Giving a hand and holding it tight

There have been discussions lately about setting an expiry date to MBA degrees, something like the validity of TOEFL, ETS, GRE or GMAT scores. Those in favour claim that, in such a rapid world, business practices from a couple of years ago are old-fashioned today.

Putting the debate aside, the MBA degree I took in 2014 taught me something simple yet powerful: the difference between corporate charity and Corporate Social (and environmental) Responsibility.

At my current employer, the Hotel At Six, we have decided to go beyond charity. We have decided to cooperate and support a truly hands-on project together with Hand in Hand.

Hand in Hand is a non-profit Swedish organization whose objective is to fight poverty through a model that mixes entrepreneurship, education and microfinance.

Individual supporters and corporations are invited to take part in the sustainable development of entire villages in India, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Afghanistan, through training and education, mainly for women, and done by local staff.

Me and my colleagues had the opportunity to vote and choose the country we would like to support: the winner was Kenya – a place I carry even closer to my heart after had lived in Nairobi in 2016!

Over the next two and a half years, At Six will be supporting the development of Munyuin village, located 60 km from Nairobi, which shall lead to the creation of over 200 enterprises and the uplifting from poverty of over 1000 women, men and children.

Each hotel department has a monthly goal, that can be achieved through traditional donation or creative initiatives, such as: the flea market organized by the conference department or to sell the surplus food from our restaurants via the Karma app.

The families and entrepreneurs from Munyuin village are not the only ones to benefit from this partnership. The Hand in Hand initiative is creating on us - the hotel staff - a sense of ownership and shared responsibility, for our planet and the people living on it.

 Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any organization.