COTTO – HABITAT

End of year 2009, COTTO, with cooperation from Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project: Build Home 2009 by Habitat for Humanity Foundation and volunteers around the world, built 82 houses for 82 Piemsuk Community (or Nhong Gon Kru Village, former name) in Amphur Sansai, Chiang Mai. COTTO also offered its sanitary wares and faucets for the project. This is considered one of many useful activities that help develop people's life quality and give them a chance to have their own houses. The project also celebrated the auspicious occasion of His Majesty the King's 82th birthday.

To further this project for better, more beautiful, and more sanitary houses, this year, COTTO has launched a new project: 'COTTO – HABITAT: Better Bathroom Better Life 2010,' led by the executive team and employees of COTTO, along with the house owners. The project has tiled bathrooms for every house in 82 Piemsuk Community which is previously untiled last year. The tile installation took almost two months. The result is not only the better life quality of local people due to the sanitary bathrooms, but also the knowledge of tile installation the house owners can apply or use for their future careers.

Mr. Thanit Ratananen, Marketing Director, Thai Ceramic Co., Ltd, manufacturer and distributor of COTTO tiles, said that "As a leader of construction material market, especially tiles, sanitary wares and faucets, plus the objectives of Habitat for Humanity Foundation conform with COTTO's CSR activities, and we see that this project would improve life quality and environment by building houses and creating a good community, thus, COTTO and Jimmy &Rosalynn Carter Work Project: Build Home 2009 by Habitat for Humanity Foundation have together built 82 houses last year. However, those houses are still untiled, so this year COTTO has launched another project, 'COTTO – HABITAT: Better Bathroom Better Life 2010,' to improve these houses by tiling the bathrooms. We hope that this would help the local people have better living and encourage our employees to take part in this activity as volunteers."

Mr. Chusak Wuthiwaropas, Executive Director, Habitat for Humanity Foundation, mentioned the current situation of residence insufficiency problem in Thailand that "At the present time, there are around million people who do not own a house. This is considered not severe compared to other countries because there are around 10% of these people worldwide. Thailand is a society of generosity; some people allow the homeless to live with them which significantly help decrease a number of homeless people in the country; however, it leads to another problem: living tightly with many people and poor quality of living. Jimmy &Rosalynn Carter Work Project: Build Home 2009 by Habitat for Humanity Foundation has built houses for people in Nhong Gon Kru Village, Tumbol Muang Len, Amphur Sansai, Chiang Mai. Although there are as many as 82 houses, they were built with priority on environment, including wastewater treatment system, waste management, and green space. Moreover, the residents are not allowed to expand the buildings into 2-story houses or to use them as karaoke bars selling alcohol beverages.

Mr. Seeton Bualoy, a resident of 82 Piemsuk Community, said that "I make a living by selling barbecued pork. Previously, I lived with families in a house in Tha Satoy Slum, Chiang Mai. My daughter registered for a new house after she had heard about Jimmy and Rosalynn's housing project. At first, I was afraid whether I would get it or not because there are many criteria for selection, including family background, family income, participation in building, diligence, and no connection with drug. We were very happy when we knew that we were selected and would have a house soon. Our living is improved after we have moved into this house. We are even happier to hear that this year people from COTTO would come tiling our bathrooms. The villagers, with delight, also help move things and help install tiles despite the hard work. They are even more delightful when the installation is completed and that they have beautiful and sanitary bathrooms in their houses.

The offering ceremony of 'COTTO – HABITAT: Better Bathroom Better Life 2010' was held on 23rd October with the honorary presence from Mr. Thanit Ratananen, Marketing Director, Thai Ceramic Co., Ltd; Mr. Chusak Wuthiwaropas, Executive Director, Habitat for Humanity Foundation; and Mr. Noppadol Wisuthiwong, Committee Chairman of 82 Piemsuk Community, along with the volunteers and the house owners who were delightful to receive beautiful and sanitary bathrooms.