Banpu helps Wat Phrabat Nam Phu along the road to sustainable management Donates Unmilled Khao Samorkhon Organic Sinlek Rice
Mrs. Udomlux Olarn, Head of Corporate Affairs, Banpu Public Company Limited together with employees handed 4 tonnes of Khao Samorkhon Organic Sinlek unmilled rice and THB 194,500 contributed by the company’s staff to Luang Por Alongkot, Abbot of Wat Phrabat Nam Phu.
Lopburi 31 May 2019 – Banpu Public Company Limited, a leading integrated energy solutions company in Asia-Pacific with a focus on social sustainability, recently donated unmilled Khao Samorkhon Organic Sinlek rice produced under Banpu’s “Ban Khao Samorkhon Sustainable Development Project” to Wat Phrabat Nam Phu in Khao Sam Yot, Mueang district, Lop Buri province. This contribution aims to support the temple’s self-reliant management efforts and is in line with Banpu’s mission to encourage sustainable development. Executives and employees from Banpu led by Mrs. Udomlux Olarn, Head of Corporate Affairs, Banpu Public Company Limited, handed 4 tonnes of unmilled Khao Samorkhon Organic Sinlek rice and THB 194,500 contributed by the company’s staff to Luang Por Alongkot, Abbot of Wat Phrabat Nam Phu.
This contribution to Wat Phrabat Nam Phu stems from the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Banpu Public Company Limited, Mr. Chanin Vongkusolkit’s intention to support Wat Phrabat Nam Phu in providing care for more than 1,500 patients suffering from HIV/AIDS through the donation of unmilled Khao Samorkhon Organic Sinlek rice. This is in line with the temple’s objectives of encouraging the healthy HIV-infected patients who live at the temple to work, as well as supporting youths under the temple’s guidance to generate some income that can help develop their quality of life. They were urged to mill the donated rice at the temple’s own rice mill, thus giving themselves rice for consumption as well as using the byproducts from the milling, for example, broken-milled rice, broken rice, bran and husks for other purposes, especially animal feed and organic fertilizer. Such practices will help Wat Phrabat Nam Phu in its move towards sustainable management.
Mrs. Udomlux Olarn, Head of Corporate Affairs, Banpu Public Company Limited said: “In order to help Luang Por Alongkot, Abbot of Wat Phrabat Nam Phu in his efforts to develop self-sustaining temple, which is in line with our corporate mission of supporting sustainable development, Mr. Chanin Vongkusolkit presented 4 tonnes of unmilled Khao Samorkhon Organic Sinlek rice. This will be used as learning platform for patients, youths and officers at the temple in rice milling and understanding how the rice byproducts can be utilized. By donating rice and funds to Wat Phrabat Nam Phu, Banpu hopes to play a small role in cementing the temple’s sustainable self-reliance, in much the same way as Banpu successfully helped the Ban Khao Samorkhon community in Lop Buri’s Tha Wung district to recover from the severe flooding in 2011 by initiating “Ban Khao Samorkhon Sustainable Development Project.” In that instance, Banpu shared knowledge and funds to support local farmers and encouraged them to learn and develop skills through first-hand experience, and today they are able to enhance their knowledge to ensure a sustainable quality of life in the long term. Khao Samorkhon Organic Sinlek Rice is one of the outcomes of this project.”
Sinlek rice is seven times more nutritious than ordinary rice and rich in fiber, vitamin B1 and iron. It is known to help prevent constipation and colon cancer. It is also low in triglycerides and sugar and decreases the risk of dyslipidemia. Patients and volunteers who help care for the seriously sick at the temple will have the opportunity to consume organic rice, which contains no chemicals and is beneficial to their health. This is the second time that Banpu has donated Khao Samorkhon Organic Sinlek Rice to Wat Phrabat Nam Phu. This contribution is one of the ways to enhance the quality rice produced by the community and widen its benefits to people in other areas, while at the same time supporting the farmers of Banpu’s project. This contribution is in line with Banpu’s corporate culture, which includes “Committed” to creating positive impacts on society and encouraging communities to continue on their path towards self-sustaining development.
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About Banpu Public Company Limited
Banpu Public Company Limited is a leading integrated energy solutions company in the Asia Pacific operating three core groups of businesses – energy resources, energy generation, and energy technology – in ten countries: Thailand, Indonesia, China, Australia, Lao PDR, Mongolia, Singapore, Japan, the United States of America and Vietnam.
“Learning is the Power of Change and Development”
Banpu’s CSR and other social-oriented activities are based on the firm belief that “learning is the power of change and development” for people and society by emphasizing the promotion and development of continued “learning” among young people and communities in a number of ways. Banpu supports sustainable development of communities and society through a variety of learning opportunities for both individuals and teams, ranging from daily real-life experiences both in- and outside the classroom, to hands-on practice that enhances capabilities and skills.
