Mumbai, February 10, 2017: Entrepreneur and philanthropist Christel DeHaan will be on an 8 day visit to India to assess progress and expand the efforts of her charity, Christel House, in transforming the lives of impoverished children in India. During her visit, she will be meeting with industry partners and government officials to discuss the success of Christel House schools in Karnataka and Maharashtra and the partnership with the Government of Chhattisgarh.
Speaking about her visit, Christel DeHaan, said, “Our primary goal is to provide children from the most underprivileged sections of society with the education and values that will enable them to become economically independent and productive. We have had much success in India but more remains to be done. I am hopeful that likeminded colleagues from the industry and government will join us in breaking the cycle of poverty in India through education.”
The Christel House is the only charity in India that completes the cycle by taking children in kindergarten, providing them education till Class XII, mentoring them through post-secondary education and finally placing them in the workforce.
Christel House was established in India in 2001 and since has set up a school in Bangalore that serves more than 1,100 children annually and a school in Lavasa with nearly 400 students. In addition, Christel House has partnered with the Naya Raipur Development Authority (NRDA) in establishing a third centre that is currently serving children in grades kindergarten through two. The charity is eager to collaborate with others and share its experience educating impoverished children in India.
“We celebrate our children’s determination and courage. They are breaking through the barriers of poverty to build new and better lives for themselves and their families. They are our heroes and role models for others to follow,” added DeHaan, who has a simple philosophy—to care, to share and to make a difference.
A proponent of social responsibility, Christel founded Christel House International in 1998 as a way to deploy her resources and business skills to cause transformation and inter generational change. An efficacy study conducted by Deloitte finds that a student starting in kindergarten at Christel House India is eight times more likely to successfully complete the grade 12 pre-university examination and 19 times more likely to graduate from a tertiary education program when compared to a government school student.
As co-founder of RCI, DeHaan is widely known for her contributions to the travel and tourism industry. Under her leadership, RCI grew into a global enterprise with 68 offices in 38 countries, serving 2.2 million members around the world. She sold RCI in 1996, and since that time has devoted her time, energy and financial resources to philanthropy.
Christel is driven by a passion for excellence, and as a result Christel House is widely recognized as a charity operating with the highest degree of accountability, transparency and effectiveness. In addition to her work and devotion to Christel House, she serves on numerous boards that encompass her dedication to education, the arts, and helping others. She is the recipient of dozens of awards that recognize her leadership both in business and philanthropy, and holds three honorary doctorate degrees.
About Christel House International
The mission of Christel House is to transform the lives of impoverished children around the world—breaking the cycle of poverty and building self-sufficient, contributing members of society. A focus on academic excellence through a robust K–12 curriculum is combined with a strong character development program to give students the skills and competencies necessary to compete successfully in complex 21st Century society.
Much more than a school, Christel House was established in 1998 by Founder and CEO Christel DeHaan, and currently serves nearly 4,100 impoverished children through seven learning centers—located in India, Mexico, South Africa and the U.S.A. Christel House students maintain a 98% graduation exam pass rate, and the majority of its graduates go on to pursue higher education. They become productive citizens, and many secure employment with top multinational corporations. Christel House graduates are confident, hardworking, responsible and ethical, with a passion for giving back to their communities and caring for their families.
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About RCI
RCI is the worldwide leader in vacation exchange with approximately 4,300 affiliated resorts in more than 100 countries. RCI pioneered the concept of vacation exchange in 1974, offering members increased flexibility and versatility with their vacation ownership experience. Today, through the RCI Weeks® program, the week-for-week exchange system, and the RCI Points® program, the industry’s first global points-based exchange system, RCI provides flexible vacation options to its 3.8 million RCI subscribing members each year. RCI’s luxury exchange program, The Registry Collection® program, is the world’s largest program of its kind with approximately 200 affiliated properties either accessible for exchange or under development on six continents. RCI is part of Wyndham Destination Network and the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands (NYSE: WYN). For additional information visit ourmedia center or rciaffiliates.com. RCI also can be found on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.