Phum Baitang donates one ton of rice to a local orphanage
ZANNIER HOTELS PHUM BAITANG, DONATION OF ONE TON OF RICE TO A LOCAL ORPHANAGE
Release - Siem Reap, 11 February 2021
Following a successful harvest season, Zannier Hotels Phum Baitang is supporting an orphanage of the Zannier Foundation with a donation of one ton of specially grown rice. After one of the most successful harvests over the past few years, the luxury hideaway Zannier Hotels Phum Baitang donates a ton of rice from its own organic cultivation to the local orphanage Holybaby Boeung Kiang, which has been part of the Zannier Foundation for several years. Not only are the 60 home residents infants and young adults happy about this donation, but also all team members of Zannier Hotels. For Giulio d'Alberto, General Manager of Phum Baitang, this action is a special affair of the heart as he personally handed over the rice bags during his visit to the orphanage. The entire donation enables the residents of the orphanage to eat three meals a day for 130 days, or about four months.
"Green village" - this is how Zannier Hotels Phum Baitang is often referred to. Rightly so, considering that the resort is set amidst eight hectares of lush gardens and rice fields. Not only is a rice a fundamental component of Cambodian cuisine, but its cultivation is also one of the most important pillars of the economy. At Zannier Hotels Phum Baitang, the freshly harvested rice goes straight to the hotel kitchen, where the kitchen team conjures up a wide variety of dishes for the guests. Guests are often fascinated by the taste, but also by this green oasis in which they can happily make contact with staff and gardeners to learn more about the culture and production, or even to lend a hand themselves with sowing and harvesting. In 2020, Zannier Hotels Phum Baitang produced over two tons of rice. This amount far exceeded expectations, as the average annual yield of rice is 1.2 tons, also used to supply the staff canteen. To achieve the best possible yields in terms of both quality and quantity, the resort employs experienced rice farmers from the surrounding area throughout the year. From plowing and fertilizing with the resort's own compost to sowing, planting and harvesting - sustainability is always the focus.
The Zannier Foundation was created in 2001 by Sophie Monrose, sister of Arnaud Zannier, himself founder of Zannier Hotels, and has since been dedicated to helping disadvantaged children in Cambodia. In 2016, the organization established two orphanages as well as a school to help socially disadvantaged children find a professional future. "Our organization, whose top priority is the wellbeing of the children, wants to give them the opportunity to make a new start," says head of the family Roger Zannier about the foundation, making it clear how much heart and soul is behind it. The Holybaby Boeung Kiang orphanage is home to around 60 children, 33 of whom attend the local school called "Sala Rean Zana". There, the students learn their national language Khmer, English and other subjects such as music and sports.
