Cargill CEO Leads Team in Dedicating Houses for Tsunami-affected Families in Thailand * * *Project Represents “An Outpouring of Caring and Commitment”
BANGKOK 31st January 2006 - Warren Staley, chief executive officer of Cargill and other company executives participated in a community dedication of houses for tsunami-affected families in Thachatchai, Phuket province, Thailand, on Saturday, 28 January. A donation from Cargill to Habitat for Humanity is being used to build 49 houses in the fishing village.
Sturdy home: Khun Somcok and his wife after the ribbon cutting
“Our vision is to give back to communities”: the Cargill leadership team at Thachatchai
Staley and Somcok: a contribution that binds individuals and corporations
Staley gave symbolic house keys to four families and cut a ribbon at the door of Somcok Wichaidit. Somcok and his neighbors made bricks and helped to build the sturdy soil-block house that replaced a house made of metal sheets that was damaged beyond repair by the tsunami.
“It is part of our company vision to give back to the communities where we do business,” Staley said. “While the funding for our participation here came from the corporation, there was a huge outpouring of caring and commitment for this work from Cargill employees.” Cargill has contributed more than US1 million to various organizations to fund tsunami relief and recovery efforts.
Dennis Seah, Cargill general manager in Thailand, said the company had partnered with Habitat for Humanity Thailand since 2001 and plans to build 100 houses with Habitat by 2010.
Since last October, more than 90 volunteers from Cargill have helped to build 15 houses in Thachatchai. Volunteers came from the Philippines, India, Malaysia, Australia, Singapore, as well as Thailand. The tangible results of their efforts are not just the houses, but the blocks they are made of. Volunteers joined homeowners in sifting soil, mixing it with sand and cement and forming earth blocks with hand presses.
“We appreciate our partners with Cargill and the people of Tachatchai who made it possible for us to serve in this community,” said Steve Weir, Habitat for Humanity vice president, Asia-Pacific. “We plan to continue to work here after the tsunami project is done until everyone in this area has a decent place to live,” he added.
Cargill is an international provider of food, agricultural and risk management products and services. With 124,000 employees in 60 countries, the company is committed to using its knowledge and experience to collaborate with customers to help them succeed. Cargill contributes more than US30 million a year globally to enrich the communities where its employees live and work.
The tsunami project in the southern provinces of Phang Nga, Phuket and Ranong marks the first steps in expansion of Habitat for Humanity into the south of the country. Since its formation in 1998, Habitat for Humanity Thailand has built more than 600 houses through affiliates in Chiang Mai, Lampang, Udon Thani and Korat, in the north and northeast of the country.