In China, many rural “left-behind” children in schools are affected by a shortage of teaching staff, lack of advanced teaching equipment, as well as an incomplete curriculum. To overcome this issue, Merck initi- ated “SPARKRYSTAL”, which supported rural primary school education by donating second-hand tablet computers and building a multimedia learning platform. 159 smart tablets were donated to 15 remote schools to enable digital education. In addition, over 240 teachers were selected for “Train-the-Trainer” program to advance digital education in collaborated schools. Over 200 Merck volunteers joined Merck’s online and offline volunteer activities. The donated devices and vol- unteer activities have benefited almost 9,000 pupils. The company will continue to donate second-hand, well-performing smart tablets to schoolchildren in remote areas to enable digital education, to expand and scale up the “Train-the-Trainer” approach, which will help achieve better engagement of teachers and schools.

Source: More Than A Market Booklet 2021