ESG Related Content
Report on Fiscal 2023 Activities of SMILE Asia Project Supported by TOPPAN Charity Concerts (August 2024)
TOPPAN has contributed to the growth and development of culture from the time of its founding. Since 2008, TOPPAN has held TOPPAN Charity Concerts to support efforts to raise literacy in developing countries, which is a challenge for international society to address. Proceeds from the concerts are used to support the activities of the SMILE Asia Project, which is operated in Cambodia by the Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU).
About the SMILE Asia Project
The SMILE Asia Project supports literacy education primarily for pregnant women and those raising children in Cambodia. The project aims to empower women and improve environments for education and health both regionally and in homes. This is done by holding literacy classes every year and providing opportunities for women to learn reading, writing, and arithmetic, acquire knowledge on health and hygiene, and develop skills for life. The project is run in cooperation with local partner the Cambodian Women’s Development Agency (CWDA), the Cambodian Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, and stakeholders in the regions in which literacy classes are held. It was launched in 2008, and more than 1,500 people have taken part in a cumulative total of 86 villages to date (as of March 2024).
Message from the Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO
“We are always very grateful for TOPPAN’s considerable support. In 2023, due to the impact of the political situation in Cambodia and a rapidly weakening yen, we faced significant challenges in terms of the number of classes we were able to run and when we were able to run them. However, we were supported by the skills and passion of a large number of people, including local staff and related parties in each region. This enabled us to hold literacy classes in two villages successfully. We hope to devise methods for continuous support, so that learners who have acquired proficiency in reading, writing, arithmetic, and other life skills through the SMILE Asia Project can go on to expand their learning and further raise their quality of life and level of participation in society.”

Literacy classes were held in Kampong Speu province, about three hours’ drive from the capital, Phnom Penh.

Students learning in a literacy class

A group discussion taking place during a class

A Khmer script chart and explanation of the lesson

Regular tests are conducted to monitor progress in learning.

Messages of thanks from students to TOPPAN