MasterCard and Hôtel de la Paix Enable More Cambodian Children to Go to School
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MasterCard and Hôtel de la Paix Enable More Cambodian Children to Go to School
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Category: Asia Pacific - Cambodia
This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2011-03-09
MasterCard cardholders staying at Hôtel de la Paix, Siem Reap, will have a chance to make a difference to the lives of Cambodian children simply by swiping their MasterCard cards. Through a MasterCard Purchase with Purpose™ initiative, MasterCard will donate five school uniforms for every bill paid for using a MasterCard card from 1 March 2011 to 30 June 2011. All school uniforms donated through this program will benefit children from needy families in Siem Reap.
Uniforms are mandatory in Cambodian schools, and children whose families cannot afford to give them uniforms, are denied the opportunity to attend school. School uniforms donated through this Purchase with Purpose initiative will be given to primary school children in Prey Chas, a small government-run school located north of Siem Reap. These uniforms will be made by 20 disadvantaged women at the Life & Hope Association Sewing School, which Hôtel de la Paix works closely with, giving them the opportunity to put their newly acquired skills to use. The uniforms also have a multiplier effect: two children can benefit from one uniform, as one child can wear it for morning school and another can wear it in the afternoon.
This is the fourth initiative MasterCard is working with Hôtel de la Paix on. The collaboration began in 2008 with the launch of the ‘Pushbike’ initiative, which saw a bicycle getting donated to an underprivileged Cambodian child for every room bill paid with a MasterCard card. The bicycle meant children from outlying villages could get to school without having to walk long distances in the heat. In 2009, this program expanded to include a school bag filled with school supplies in addition to each bicycle donated. Some 500 school bags and almost 1000 bicycles have been donated to date.
MasterCard has also enabled disadvantaged Khmer women learn a skill and support themselves and their families, through its work with the Life & Hope Association Sewing School. This vocational facility offers a ten-month programme teaching Khmer women to sew, speak English and learn basic skills required to set up a business. Upon graduating, these women are provided a start-up kit of materials that will help them begin their own businesses. Starting from 2009, MasterCard has sponsored 20 women at the School, all of them have graduated and 18 of them have started a business. In 2010, MasterCard raised funds for the reconstruction of the Sewing School through a Purchase with Purpose initiative, enabling the School to accommodate more women and teach them skills to earn a living. US$50 was donated for every bill settled using a MasterCard card at Hôtel de la Paix between 1 August and 30 November 2010.
Christian do Boer, Director of Sales and Marketing, Hôtel de la Paix, said “At Hôtel de la Paix, we believe in responsible tourism. Our philosophy is that a vacation is truly complete when the guest gets a chance to interact with the local community and gain a true understanding of Cambodia – and that is what we strive to do through our Community initiatives. We are happy with our association with MasterCard and look forward to seeing the smiles on the children’s faces as they get ready to go to school with the new uniforms that this MasterCard initiative has made possible.”
Georgette Tan, vice president, Communications, Asia/Pacific, Middle East & Africa, MasterCard Worldwide, said, “We are pleased to work with Hôtel de la Paix on another initiative that engages MasterCard cardholders in making a difference to the community. Education plays a key role in boosting community development, and we are happy that something as simple as providing children school uniforms goes a long way in ensuring that they are not denied education. We encourage MasterCard cardholders to help improve the quality of life for the community while they are on vacation – for every time they settle their bills at the hotel with a MasterCard card, they are helping ten children go to school.”
About Hôtel de la Paix
Located in the heart of Siem Reap, close to the cultural and historic heart of Cambodia, Hôtel de la Paix is a luxury boutique hotel within easy reach of colourful markets and vibrant nightlife; and just a few kilometres from the breathtaking temple complexes of Angkor Wat, often referred to as the eighth wonder of the world and recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Khmer culture is celebrated in every aspect of style and service at Hôtel de la Paix, from the Meric Restaurant, with its seasonally inspired local cuisine; to the Arts Lounge, which pays tribute to Cambodian artists; and Spa Indochine, which offers signature traditional treatments. Each of Hôtel de la Paix’s 107 spacious, beautifully appointed en suite rooms features chic interiors and contemporary furnishings complimented by intricate wall mountings and handcrafted lamps, creating a balance between modern design and traditional detailing.
MasterCard and Corporate Social Responsibility
MasterCard’s corporate social responsibility platform (CSR) in Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APMEA) is focused primarily on bettering the quality of life for women and children by providing them educational opportunities. MasterCard does this by supporting a broad range of women’s and children’s causes through scholarships, financial assistance, educational programs and various sustainability programs, helping provide them with the skills required to stand on their own feet and support themselves and their families. Apart from the educational aspects of MasterCard’s CSR programs in APMEA, consumer education is an important area of consideration for MasterCard given the significance of financial know-how in improving lives and the socioeconomic standing of families throughout the region.
A key component of MasterCard’s social responsibility and citizenship efforts across the region is the MasterCard Purchase with Purpose™ platform. Based on the concept of transactional philanthropy, it is at the heart of a drive by MasterCard to encourage responsible spending and make a difference in someone else's life. Across APMEA, MasterCard Purchase with Purpose initiatives involve cardholders in the company’s efforts to give back to the community whenever they use their MasterCard cards.
About MasterCard Worldwide
As a leading global payments company, MasterCard Worldwide prides itself on being at the heart of commerce, helping to make life easier and more efficient for everyone, everywhere. MasterCard serves as a franchisor, processor and advisor to the payments industry, and makes commerce happen by providing a critical economic link among financial institutions, governments, businesses, merchants, and cardholders worldwide. In 2010, $2.7 trillion in gross dollar volume was generated on its products by consumers around the world. Powered by the MasterCard Worldwide Network – the fastest payment processing network in the world – MasterCard processes over 23 billion transactions each year and has the capacity to handle 140 million transactions per hour, with an average network response time of 140 milliseconds and with 99.99 percent reliability. MasterCard advances global commerce through its family of brands, including MasterCard®, Maestro®, and Cirrus®; its suite of core products such as credit, debit, and prepaid; and its innovative platforms and functionalities, such as MasterCard PayPass™ and MasterCard inControl™. MasterCard serves consumers, governments, and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories.
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