Help build sustainable livelihoods with this unique partnership supporting worldwide community projects

 

Tweet this: @COMOhotels & #MasterCard collaborate once again to allow cardholders to purchase with purpose while vacationing.

 

Hong Kong, 23 September 2013 – This autumn, MasterCardcardholders staying at any of  COMO Hotels and Resorts worldwide properties can give back to local communities as they travel  –  including when they stay at the company’s two newest resorts, Point Yamu by COMO on Phuket and Maalifushi by COMO in The Maldives.  Funds from Point Yamu will be used to support  Thai children to learn English at Phuket Sunshine Village – a language skill vital to future employment – while in The Maldives, proceeds will help refurbish a hospitality education centre and provide training for students aged 14 and 17 years, on Guraidhoo Island.

 

Between October 1st and December 31st this year, MasterCard, as part of its Purchase with Purpose™ programme, will donate US$25 to a range of community projects every time a transaction is made using a MasterCard card at a COMO property. The MasterCard Purchase with Purpose programme is a long-standing initiative aimed at encouraging responsible spending, while enabling cardholders to make a difference to the lives of others.

 

Now in its fourth year of collaboration, COMO and MasterCard has raised a total of US$115,580 which has supported a variety of community projects located near COMO’s luxury hotels and resorts in Asia, the UK and the Caribbean. Examples include micro-grants for young female Bhutanese entrepreneurs.

 

Kuno Fasel, Chief Operating Officer for COMO Hotels and Resorts, said: “COMO Hotels and Resorts has a deep commitment to supporting community projects, particularly those aimed at empowering women and children. Our staff works throughout the year with selected organizations in all our local communities. We value this partnership with MasterCard very much; not only does it allow our guests to engage with our community projects, it also supports our individual properties to build on our existing efforts.”

 

Georgette Tan, MasterCard’s Group Head of Communications for Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa, said: “We are excited to embark on another year of partnership with COMO through our ‘Purchase with Purpose’ programme – an excellent platform through which both organisations have been able to come together to support projects that educate and create sustainable livelihoods for communities in the region. At the same time, the programme has worked in line with our commitment to providing cardholders with priceless experiences – not merely luxurious, but also meaningful ones. Through this particular programme, they can contribute back to the communities they have chosen to travel to.”
  

MasterCard’s philanthropic efforts are focused on educating and advocating for responsible use of financial services through entrepreneurship, as well as helping individuals gain access to basic financial tools to ensure that their families and communities can eventually build a strong future for themselves. Through MasterCard’s core competencies, technology, people, and charitable giving, MasterCard makes a difference in people’s lives around the world.

 

Beneficiaries for this year’s COMO-MasterCard ‘Purchase with Purpose’ include:

 

Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice, London: Income stability project for mothers of children with life-limiting diseases, supported by The Halkin by COMO and Metropolitan by COMO, London

 

Goodwill Group Foundation, Bangkok: Life and employment skills training for disadvantaged young Thai women, supported by Metropolitan by COMO, Bangkok

 

Maalifushi and Guraidhoo Secondary Schools, The Maldives: Science education and professional diver training, supported by Cocoa Island by COMO, The Maldives

 

Guraidhoo Island Hospitality School, The Maldives: Hospitality training for youth, supported by Maalifushi by COMO, The Maldives (a new COMO resort, opening December)

 

Kew Youth Activity Centre, Turks and Caicos: Hospitality skills training, supported by Parrot Cay by COMO, The Turks and Caicos Islands

 

Phuket Sunshine Village, Thailand: English classes for a children’s home, supported by Point Yamu by COMO, Phuket (a new COMO resort, opening November 2013)

 

Loden Foundation, Bhutan: Micro-loans for women entrepreneurs, supported by Uma by COMO, Paro and Uma By COMO, Punakha, Bhutan

 

Yayasan Kemanusiaan Ibu Pertiwi, Bali: Career skills workshops for disadvantaged youth, supported by Uma by COMO, Ubud, Bali

 

Tirta Kumara Kindergarten, Bali: English and enrichment classes for children, supported by COMO Shambhala Estate, Bali

 

Beautiful People, Singapore: Mentoring and career guidance for girls at risk, supported by COMO Shambhala Urban Escape, Singapore

 

 

About the COMO Group and COMO Hotels and Resorts

 

COMO Hotels and Resorts offers personalised luxury travel experiences in its urban hotels, island resorts, adventure retreats and wellness resorts. The focus is always on service and design, adventure and culture, wellness and cuisine, while trying to uphold a strong, sustainable approach towards the people and places where we operate.

 

COMO Hotels and Resorts was founded by Christina Ong. Each property is hand-picked and individually curated. Properties include: The Halkin by COMO in London, three Metropolitan by COMO hotels in London, Bangkok and Miami Beach (opening December), Parrot Cay by COMO in the Turks and Caicos,

 

Cocoa Island by COMO and Maalifushi by COMO in the Maldives, Point Yamu by COMO in Phuket, and three Uma by COMO experience resorts in Bali and Bhutan.

 

COMO Shambhala Estate in Bali is a wellness retreat, managed in partnership with COMO’s sister brand in wellness, COMO Shambhala. COMO Shambhala products, services, cuisine, treatments and spa facilities are also available within each COMO property.

 

MasterCard Purchase with Purpose™

A key component of MasterCard’s social responsibility and citizenship efforts across the region is MasterCard Purchase with Purpose™. Based on the concept of transactional philanthropy, it is at the heart of a drive by MasterCard to encourage responsible spending while, at the same time, making a difference in someone else’s life. Across APMEA, MasterCard Purchase with Purpose initiatives involve cardholders in the company’s efforts to give back to the community whenever they use their MasterCard cards. More information on MasterCard Purchase with Purpose in the region is available at www.mastercard.com/sea/purchasewithpurpose.

 

About MasterCard

MasterCard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com, is a global payments and technology company. It operates the world’s fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. MasterCard’s products and solutions make everyday commerce activities – such as shopping, traveling, running a business and managing finances – easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone. Follow us on Twitter @MasterCardNews, join the discussion on the Cashless Conversations Blog and subscribe for the latest news.

 

 

Media contacts:

·         Georgette Tan, MasterCard Worldwide, +65 6390 5971, georgette_tan@mastercard.com

·         Alina Morais, Weber Shandwick, +65 6825 8203, amorais@webershandwick.com

·         Angel Teh, Weber Shandwick, +65 6825 8031, ateh@wbebershandwick.com

·         Selina Lee, COMO Hotels and Resorts, Global, +65 6304 3560, selina.lee@comohotels.com

 
[Image 1]Students of Tirta Kumara Kindergarten in their new classroom, courtesy of COMO Shambhala Estate

[Image 2]Cocoa Island by COMO supports vocational training at Maafushi and Guraidhoo schools,courtesy of Cocoa Island by COMO
[Image 3] Loden Foundation, Bhutan supported by Uma by COMO, Paro, Bhutan and Uma by COMO, Punakha, Bhutan,courtesy of Uma by COMO, Paro, Bhutan and Uma by COMO, Punakha