Second ‘MasterCard Purchase with PurposeTM’ initiative helps more local children access education
Hôtel de la Paix is delighted to announce that a recent initiative in collaboration with MasterCard Worldwide has resulted in the provision of 500 school bags and bicycles for needy children living in the outlying villages around Siem Reap, Cambodia, making it possible for them to get to school. Between October and December 2009, any transaction at – or booking for – Hôtel de la Paix paid for with a MasterCard card resulted in a bicycle and school bag being donated as part of the “MasterCard Purchase with Purpose” scheme.
The success of this scheme means that even more local children, particularly those in remote villages, can have access to an education. The bicycles have been donated to beneficiaries including the Sangkheum Centre, Sunrise and Green Gecko orphanages; the Life and Hope Association; the Shinta Mani Hotel School; and the New Hope Community Project.
The collaboration between Hôtel de la Paix and MasterCard has now seen almost 900 bicycles donated, after a 2008 launch saw 397 bicycles purchased and given to the charities, creating a lasting legacy in the wider community. The donations have been seen to have a ‘multiplier’ effect, with each bike shared by up to three children as well as having the potential to be ‘inherited’ by younger generations.
Hôtel de la Paix is passionate about taking an active role in helping the local community wherever possible. Through its Community Connections programme, the hotel helps needy families by providing anything from basic necessities such as food and personal amenities to employment opportunities and support. Working alongside partners such as Hôtel de la Paix, the “MasterCard Purchase with Purpose” scheme seeks to enable its cardholders to contribute to local communities and foster cross-cultural understanding and sensitivity through tourism.
