KUONI India goes another mile with its Corporate Social Responsibilities
Establishes a SOS Children's Learning Centre at the SOS Children's Village in Varanasi.

Kuoni Travel Group is a long-standing member of the SOS family. Four years ago SOS-Kinderdorf International and Kuoni Travel Holding, Switzerland started a successful cooperation under the slogan "Worldwide Partners", which is shown in many different ways on an international and national level.

At the national level, Kuoni Travel Group has appointed an SOS Ambassador in each country where it has a subsidiary. Kuoni's SOS India Ambassador is Himmat Anand, COO - India & South Asia, SITA Destination Management. He along with his team decides on the proper utilization of Kuoni funds donated. The donations then are accordingly taken up to promote selected SOS Children's Village of India projects and outreach programmes. The funds are also partly utilised for organising yearly fun-filled and interactive activities for SOSCVI. In 2005-2006 the project taken up was to establish Learning Centre at SOS Children's Village in Varanasi. The Learning Centre is established with an aim to help the SOS Children to an all round growth and development. It is about 1,500 sq feet, having a computer laboratory with six computers and printer, a library equipped with informative books and educational CDs and a music room with a variety of musical instruments.

Mr. Anand inaugurated the Learning Centre on 20th July at Varanasi. Speaking on the occasion, he praised SOS mothers for their dedication and said, " It is very rare that you come across anything like the SOS Children's Village, Varanasi in a life time. The spirit, dedication, team work and affection seen and shown here, cannot be described."

The social spirit is further taken up by the team at SITA Destination Management, in spreading the SOS-Children's message by means of enclosing the SOSCVI brochure in the Welcome Kits of their clients. SITA also encourages its individual clients and groups to visit the SOS Children's Village in whichever city they are in, to see the work being done. All of them are very appreciative of this cause. We also have a system where we collect the unused Indian currency donated by the clients at the time of their departure, which is subsequently put to good use by the SOS local coordinator. The SITA team also involve themselves with various other activities every alternate month with the children at the SOS Village at Faridabad, Bhawana and Greenfields which include a 4 days trek in the mountains; visit to the Rail Museum with lunch; a day at a water-park; a trip to the Taj Mahal and so much more. Each event has a maximum of 15 children. Scholarships for training in tourism are also given at the SITA office.