Michelin staff bring a brighter future to their hometowns

Suchala Thephabutra, personnel director of Michelin Southeast Asia and Oceania, Michelin ROH Co Ltd, said the project has been expanding on a yearly basis since its launch in 2010 and now has 80 initiatives in 80 communities nationwide. 
Michelin volunteer staff recently launched a project at Ban Bo Rahaeng School in Tambon Phang Tru, Phanom Thuan district, Kanchanaburi, one of the 17 being implemented in 2016.
“Sustainable development is one of the core missions of Michelin and the aim is to help develop communities, particularly in terms of education. The company encourages its employees to engage in CSR [corporate social responsibility] activities, inviting them to put forward ideas for their hometown or village development. The emphasis is on the development of quality education, with a focus on good nutrition though school lunches and environmental conservation,” he said.
Michelin employees get to initiate the projects by first submitting their proposal to the company. Once the proposal is approved, the employee then goes to their hometown to work out a clear action plan with community members to determine what is really needed.
Finally, joined by their colleagues, they go to the site to complete the projects as a team.
Michelin clearly sticks by the belief that CSR should not be driven by market forces or by a company’s efforts, but that employees should also lend a hand.
Suwaphat Khunphan, Michelin’s customer relations officer, whose proposed hometown project won approval, said that as an alumnus of Ban Bo Rahaeng School, she felt she needed to help improve the school so it could offer children better opportunities to learn and play. In addition, the activity also encouraged awareness of sharing among Michelin volunteers, community members and children.
As for activities at Ban Bo Rahaeng School, Michelin volunteers financed an additional school building, a playground, repainted the school and the kindergarten area, improved the pavement and planted organic vegetables. 
Waraporn Chaimuang, a Mattayom 1 student, said this effort gave the youngsters a great opportunity to learn outside the classroom. Now, they don’t just get to enjoy a more nutritious lunch, but also get to learn how to grow vegetables and generate some income. 
“Learning life skills enables children to be aware of responsibility, patience and diligence. In addition, playground equipment made from used Michelin tyres teaches us the value of recycling to save natural resources,” Waraporn said.
Chatchai Klanbut, director of Ban Bo Rahaeng School, explained that the project has helped the school expand from kindergarten to lower secondary level. It now has 192 students and 16 teachers. 
The Michelin project did not just help upgrade facilities and provide knowledge about growing organic vegetables, but it also encouraged students and villagers to understand that everybody in the community plays a role in sustainable development.