For Geberit, the European market leader in sanitary products, corporate social responsibility in the context of the formation of its junior staff has been a bedrock for one and a half decades. Every year since 2008, Geberit apprentices have had the opportunity to demonstrate their team spirit, their willingness to learn and the skills they have acquired in a project to benefit social institutions in poorer countries. Geberit provides the material and the learners install it with technical support. Many of them are working on a construction site for the first time as part of the social project.
Typically Geberit would choose a project cooperation partner only once. Having successfully undertaken the renovation of the Wat Roka and Arranh Reangsey Primary Schools back with the ‘Geberit Social Project 2019‘, Kamboo Projected was extremely proud to have been selected again for this year’s edition.
Under the supervision of Remo Zwick, technical manager, and Vreni Schweizer, HR business partner, ten Geberit apprentices built installations at the Svay Thom Primary & Secondary School, which harbours more than 1500 students: 11 toilets for the students, 5 urinals, 2 handwashing stations and 5 new classrooms. Furthermore, the Geberit and Kamboo teams joined forces to conduct a thorough hygiene workshop which included best practices for handwashing with soap and use of the toothbrush, both theoratically and practically. Next to the hard (but exciting and fun) work experience, the young learners from Jona/Rapperswil picked up a good knowledge of local history and culture during their stay- and travelled back home with very fond memories of their two week endeavor.
At Kamboo Project, we have been working with the management of Svay Thom School since 2018. Mutual trust has grown over the years – and is set to further increase after this major leap forward. The school is thriving! Enrolment rates are increasing and absence rates are decreasing. Episodes of early marriage of girls on the decline. Hygiene and waste management knowhow at ‘our’ schools are steadily on the way up. With this important capacity expansion, Syay Thom School and, with it, the communities around can continue on a sustanable path of growth. Our local team will step up monitoring activity to ensure that the Geberit financial and human capital investment will flourish, with thousands of kids set to benefit over the next decade or so. We at Kamboo Project were delighted to welcome the Geberit team in Cambodia and salute them with a wholehearted “Akun”!
