If there is one gift that everyone is given, it is the hope that there is still tomorrow. And that's the basic belief that L'Oreal Thailand's ``Beautiful Tomorrows'' programme is based on.
The programme is designed to help vulnerable people, especially women, improve their living standards and gain a standing in society, thus forging social equity and promoting sustainable living through a career in beauty for self-sufficiency. It also provides moral support for those women to regain hope and confidence to rebuild their lives.
What participants of L’Oreal’s ‘‘Beautiful Tomorrows’’ learn today will help them stand on their own feet in the future. On-the-job training in a make-up course is the best way to gain knowledge.
``L'Oreal's principle in CSR is to give to society what we strongly believe in and what we do best. That is why with `Beautiful Tomorrows' we give the know-how of `beauty' which is both our passion and our expertise,'' said Sduppin Kamnuanthip, director of corporate communications, L'Oreal Thailand.
In its first year of operation in 2011, 10 women living in emergency shelters were selected to receive scholarships for training with a leading hair dressing institute in Thailand.
The project was met with great success, inspiring a second year espousing the same principles but taken to a bigger scale in the face of the worst flood crisis Thailand has encountered in 50 years. The second year of ``Beautiful Tomorrows'', which took place in June 2012, was a part of a long-term post-flood relief measure to help rebuild the lives of 120 women affected by floods by providing them with career building skills.
Eighty women were trained in basic hairdressing and 40 in professional make-up courses. Two top students _ one each from the two courses _ are offered a month's on-the-job training with Kraiwit Bhumsukho, a leading hair stylist, and Kamol Chatsen, a front row make-up artist. After the training, the hair stylists and make-up artists were given the chance to showcase their new skills on Public Service Day at the National Housing Authority Community, Klong 6 Rangsit, in Pathum Thani where they groomed women from the community.
L'Oreal, although already a successful brand and organisation in itself, enjoyed the accolade of recognition from Enterprise Asia, a non-government regional organisation that honours businesses that promote empowerment of communities or individuals that suffer social discrimination.
What participants of L’Oreal’s ‘‘Beautiful Tomorrows’’ learn today will help them stand on their own feet in the future. On-the-job training in a make-up course is the best way to gain knowledge.
What participants of L’Oreal’s ‘‘Beautiful Tomorrows’’ learn today will help them stand on their own feet in the future. On-the-job training in a make-up course is the best way to gain knowledge.
The ``Beautiful Tomorrows'' programme also received the Asia Responsible Entrepreneurship Awards-South East Asia in the Social Empowerment Category for L'Oreal Thailand's contribution to society in July 2012.
The project also gives L'Oreal and its project partners' employees a chance to contribute to society. Hairdressers from Matrix and makeup artists from Maybelline New York volunteered as teacher assistants at hairdressing and makeup courses. L'Oreal's accounts team volunteered to help guide the students on ``Basic Accounting'' so they can take care of their income and plan their spending wisely. Its customer service trainer volunteered to guide the students on manners and tips on how to impress clients. The firm's employees volunteered to be models for the students to demonstrate their hairdressing and makeup skills on graduation day.
The effectiveness of this collaborative effort results in ``Beautiful Tomorrows'' for those on the giving and the receiving ends.
``We have been talking to a number of students after they graduated, and are very glad to hear that they are now providing make-up as an additional service in hair salons, and thus earning better incomes,'' Ms Sduppin said. ``One of the students will soon be starting her internship with Matrix artistic director Kraiwit Bhumsukho in his new salon ``Sukho'' in the Esplanade,'' she added.
Building on the success of its two consecutive years of tangible results from the project, L'Oreal is at present in discussion with its existing and potential partners on opportunities to embed sustainability to the programme by planning to establish a school and develop more in-depth courses for students.
The company is now aiming to offer opportunities to 100 less fortunate woman per year to create a sustainable livelihood. Start-up funds will soon be provided for top students to assist them in starting their own business, as L'Oreal believes that continued empowerment of these women in need will help solve inequality in Thai society and contribute to bringing both social and economic sustainability to the country.
``Beauty can give you confidence and self esteem. Beauty can help open doors of opportunity. Beauty can help make problems seem lighter. Beauty can be a source of income for you and your family, a career you build your life with,'' the director said.
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