Small enterprise involved in societal contribution

Akedia Christopher
  
19th September 2009

Marketing and Communications Manager at the St. Kitts Tourism Authority, Saju Ng’alla said after attending the three-day Organization of American States (OAS) sponsored workshop on corporate social responsibility, he is ready to meet with small enterprise owners to assess how they can contribute to the community.
Ng’alla, in an interview with Sun St. Kitts/Nevis, said the workshop which was held in St. Lucia from 14-16 Sept., and saw over 20 participants from the region laid out guidelines on how they can encourage corporate social responsibilities among small and medium enterprises in the tourist sector. He said each representative was to return home and work in the tourism sector and encourage these enterprises to be more socially responsible in their community explaining that they are looking at hotels, restaurant owners, tour operators and even those who have souvenir shops, etc.
The marketing and communications manager said the OAS feels strongly that corporate social responsibility is all about looking at ways and means of uplifting the community, whether through education, health, and environment, anything that somehow uplifts the people.
He said, "The whole concept of social responsibility is something you plan on doing; something we would like these small companies to have incorporated into their business plan, my plan is to make money but also to uplift the community."
Ng’alla said, "It is more than just donating money here and contributing there to feel good, no, it has to be a part of what your business is all about." He said some ideas looked at during the workshop involved education and made mention of a hotel in Nevis that adopted a school adding it is not about marketing but a feeling that you know you have to put something back into the community. He continued, "The cornerstone of such a responsibility is all about sustainability, we believe if you put back into the community some how you are ensuring your survival."
Asked what the Tourism Department will do to get members to participate he responded he is now a corporate social responsibility specialist and it is up to him to hold a series of meeting and approach stake holders and assess where they can possibly contribute to the community. He said he also plans to approach government because in all of this they have to be the leader and enforcer and lay the ground work to make it easy for these enterprises to put together these social responsibility plans. Asked about limitations, he said the biggest challenge would be financing, in addition to knowledge, motivation and lack of resources but mentioned however "the biggest selling point is that practicing social responsibility does ensure the longevity of your company."

http://www.sunstkittsonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=28662:small-enterprise-involved-in-societal-contribution&catid=57:local&Itemid=53