A Costa Coffee manager with a passion for fundraising has been given the chance to visit Vietnam to see some of the work he has helped support.
Gul Kaleem, area manager for Costa’s North Scotland stores, was one of 12 team members chosen out of thousands to experience the work The Costa Foundation does to support and educate coffee-growing communities.
Gul, 46, has worked for Costa Coffee for seven years, managing 19 store managers and more than 200 team members, covering the Highlands, including Aviemore and Inverness, as well as Forres, Elgin and Aberdeen.
Collectively the North Scotland stores have helped raise more than £65,000 for the charity in five years.
In March they embarked on a five-day visit that included meeting children, parents and teachers at nursery schools in the Dak Lak province that have been built by the foundation.
They also attended the opening ceremonies of some of the newest schools built by the foundation.
Gul said: “Visiting Vietnam and seeing the amazing work of The Costa Foundation and to meet the children was an incredible experience, as the foundation makes a difference to the lives of boys and girls from a grassroots level.
Education
“I feel truly privileged to have been chosen for this trip and to be able to see how our hard work over the years is helping children in Vietnam.
“Education is one of the greatest gifts you can give to someone, as it gives people hope and the opportunity to achieve great things in life.
“I am proud to support The Costa Foundation which is making a positive contribution to coffee-growing communities globally and this visit has inspired me to fundraise even more!”
In Vietnam, children need to be able to speak Kinh, the national language, to access primary education.
The foundation funds nursery schools in these remote areas to ensure children can learn Kinh from an early age and benefit from full schooling.
Since it was established in 2007, the foundation has supported 24 nursery schools in Vietnam, with a 100% record of accomplishment of children leaving with the ability to speak Kinh.
New schools
In 2022 alone, they completed five new schools and 10 schools’ expansions, with six new schools under construction.
Two new programmes of work also started in Zambia and Ethiopia.
For 2023, seven new schools are planned for Ethiopia, Colombia, and Peru, whilst adding facilities and expanding six schools across Uganda, Zambia, and Ethiopia.
John English, community manager at Costa Coffee, who also took part in the visit said: “The Costa Foundation exists to help provide a safe and quality education for children in coffee-growing communities.
“An amazing total of £1.2 million was raised for the charity in 2022, which was made up of a combination of corporate donations, donations from product sales, and in-store fundraising activities.
“We are honoured to have been able to acknowledge the achievements and hard work of our 12 Costa Coffee’s team members by taking them on an unforgettable trip to Vietnam, where they first-hand saw the difference that they, their stores and their communities are making.”
For more information on The Costa Foundation or to donate visit the foundation’s website.
Conversation