What happens when an iconic jewellery brand champions the world’s most disadvantaged children? Six years ago, Bulgari embarked upon a mission to find out, announcing that 100 USD from every sale of their 510 USD custom-designed ‘Save the Children’ Bulgari rings would go to support the international organisation Save the Children. In 2014, a new 510 USD pendant was added to the jewellery collection, cementing the collaboration between the two. In addition, Bulgari announced its decision to pledge a million Euros towards tackling child mortality rates.
The impact of this partnership between fashion and philanthropy has been staggering. Supported by Hollywood stars like Ben Stiller and Adrien Brody, both of whom have visited Bulgari-funded community programmes that promote education for children, the initiative has gained traction amongst celebrities and normal civilians alike. Better yet, it is creating hopeful futures for children around the world.
Nowhere is this better illustrated than at the Zaatari camp in Jordan. Home to more than 80,000 Syrian refugees fleeing their country’s brutal civil war, the sprawling refugee camp is now Jordan’s fourth largest city – and home to thousands of families suffering daily hardship. For many children trapped in a cycle of poverty, it’s the lack of normalcy and control in their lives that can prove most damaging. Bulgari and Save the Children, determined to provide outlets that allow these children to flourish, have set up three kindergartens that encourage structured learning. In these safe spaces, children participate in thematic play and educational activities, overseen by qualified Jordanian and Syrian staff. In short, they are given the freedom to just be children. A full cycle of the programme lasts for 4 months and has the capacity for 2,000 pupils.
“These efforts are built around a philosophy that children are not necessarily passive victims,” said Mohamad Al Asmar, Director of Media, Communications and Advocacy for Save the Children International. “Much can be done by working with them in constructive ways, drawing on their own resilience and on the strengths and assets of their communities.”
“Luxury brands like Bulgari are associated with creativity and I think the support to such programmes for kindergarten children can also transcend the creativity to such places at the very basic level in a very different yet unique way, where children can see colour and beauty rather than just desert sand,” he continues.
Naturally, Al Asmar sees the alliance as being beneficial for all those involved. From a marketing perspective, he says, it builds brand awareness in less privileged communities who otherwise wouldn’t know of luxury brands like Bulgari. “It delivers change and ensures positive impact on children's lives, links global companies with local ordinary people in a very different way than the ‘consumer-based’ model and relationship.” So on a more profound level, the work achieved by Save the Children and Bulgari’s partnership delivers significant change to vulnerable communities.
“It does make a difference to children’s lives,” Al Asmar says, emphatically. “We hope that our joint efforts will contribute to ‘saving’ a potential scenario where children of Syria are at risk of becoming ‘a lost generation.’”
WHAT Bulgari Save the Children
SINCE 2009
WHERE Aid goes to 23 countries, including Jordan
WHY With 35 million USD cumulatively raised so far through the sale of the B.zero1 ring and necklace, the partnership between Save the Children and Bulgari has already helped transform the lives of 700,000 children via much needed education and humanitarian programmes.
