Swiss-Belhotel Partners Sala Bai Hotel School in Siem Reap, Cambodia

Swiss-Belhotel has made the Sala Bai Hotel School in Siem Reap, Cambodia its official charity.

The academy was created in 2002 to enable Cambodian teenagers, especially girls, to escape poverty and human trafficking fuelled by years of civil war and persecution.

Mr. Gavin M Faull, Chairman and President of Swiss-Belhotel, has been a long-term supporter of the Sala Bai Hotel School since he helped establish Friends of Sala Bai Australia (FOSBA) in 2005 in partnership with Blue Mountains Hotel School in Sydney. FOSBA hosts annual events where contributors meet to raise funds and share their passion for supporting underprivileged young Cambodians through relevant education and training.

As Swiss-Belhotel’s official charity, all of the group’s employees will be involved in a programme to raise funds for the school, a scholarship programme will launch this year, and senior staff will dedicate their time to provide valuable training for Sal Bai students.

“As the hotel and hospitality industry expands in Cambodia, so do the number of job opportunities for local people. Sala Bai Hotel School provides an essential bridge to connect underprivileged youngsters with job-focused education and training so that they can transform their lives,” said Mr. Faull. “By sponsoring students and providing active, long-term support for the school, we believe Swiss-Belhotel International can make a real difference and help build a brighter future for these talented young people.”

Sala Bai Hotel School trains more than 100 students a year on a training course that covers five key areas of hotel operations: restaurant management, food and beverage preparation, front office duties, housekeeping and beauty therapy. The courses are free and the school has so far trained more than 1,300 students. The final month of the 12-month programme is dedicated to a job search and this has resulted in a 100% success rate to date.

To involve guests in the initiative, Swiss-Belhotel International is launching a worldwide “Adopt a Bernie” campaign, beginning at all the group’s hotels in Australia and New Zealand. Bernie is the brand’s mascot, a cuddly version of the St Bernard mountain rescue dog from Switzerland. The soft-toy is sold at Swiss-Belhotel outlets as a souvenir of the stay.

In Australia and New Zealand, all Swiss-Belhotel International properties will have a basket of Bernies placed at their reception desk, along with a sign explaining the “Adopt a Bernie” initiative, highlighting the role of Sala Bai Hotel School. For every Bernie purchased, $2 will be donated to the campaign.

“Adopt a Bernie will do more than simply provide money. Senior staff will be sent to help with hands-on training in Cambodia, and graduates from the school will be given the chance to work with us. We are starting the scholarship programme this year by selecting a student from Sala Bai to be employed at Swiss-Belresort Coronet Peak in New Zealand,” Mr. Faull said. “Bernie is a true rescue dog and now he can help save young people from a life of poverty and struggle.”

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