businesstraveller.com OCTOBER 2017
Corporate social responsibility I 39FOOD DONATION
When you think about all those people around the world
who can’t afford to feed their families, it can be galling to
see the profuse waste from hotel buffets and large-scale
events. In Singapore, welfare homes, children, senior
citizens and needy families benefit from the Mandarin
Oriental’s “Food from the Heart” programme, which
distributes surplus pastries and breads to those in need.
In addition, flowers from large events are also donated
to Happy Flowers, a charity that repacks and sends
bouquets to those in hospices and nursing homes.
In Hong Kong, both The Langham, Hong Kong
and Cordis, Hong Kong participate in the Food Link
and Food Angel programmes, which turn leftover
vegetables and pastries into hearty meals to distribute
to underprivileged and low-income families. They’ve
also signed up to the Green Luck Banquet initiative
by Green Monday, which donates leftover food from
events to local charities.AGRICULTURE REVOLUTION
As the saying goes, give a man a fish and he’ll eat for
a day, but teach him how to fish and he’ll eat for a
lifetime. This is exactly the philosophy being adopted
by Shinta Mani in Cambodia. As part of its efforts to
empower the local population, the hospitality group
has invested in “home-farming” initiatives. This has
involved researching how to grow new crops and
creating model home gardens that families can re-
create, with particular emphasis on plants that produce
healthy vitamins such as folic acid. The next stage of
the project will be looking at how to scale this into
commercial endeavours that can again be re-created
in poor local villages. In a similar vein, Angsana Lang
Co, Vietnam’s Meet for Good programme offers local
farmers land to grow produce that is then sold back to
the hotel for use in its kitchen and spa.I
n these complex modern times, there are people
and animals all over the world in dire need of help,
and the natural environment also needs serious
protection. As individuals, there are limits to what we
can do. But when large businesses invest in corporate
social responsibility (CSR) programmes, they can have
a major positive impact.
As business travellers, the hotels you stay at usually
have CSR initiatives designed to contribute to the local
community or wider global issues, but these behind-
the-scenes programmes often remain unsung heroes
- particularly those on a smaller, local scale. Here we
cast a spotlight on worthy programmes around the
region to highlight some of the issues and celebrate the
innovative and inspirational projects under way.
CHILD CARE
Education is one of the most powerful tools to give
children a future and lift them out of poverty. But many
people in developing countries have difficulty in buying
food, never mind finding funds to pay for schooling. In
Siem Reap, Cambodia, a hundred young women are
now able to continue their secondary school education
thanks to Rosewood Hotel Group’s partnership with
Room to Read. This programme helps to transform the
lives of children in low-income countries by focusing
on literacy and gender equality in education. Its Girls’
Education Programme reinforces girls’ commitment
to their own education, works with them to develop
essential life skills, and increases support for their
education among parents, school staff and communities.
In Taiwan, the Mandarin Oriental, Taipei designed
and sold 400 limited-edition stuffed pandas at charity
events to raise money for local schools in remote
areas. The Love Share initiative was supported with
handmade cookies baked in the Mandarin Cake
Shop. As a result, the Shan-Mei Elementary School
in mountainous Alishan County and the Qin-Ai
Elementary School in Nantou have been able to buy
new school equipment and musical instruments.
The month-long Love colors – My Colorful World art
exhibition at Hyatt Place Shenzhen Dongmen was a
special art project showcasing the talents of 30 children –
some of whom have autism. The children created works
such as tie-dye bags and handkerchiefs, referencing the
ancient folk craftsmanship of Yunnan province, which
were then sold to the public. The proceeds were donated
to the Rainbow Animation and Cartoon R&D Centre,
which supports disabled children. “This activity perfectly
matched our brand personality, which demonstrates
youth, vitality, colourfulness, and being creative and
trendy,” said the hotel’s general manager Maria Yue. “It’s
a very meaningful event, allowing the public to get to
know these special kids and their talents. The whole
of society should learn to understand, respect and care
about them. This has been the third continuous year
and we’d like to make it happen every year.”
businesstraveller.com
Opposite page
and above: Hyatt
Place Shenzhen
Dongmen hosts
a children’s art
exhibition; and The
Langham partners
with the Green Luck
Banquet initiative