key growth markets, including India, China and the Middle East, capacity is expected to rise to around 95 million TEU by 2020, in line with market demand.
www.dpworld.com
(1) As of 17 August 2011. Includes non-container terminals
Contacts
Natasha Bukhari
Global Corporate Communications Manager
DP World
Tel: +97156 6821699
Natasha.Bukhari@dpworld.com
Hasaad Communications:
Sanaa Maadad
Director, Media
Hasaad Communications
Tel: +97150 5522610
sana@hasaad.ae
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