As one of the largest global travel
management companies, FCM isn’t just striving to take the lead in developing
innovative technology and give our clients the best possible service. Not only
are we setting the agenda for industry topics like NDC and distribution of
travel content. We are also aiming to set an example in terms of our approach
to CSR. Giving back to the community is a core ingredient of our corporate
culture.
Our
latest initiative is to partner with SolarBuddy, a charity dedicated to illuminating
the future of those living in energy poverty.
Approximately
18% of the world’s population has no access to electricity which equates to 1.4
billion people living in the dark. This severely impacts education, health, the
economy and the environment. SolarBuddy’s mission is to help break this cycle
and improve the educational opportunities of six million children living in
darkness by providing them with solar lights to study after dusk. The gift of a SolarBuddy solar light helps
children living in energy poverty to continue studying long after the sun goes
down improving their education outcomes and overall health and wellbeing.
Over the last year, delegates and staff
attending various FCM conferences and events have been building SolarBuddy
lights as part of the conference programme.
Each kit comes with instructions and takes around 15-20 minutes to build
using a basic screwdriver.
For example, staff at our global
conference last year in Berlin built 2,000 SolarBuddy lights which were shipped
to children in Papua New Guinea and South Africa. And at FCM’s recent Focus
conference, delegates made 400 SolarBuddy lights which have been sent to
children in Madagascar.
At this year’s Business Travel Show we
aren’t just shining a light on travel buyers’ corporate travel programmes. We
are also inviting visitors to FCM’s stand to do their bit towards shining a
light on energy poverty. We have a special area on the stand where you can sit
down and spend 15 minutes assembling a SolarBuddy light. Our goal is to build a
total of 500 lights over the show’s two days which will be sent to children in
Papua New Guinea.
We are also encouraging our clients to
join SolarBuddy’s corporate programme, via cievents, our sister division that
specialises in global event management. Cievents can arrange for a SolarBuddy
light assembling session to be included within a corporate’s conference
programme or teambuilding event. The SolarBuddy light kits are branded with the
corporate’s company identity. The activity of building a light not only fosters
more meaningful experiences for participants but also inspires them to spread
the word about energy poverty.
Early stage evaluations indicate that
children with a solar light are studying up to 78% longer. Solar lighting is
a sustainable option that minimises the reliance on the burning of toxic kerosene,
dangerous campfires, and expensive battery-powered torches, enabling children to do homework after dark, as well as
supporting small businesses and improving safety and security of local
communities.
Please join us on stand B130 and help us
to take whole communities around the world from darkness to light.
This blog was posted by Jo Greenfield,
UK General Manager, FCM Travel Solutions (www.fcmtravel.co.uk). For more
information on SolarBuddy visit www.solarbuddy.org
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