Massimo Amato, vice-president of the Bazar International, appeared on the Sam Steen Show to discuss the charities supported by this year's edition of the popular event.
RTL Today and Today Radio are once again teaming up with the Bazar International, and to mark the occasion, their vice-president Massimo Amato dropped by the studio to discuss the Bazar's charitable work.
This year, the Bazar International is supporting a whopping 48 charities, spread across 7 areas in line with the United Nations' sustainable development goals. Organisers have opted to concentrate on charities which aim to fight poverty and hunger, as well as ensuring healthcare, quality education, gender equality and decent work conditions. The Bazar carries out extensive due diligence when selecting charities, choosing experienced organisations with a consolidated track record, and follows up individual projects to ensure donations are put to good use.
On Tuesday, Massimo chose to focus on the 15 educational charities benefiting from the Bazar's support this year, as these charities will receive the largest allocation of funds. The Bazar is also supporting 13 charities in the childcare sector, 12 in social insertion and poverty relief, and 8 in healthcare.
Education is the "top priority", Massimo said, explaining that developing countries in particular cannot achieve sustainable long term development without proper infrastructure and education. He chose to highlight two charities based in Uganda which demonstrate this policy. The first, Ray of Light in the Dark, is a school for 50 blind pupils, who would otherwise fall by the wayside in their homes due to lack of provision. The Bazar's donations help to fund a full year of the school's running costs, including room and board for the pupils.
The second Uganda charity is a Dutch NGO focusing on teaching literacy to children in rural areas. In addition to providing teaching staff, the charity also supports children without family or the means to buy school equipment. The programme helps 30 schools over a period of 3 years, and splits funding between the charity, the schools and local government.
The third charity runs a training programme in Laos aimed at teaching young people cooking skills, among others, with a view to helping them obtain jobs in the country's developing tourist industry.
Last year, the Bazar counted over 40,000 visitors and raised hundreds of thousands of euros for charity once running costs had been deducted from the total. This year's edition kicks off on Friday, the 24 November and lasts through until Sunday 26 November.
If you're interested in volunteering at the Bazar, or want to find out more about this year's chosen charities, visit the Bazar International website for more information.
Listen to the full interview here or catch up with other episodes of the Sam Steen Show on RTL Play:
