By Alex M
For two years now, Hotwire has supported a primary school in a remote part of India, The Hannah Memorial Academy (www.hannahmemorialacademy.org ). The school was set up as a charity to offer a crucial lifeline for the families of local tea plantation workers, by offering children an education and the opportunity to help their community rise out of poverty as a result.
The great news is that our support has already made an incredible difference to the school. Not only do the 120 pupils now have the essential school books they need, their teachers are being paid a living wage, the classrooms have proper roofs and essential facilities such as toilets have been vastly improved. The big aim for this year is to build an additional classroom on top of the original building, which will be large enough to double as a school hall – essential for holding school assemblies in the rainy season!
Of course Hotwire is not the first company to reinvest some of the fruits of its success into charitable efforts – and within the tech industry in particular there are some notable efforts from some big brands, for instance the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation which donated more than $3bn in 2009. We don’t claim to have that kind of cash going spare(!), but whatever industry you’re in, and no matter what the financial climate, it’s important to remember that a little support can go a very long way. At times it can be hard to see beyond the next media briefing or client meeting – but there’s a big wide world outside the agency walls, and if we’re fortunate enough to be able to help, we should do it gladly.
