US$1 Check out for Children

THE Sheraton Harare Hotel and Towers launched its Check out for Children programme on August 3, which is supported by all of Starwoods' (the mother company of Sheraton) non-North American properties. This programme, which is run in conjunction with UNICEF, asks every guest staying at the hotel if US$1 may be added to their bill for the project, emphasizing that this donation is entirely voluntary. Robert Scott, of the European Division of Starwood, started the programme after a visit to Ethiopia in 1995 when he became aware of the huge gulf between the children living in Addis Ababa compared with guests at the Sheraton. Since then, the Check out for Children initiative has collected over US$4,6 million (R32,2m), and Zimbabwe UNICEF representatives at the launch said it had made a huge contribution to their organisation. Due to restrictions in moving money out of Zimbabwe, Sheraton Harare will contribute its donations directly to UNICEF Zimbabwe where the money will be used specifically for children's programmes related to HIV/AIDS. UNICEF will be assisting the Sheraton with AIDS awareness in its workplace training. (Mary Ann Parker)