Leighton Asia News, October 2004 - Leighton Holdings

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Opportunity International sponsorship is now making a real difference Some of Leighton’s staff recently had the chance to witness the positive impact of the company’s sponsorship of Opportunity International in the Philippines. Opportunity International helps to alleviate poverty by providing entrepreneurs with access to capital and business training to start and expand small businesses. In this way, they can care for their families and gain the dignity that comes from being self-supporting. Additionally, communities are strengthened as their local economies improve and as these entrepreneurs join forces to solve problems in their local area. Opportunity serves these small entrepreneurs directly through local ‘partner’ organisations that provide small business loans, training and mentoring. Leighton’s sponsorship, which is now in its third year, has been directed towards areas where the company is CASE STUDY 1: Loans for starting-up or building-up micro-enterprises have given poor entrepreneurial women in Pulilan the opportunity to improve their lives. Antonina Antoy expressed her appreciation that Leighton Asia, which employs her husband as a driver, further supports her currently constructing the Manila North Tollway. In these regions, Opportunity has teamed up with Tulay sa Pag-unlad Inc (TSPI) to support some 600 female entrepreneurs of Bulacan Province through its Baliuag branch, which operates in 17 barangays (villages) of Pulilan. The Leighton team visited one group of these entrepreneurs at Centre 73 at Barangay Tibag. The husbands of many of these women are currently working for Leighton on the Manila North Tollway. This centre, which was established last year, now has 20 members who are involved in a wide range of enterprises, including rug making, fish vending, variety stores and egg production. family through its financial assistance to the TSPI Kabuhayan Program. Antonina, whose family lives under a bridge along the Manila North Tollway, has received loans of 5000 pesos and 7000 pesos (about US$90 and US$125), which she has invested in her rice retail business and small eatery. Indicative of its success, loans of 344,000 pesos have been released to date – and the repayment rate currently is 100 per cent. The women warmly thanked Leighton for its support and invited the staff members to visit them again in the future. They can gain the dignity that comes from being selfsupporting Despite undergoing a delicate medical operation, which put a strain on the family budget, she has managed to honour her weekly loan obligations. Stories like Antonina’s really inspire the branch to persevere with its efforts.
CASE STUDY 2: Liberty Baylon has a loan of 6000 pesos, which matures in December. Liberty, who has four children, is on her third loan cycle, having borrowed a total of 18,000 pesos since she joined the TSPI program. She has used the loans to expand her fish vending business, which she runs with her partner, Jimmy Iral. Part of the loan was used to buy a tricycle, with which Liberty and Jimmy now carry their produce from village to village. Liberty Baylon (right) and partner Jimmy Iral. page 23
Page 1 and 2: Leighton Asia News October 2004
Page 3 and 4: Mission moves to enlarge its food m
Page 5 and 6: The new casino is in a prominent wa
Page 7 and 8: Substantial site formation and slop
Page 9 and 10: Successful year leads to positive o
Page 11 and 12: “Nothing beats actually walking a
Page 13 and 14: The main challenges of the contract
Page 15 and 16: More work for Leighton at Hong Kong
Page 17 and 18: The Central Reclamation project in
Page 19 and 20: Dr Lars Petzold Eimert Los Robby Dj
Page 21: page 21

Leighton Asia News, October 2004 - Leighton Holdings

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?