According to the President of Save the Children, Italy, Claudio Tesauro, “There are 15,000 children below four years old who live in Za’atari and have never seen anything beyond the desolation of this camp. Since 2014, Save the Children is here with Bvlgari to guarantee a place where, every day, these children can grow up learning and playing in a positive and stimulating environment.“
The results are tangible. “The Early Learning Centres Bvlgari supports have enriched children’s lives in so many ways,” says Rania Malki, CEO of Save the Children, Jordan. “They are the founding stone to proper child development and a prosperous future.”
Tesauro points out little Khaled, who he says “strengthened his self-esteem and today dreams of becoming an inventor to build a wheelchair for his brother who can’t walk. Khaled and the children I have met here are the future of Syria.“
Za’atari is the largest Syrian refugee camp in the region which was established in 2012 to temporarily host the Syrian refugees fleeing the violence of civil war. Today it is a city of prefabricated buildings covering an area of 5.2 square kilometres, and with a population of almost 80,000 people. This means that children below the age of four make up nearly 20% of the camp’s population.
Given the magnitude of this situation, Bvlgari CEO Jean-Christophe Babin joined a field visit to the camp to see for himself the fruits of Bvlgari’s commitment. After which, Babin said: “I’m very proud that as a private company, and with the support of our 5,000 passionate collaborators worldwide, we contribute financially to these major initiatives which have a game-changing impact on so many precious lives.“
He then added: “Up to today, Bvlgari has donated $3.7 million and I’m very honoured to announce that this contribution won’t stop as we are planning to invest over one million in 2018. Kids are the real gems of mankind, and their smiles and dreams provide Bvlgari with an ultimate sense of purpose.”
The Bvlgari and Save the Children partnership began in 2009. They have thus far raised $80 million which “have been invested in 100 projects in 33 countries, reaching more than one million at-risk children and youth through education, emergency response, poverty reduction, and youth empowerment programs;” according to the brand. These funds are raised by the sale of Bvlgari’s ‘Save the Children’ jewellery collection, whereby $100 from every item sold is given to Save the Children charity.
