“Constructing Lives, Not Just Buildings” - a motto that Sansiri continues to embody, especially in its corporate social responsibility initiatives (CSR), Social Change. Children are the foundation of the future, and so, Sansiri is committed to empowering and improving the lives of children in Thailand, through regular collaborations with United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), achieving recognition as the country’s first Selected Partner of UNICEF.
We take a look at how Sansiri has been giving back to the community through its various social responsibility initiatives, pioneering children’s rights at every level of its operations.
The Good Space
Sansiri has put in place zero-tolerance policies against any form of child labour on all its construction sites. Its partners are also required by contract to support this endeavor, and risk having their contract terminated if they are found violating the terms.
In conjunction with UNICEF and its construction partners, Sansiri constructs a safe, child-friendly area within every construction site called The Good Space, meant for the children of construction workers. Sansiri believes that every child has the right to learn, play and to live a healthy life and so children up 14 years can use this space as a safe environment to do so for the duration of the construction project which lasts about 1,300 (3.5 years) days on average.
The Good Sports
Sansiri recognises the importance of physical activity in the holistic development of children. Hence, its The Good Sports initiative is aimed at encouraging children to spend their free time in a way that improves their physical and mental health.
Sansiri Academy provides free football training to children every weekend to encourage them to exercise and to develop their talents and potential. Trained by professional football coaches and former National team players, the 6,000-odd children learn essential life values such as team spirit and discipline in a fun way.
Let’s Play Together is another UNICEF-Sansiri initiative that is aimed towards children who are not able to play freely due to lack of play space, equipment, toys or skill. Through this, hill-tribe children in remote areas such as Mae Hongsorn and Chiang Mai provinces are provided with sports equipment and free tennis lessons, and sponsorship for Special Olympics for children with disabilities.
The Good Education
Educational accessibility is a vital part of children’s rights and Sansiri believes that every child should have access to quality basic education, regardless of social class.
The GIVE Project, initiated together with Phuket Provincial Office of Social Development and Human Security and Phuket Children and Youth Council, aims to support the voices of children around Thailand. Through theoretical and field workshops by expert speakers, children were taught problem-solving skills by drawing up sustainable project proposals to solve observed problems between communities and relevant agencies.
Green Hope is another initiative under The Good Education, that helps to raise awareness towards environmental issues. Along with their partners, Sansiri explores new innovation in developing new materials by recycling unused construction materials. These materials are used to build a multipurpose building that serves as a library for the nearby local residents and children, and as an area for community activities.
The Good Nutrition
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) standards, Thai children have been found to have lower IQ scores, which can be traced back to the lack of essential nutrients - iodine in particular. Iodine deficiency has been recognised as a major threat to children’s development in Thailand for more than 50 years.
The “Iodine Please” initiative was undertaken by UNICEF, Sansiri and its partners to help raise awareness of the importance of iodine in a child’s diet, and to advocate the consumption of iodized salt in Thailand. Through its multimedia public campaigns and contacts in the business and political spheres, Sansiri was able to help UNICEF reach key decision makers at the highest levels of government, resulting in the Ministry of Public Health adopting regulations on mandatory iodization in 2011.
Sansiri is also committed to supporting the rights of mothers and children, for both its residents and employees. In another partnership with UNICEF Thailand and Thai Breastfeeding Center, Sansiri provides a Mother and Child’s Room or Breastfeeding Room at Sansiri offices, including some of its sales’ offices.
The Goodwill
Sansiri’s The Goodwill initiative sees the company contributing US $1 million of its year-end profits to UNICEF’s Emergency Fund, and aims to expand cooperation with partners, such as UNICEF and Sermkla Foundation on an international level, to help children in need of emergency support, especially in disaster-affected areas.
In 2015, Sansiri launched “Best Start”, a social campaign to raise awareness on the importance of child development in the first 6 years of their lives. It also involved signing a petition to encourage the government to invest more in early childhood development and solving related problems.
Over the years, Sansiri has contributed not just resources, but has also lent critical knowledge, expertise, and influence to achieve real and positive change in the lives of children, so that they can live the good life. Read more about Sansiri’s Social Change initiatives at www.sansiri.com/socialchange/en.