Tomorrow today; 2010 - unesdoc - Unesco

This initiative has given rise to the inspiring story of AndrewYong, who currently works at the registration and towel counter bythe poolside and is able to interact with guests. The hotel is currentlyraising funds to help purchase a Snoezelen centre, a learning devicethat is designed to engage and stimulate students’ senses and providea method for nurturing sensory integration.In Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort in Singapore, 18 students fromDelta Senior School, another special needs institution, have been ona hotel work placement in the kitchen, housekeeping, grounds andgardens and other areas. Just as any new intern or employee would,these students participate in hotel orientation classes and preparefor the busy days ahead in a bustling resort. Two students havealready graduated and are now full-time employees at the hotel. Theheartfelt rationale of this project is its capacity to restore a sense ofpurpose, normalcy and dignity to these young people’s lives.Capacity-building for sustainabilityProviding an environment conducive to learning with modern studymaterials is a constant challenge, especially in remote areas. TwoChinese hotels used Shangri-La’s Embrace project as platforms toaddress access to modern facilities to ensure high levels of literacyand quality of children’s health.In the Yitong county of Jilin, China, 20 per cent of middle schoolstudents drop out each year due to a lack of financial resources.Shangri-La Hotel Changchun pledged to reduce this to ten per centin 2015 through the provision of a strong basic education facility.It raised funds in 2008, was built in 2009 and by 2010, opened upthe school to over 140 students. Knowing that it cannot succeedalone, the hotel involved partners from the East Asia Economic andTrade Newspaper and German International School to supplement itscommitments. Through this private cooperation, over 2,000 booksand 50 desks and chairs have been made available to over 140 children,and two teachers were enrolled in the Changchun Teachers’Further Education Institute in July 2010. Furthermore,this project enticed groups like Hutchison WhampoaProperties and various individuals from the German andJapanese communities to develop their own CSR projectswith the school. With much success in the first year, thehotel will continue to upgrade the school’s facilities suchas Internet and multimedia learning points, sustainedstudent after-school activities and teacher training anddevelopment. By 2020, Xin Jia Primary School shouldbe able to graduate from the Embrace project and payits own fees going forward, as well as help other schools.Shangri-La Hotel Wuhan believes that sufficientlynourished and cared for children are in the best positionto learn and excel. In 2009, the hotel used its skills inproject construction, cooking and food safety to builda Love Kitchen for the children of the Wuhan CaringRehabilitation Center. The Love Kitchen aims to providesimple but healthy meals for the children, carefullycrafted by the hotel’s able chefs. It also doubles as a learninghub for the centre’s workers, who shadow the hotelchefs and learn simple culinary skills. Around 15 per centof the hotel staff are regular volunteers who come to fixwater sources, electrical appliances, classroom and drainageimprovements. Over the next ten years, the hotelaims to prepare 10-15 per cent of the children for normalschooling, increasing their capacity for independence.The subject of environmental sustainabilityIn the resorts, a concerted effort is made regarding habitatrestoration and species conservation. Shangri-La emphasizesthe commitment to environmental protection, which,in many island communities, is at odds with the sources oflivelihood. Two resorts have linked their Embrace projectsImage: P. GallardoImage: Shangri-La WuhanSeri Mengasih Center’s children enjoy eating independentlyA child finishes up the Love Kitchen mural by placing her handprint[ 121 ]