DUSHANBE, June 14, 2013, Asia-Plus — Vocational cooking training for 15 persons with disabilities (PWDs) and their family members were successfully completed and the graduation ceremony was held at Dushanbe Serena Hotel on June 12, 2013.
According to the Country Office of the Association for Aid and Relief (AAR) in Tajikistan, all the participants, originally participated in a vocational cooking course by AAR Japan with financial support from Japan International Cooperation Foundation, received further training on bakery, preparing salad and main meals from chefs of Dushanbe Serena Hotel. One of the participants, who has a disability was also hired by Dushanbe Serena Hotel.
The CSR Program at Serena is inspired and derived from His Highness, The Aga Khan”s vision of “Holistic development where organizations play an essential role in the provision of social services.”
The CSR Program at Serena is known as SEED (Serena Environmental and Educational Development Program). This Program underpins a broad CSR response in the areas of Culture, Environment, Governance and Society.
This program follows the concept of an organization being a social enterprise where the business needs are synergized with social outcomes. Serena encourages open and transparent business practices that are based on ethical values and respect for its employees, communities, and the environment. The social, developmental, and operational activities of Serena are designed in such a manner that they deliver sustainable value to the society at large, as well as to shareholders.
“Now we are moving towards a challenging feature of our corporate responsibility, where, at Serena, the results are judged not just by the input, but by outcomes; the change we bring along with this world in which we live through our foot prints, and the contribution we make to reduce the sufferings around us.”
Yoshio Nakaqawa, Acting Country Director commented that this kind of multi sector collaboration would effectively promote social participation of PWDs in Tajikistan.
AAR Japan is a non-governmental organization and has been implementing various projects in Tajikistan since 2001, aiming at improving the quality of life of persons with disabilities in the country.
