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The Banyan Tree Global Foundation, the philanthropic arm of global hotel and resort operator the Banyan Tree Group, has stepped in to help a the rebuilding of a local community centre on the Thai island of Koh Samui.
With the luxury hotel group having sponsored hundreds of causes and projects worldwide through its Foundation, when Remko Kroesen, General Manager of Banyan Tree Samui, heard that a tropical storm had devastated a local community centre on the island, he immediately got in touch with the local administrators and offered assistance.
In addition to funding the cost of reconstruction, Australian-born Kroesen and several volunteers from the hotel rolled up their sleeves and helped out with landscaping and other labour-intensive tasks.
Over a year later, construction work on the canteen at the Wat Santi Wanaram Child Development Centre has been completed, and the 103 children and their teachers can now look forward to a fresh and safe environment for lunch, activities and play.
Welcoming the support, Suthima Chanrak, the acting Head of the Centre, wrote “we are so grateful to Banyan Tree Samui for recognising the importance of children’s education here in Koh Samui.
“We rejoice that we will have a new canteen, not only for the children’s meals, but also a building that will act as a focal point for community activities and town hall meetings.”
Other initiatives implemented successfully by Banyan Tree Samui in recent years include a blood drive campaign, and the ongoing ‘Seedlings Mentorship’ project aimed at nurturing young Samui students between the ages of 12 and 18, providing them with vocational and life skills and education, as well as offering scholarships and financial support to enable select students to continue into higher education.
Kroesen commented “as a 5-star resort with beautiful villas and sea views, a spa, and exquisite dining, it would be easy to forget that many of the families on Koh Samui work nearby in coconut plantations or on fishing boats, and are often unable to meet the rising costs of medical care and housing.
“That’s why we maintain an annual fund to assist those in need, and never forget how lucky we are to share their wonderful island with them.”
Founded in 1994 on the core concept of sustainability, Banyan Tree Group seeks to create long-term value for all stakeholders and destinations across its network of properties, products and brands, through a purpose-driven mission.
Click here for more information about the rebuilding of Wat Santi Wanaram Child Development Centre.
Click here for more information about Banyan Tree Samui.
Images: Banyan Tree Samui General Manager Remko Kroesen [back row, centre] joins teachers, parents and children for the opening ceremony of the new Wat Santi Wanaram Child Development Centre on 10th January (top), the canteen at Wat Santi Wanaram on Koh Samui was destroyed by a tropical storm (middle) and the finished project is a community centre that will act not only as a dining and recreation area for local children on Koh Samui, but as a ‘town hall’ venue for the village (below).
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