Starting last month, these eco-friendly bags, designed by Tony Li, one of China's most renowned stylists, and produced by five women in Henan province whose families have been affected by HIV/AIDS, are available for sale for 20 yuan each at the 10 Accor hotels in Shanghai.
It is estimated that during the first-year of the program 30 children in Henan will receive scholarships to pursue their studies.
"The beauty of this program is that it is more than just donating money. It involves multi-sectors and the community working together to create a sustainable, viable social enterprise," said Robert Murray, senior vice-president for Accor Greater China.
"We are working to give this community a skill that makes them self-sufficient for the future. With our focus on women and children, we hope to amplify what is often silent discrimination and improve the lives for communities in difficulty."
With 25 years of development in China, Accor currently manages 94 hotels in 42 cities across the country, with 25,000 hotel rooms and 19,000 employees.
"All of these elements are building up to create awareness and raise money which goes back into communities to educate children, so it's a wonderful initiative," said Murray.
Accor's strong social outreach has been well-received, with the World Travel Tourism Council offering an award to the company last week to recognize its practices in sustainable tourism around the world.
"Many global companies are focusing more on their environmental ambitions when it comes to sustainability, but Accor has surpassed this with a number of environmental and social sustainability initiatives," said Costas Christ, who chaired the panel of judges for the award.
(Source: China Daily)
Special Report: World Expo 2010
