Prince Charitable Foundation, the charitable arm of Prince Holding Group ('Prince Group'), one of Cambodia's largest and fastest growing conglomerates, has distributed care packages to 500 families in Ong village in Cambodia's Prey Nob district. The village is located near the Ream City project, an 834-hectare development on reclaimed land near Sihanoukville International Airport that is expected to transform the region. The gesture of goodwill occurred last week, and senior management from Canopy Sands Development, or Canopy Sands Cambodia, a Prince Group company, used the opportunity to consult with community leaders to better understand their needs. The aid campaign in Ong Village is Prince Group's latest environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiative. Read more here
Each care package included 25 kilogrammes of rice, a mat, a blanket, two pillows, a mosquito net, and a Cambodian Krama (traditional scarves woven in the countryside). It will be the first of many efforts to support the local community, all the more so given Prince Group's vision for residents' involvement in the coastal project's development. Ream City, when completed, will house up to 130,000 residents and will likely include housing estates, themed shopping malls, schools, and hospitals, boosting the local economy.
At a time when rural Cambodians face significant economic challenges, Prince Group has focused on providing items to assist residents with their daily needs. “We are serious about engaging with local communities and establishing a good relationship with them – they are key stakeholders for the Ream City project. Not only do we consider it our duty as a responsible corporate actor to provide assistance in these challenging times, we believe local residents will play an important role as part of our workforce due to the scale of the Ream City project,” said Mr. Khong Weng Fook, Managing Director of Canopy Sands Development. “Currently, about 70 locals are employed at the Ream City project. In time, we will look to impart the necessary skills through upskilling and other human empowerment efforts to further engage local residents for the project.”
Throughout the aid campaign, management from Prince Group collaborated with Mr. Sor Kakada, Prey Nob's District Chief, to gain a better understanding of residents' needs. They were advised that improved healthcare facilities are required. Prey Nob is located outside of Sihanoukville, which means that basic medical facilities are unavailable. As such, Prince Group will investigate the feasibility of establishing community-based healthcare dispensaries.
Ream City will create significant employment opportunities for Cambodians and will help the Sihanoukville International Airport expand from 3.6 million to 10 million passengers by the end of the decade. Prince Group hopes that by distributing essential aid, a constructive dialogue can be established between local communities and developers, ensuring a fruitful long-term relationship.
Prince Group's ESG strategy is organised around three pillars: healthcare, education, and community engagement. The Group made several large-scale donations last year to aid in the fight against the pandemic and to assist Cambodian flood victims. Prince Charitable Foundation Organization has organised over 240 charitable events and donated more than US$11 million in funds and other materials to benefit over 320,000 people. Additionally, Neak Oknha Chen Zhi, Chairman of Prince Group, has personally donated US$3 million to assist Cambodia in purchasing 1 million COVID-19 vaccines.
