In its report entitled ‘6 CSR Directions in 2022: From Net Zero to Social Positive’, Thaipat Institute gave its outlook on corporate social responsibility and sustainability creation. It indicated that the concept of social positive business it established for this year will form an important part in companies’ work to make positive impacts on society and to grow their businesses. The institute suggested elevating social contribution from traditional options such as donating money, goods or services to using business capabilities to improve living quality and well-being, thereby ensuring a positive impact on the whole society. Moreover, the institute reported the ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) factor will see greater use in the communication of business results as well as social and environmental impacts – in a sense becoming a universal language among social positive businesses and stakeholders.
A novel CSR initiative has been in continuous implementation by CK Power Public Company Limited (CKPower). The company has now executed the Hing Hoi Project for the 6th year running. The project is part of the company’s CSR strategy to add value to society; its ‘Competency-Co-Creation-Cooperation-Connection’ formula is used to enhance educational opportunities for children at Hin Hua Suea Kindergarten in Xaysomboun Province, the Lao PDR. Under the project, CKPower uses its renewable energy innovation to install solar cells and essential utilities that promote the quality of life of students and people in the community.
Mr. Thanawat Trivisvavet, Managing Director of CK Power PLC, shared the background on the Hing Hoi Project, saying, “CKPower is one of the region’s largest producers of renewables-based electricity with one of the lowest carbon footprints. We have made sustainable development our priority all along, with the Hing Hoi Project being the company’s main CSR initiative. It resulted from CKPower conducting survey of the local communities surrounding its power plants and in remote areas in Thailand and the Lao PDR to learn how they are like and their needs for essential utilities such as water and electricity. The same goes for education, as we wanted to provide children and youngsters with equal access to basic education and an environment suitable for learning.”
“The Hing Hoi Project is now in its 6th year running and the strategy it uses to add value to society is Competency-Co-Creation-Cooperation-Connection. Innovative ideas, processes and knowhow CKPower has in renewables-based power generation engineering are applied to create something of value to society, while sustainable relationships are built with employees, communities and stakeholders,” said Mr. Thanawat.
Mr. Wisate Chungwatana, Managing Director of Nam Ngum 2 Power Company Limited, a subsidiary of CKPower, said, “For the 6th year, we chose to do the Hing Hoi Project at Hin Hua Suea Kindergarten in Xaysomboun Province, the Lao PDR, which is located near our Nam Ngum 2 Hydroelectric Power Plant. We found that the kindergarten was attended by 130 children from many villages, but there was just one building with three classrooms for levels 1-3 kindergarteners. The school was short of clean drinking water and there was not enough water for internal use.”
“So, the company constructed a new school building with three classrooms, each having 42 square metres, to accommodate boys and girls as well as disabled students. This is so there are more rooms for age-appropriate learning, in accordance with the stipulations of the Lao PDR’s Ministry of Education and Sports. The old school building has been repainted and improvement has been made to its power system, to make sure everyone is safe. A new bathroom building has been built to accommodate students and teachers.”
“Moreover, we have used CKPower’s engineering capabilities in renewable energy to install a solar-powered underground water pump. We use six solar panels with a combined capacity of 400 watts to generate power to operate the pump and we keep the water in a 2,000-liter tank. We have also installed a drinking water filtration system that complies with the drinking water standards of the Lao PDR and World Health Organization to ensure that drinking water is clean and safe. The children’s playground was designed to use mostly recycled materials in order to promote proper child development while making the best use of available resources. Improvement has been made to the landscape around the school and we have provided teaching and learning materials and medium for both the new and old buildings.”
“We took 11 months to build Hin Hua Suea Kindergarten under our 6th Hing Hoi Project – from May 2021 to March 2022 – and received great cooperation from the community and CKPower’s employees. I am proud of my part in the development of the area, carried out to ensure the community’s access to basic utilities as well as education for children and youngsters, in line with our sustainable development goals,” said Mr. Wisate.
Over the past six years the Hing Hoi Project has provided CKPower with the opportunity to benefit the public in Thailand and the Lao PDR in the form of 40 public utility structures. These reach out to 1,676 children and youngsters as well as engage 799 employees, 8 local communities and 16 relevant agencies. In total, 7 learning centres were built for the local communities, and society at large, to learn about renewable energy. They include a hydropower turbine generator, a solar-powered school building, a solar-powered pump reservoir and a solar-powered road lighting system. And, equally importantly, the Hing Hoi Project has achieved 11 out of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations in compliance with global sustainable development principles.
This illustrates an aspect of social positive business by an organisation that welcomes the opportunity to be involved with society and has become a contributor. Despite it being just a small benefactor, it is able to work with other stakeholders to bring forth a great light – akin to a swarm of fireflies coming together.
Joy and happiness for both the benefactors and the beneficiaries
