Khiri Reach, the charitable arm of Khiri Travel, has been active helping communities in Asia impacted by the Covid-19 crisis. Its focus has been on marginalised communities, many of them in long-standing relationships with Khiri Travel, such as local families, artisans or community-based projects that were regularly visited by tours before lockdown.

In Sri Lanka, it donated grocery packages to 250 families in Grandpass Colombo. They worked with local people, all wearing masks and practicing social distancing while distributing packages to local families. In Myanmar, the staff and local volunteer groups have been busy setting up two social enterprises: KuMel Volunteer connection and Honeybee Arts & Crafts.

The company’s Vietnam staff also donated funds to a CanCham project to purchase about 148 kg of rice to help families in Binh Tan, Hooc Mon, Cu Chi, Tan Phu and Nha Be, suburbs around Saigon where many labourers have been made unemployed. The company is supporting the Covid Relief BKK Project set up by SOS Thailand. It is providing two vans for donating deliveries to communities, homeless shelters and health care centres.

“The initial instinct of Khiri staff to Covid was to help vulnerable people in the margins of the tourism industry,” said Nia Klatte, executive director of Khiri Reach, based in Saigon.