We are humbled to share Amway Japan was honored by the Office of the Prime Minister of Japan with the Medal with Dark Blue Ribbon (Kon-ju hoh-sho) for its philanthropic contributions to the National Center for Global Health and Medicine (NCGM).
Back in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic first swept the world, our team in Japan stepped up. In May of that year, Amway Japan held a virtual charity event that was livestreamed to more than 11,000 Amway Business Owners (ABOs) to raise funds for NCGM to help fight COVID-19. Through the online fundraiser and follow-up events, Amway Japan raised and donated a total of 10 million yen to the “NCGM New Coronavirus Infectious Disease Control Special Fund.” NCGM is one of Japan’s leading research centers for vaccines and therapies for COVID-19.
Livestream charity event hosted by Amway Japan
“I am so proud of our employees and entrepreneurs in Japan that continue to lead with heart throughout the pandemic. I continue to be inspired and humbled by the Amway community’s generosity and compassion,” said Amway CEO Milind Pant.
The Medal with the Dark Blue Ribbon is presented by the Office of the Prime Minister of Japan to organizations or individuals that have made generous philanthropic contributions for the good of the public. Dr. Norihiro Kokudo, president of NCGM, presented the award to Peter Strydom, managing director of Amway Japan.
“We truly appreciate the president of NCGM, Dr. Kokudo, visiting Amway Japan HQ to present the award to us. This award is a reflection of our ABOs and employees who continue to show their dedication to helping others,” said Strydom.
In addition to the NCGM donation, our team in Japan has provided aid to medical professionals, families and children impacted by COVID-19 throughout the pandemic:
- Amway Japan gifted “Care Packages for Medical Heroes” to 6,910 frontline medical professionals in 205 hospitals, clinics and nursing homes nationwide. The care packages contained personal care products and a note of thanks.
- Through the nonprofit Central Community Chest of Japan, Amway Japan donated to the Red Feather Emergency Fund that provides meals and academic support to children impacted by temporary school closures in response to the pandemic.
- Amway Japan donated 10 Atmosphere Sky air purifiers to the Tokyo Medical Center to help improve the hospital environment.
- In June 2021, when the COVID-19 situation was at its most dire in India, Amway Japan produced another online charity event, raising over 8 million yen from ABOs. This donation, made through United Way Delhi, provided some 10,600 underserved families in hard-hit regions with “COVID19 Raksha Kits” (protective kits). Kits included N95 masks (including smaller size masks for children), hand sanitizers and vitamin C. The generosity of Amway Japan’s people benefitted an estimated 50,000 individuals, including over 20,000 children.
Community is the heart of Amway. During the pandemic, taking care of each other and the communities where we live and do business is what mattered most. We’ve witnessed the best of humanity through the generosity, compassion, and kindness of people around the world. You can read more about Amway’s corporate social responsibility efforts here.
