Company Special:Coca-Cola empowers women in quake-hit communities

Two new centers that empower women in earthquake-hit regions by teaching practical skills opened in Leshan city, Sichuan province, on Thursday.

The new centers are part of Mama's Home, China's first community female empowerment program co-partnered by the government, social organizations and businesses.

Mama's Homes have helped stimulate household, community and social economic progress in areas affected by the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake.

Four Mama's Homes have been established to empower women in communities in Sichuan province.

It is estimated that these Mama's Homes will benefit 50,000 women each year, through part-time jobs and training courses offered, which cover business, housekeeping, cooking, nursing and handicrafts.

Designed to meet family needs, each Mama's Home has a childcare area to free mothers' hands and help them concentrate on learning new skills.

Qin Guoying, general-secretary of the China Women's Development Foundation, and Zhang Huaying, vice-president of Coca-Cola Greater China and Korea, jointly inaugurated the two new Mama's Homes, along with representatives from other local government agencies.

Qin said: "Women are the core of families and communities. Unlike other conventional community sponsorship programs, Mama's Home pilots a win-win solution to comprehensive community needs by improving women's social and economic independence."

Mama's Home has seen women became more confident and happier as wives, mothers and skilled workers able to help in the community.

Wei Rong went to a Mama's Home every day to attend Shuxiu-style embroidery classes while taking care of her child.

After six-months of training, she sold a piece of her embroidery work for 2,000 yuan ($322). She said now her dream is to become a Shuxiu-style embroidery master.

Wang Lili took a business course at a Mama's Home and set up a grocery store, which gradually improved and now brings in a steady income to support her family. As a mother and entrepreneur, she said she now looks forward to a bright future for her daughter.

Zhang said: "Coca-Cola strongly believes that sustainable business growth is built on the sustainable development of the communities where we operate. We are proud to be part of this meaningful program, which runs under Chinese philosophy and with local insight."

Mama's Home is an example of the local relevancy and collaborative progress of Coca-Cola's "5by20" program, a global initiative to empower 5 million women by 2020 through the Coca-Cola value chain, said Zhang.

Coca-Cola and the China Women's Development Fund have committed further to the program, with plans to establish 20 Mama's Homes in Sichuan in the next two years and to gradually expand to other provinces across the country.

zhuanti@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 05/29/2015 page15)