WHAT A DAY!
WHO’S 14TH ANNUAL SOLIDARITY FAIR
WEDNESDAY, 3 DECEMBER 2008
MARIA DWEGGAH, OMS
This year’s Solidarity Fair outdid itself. They
say a picture is worth a thousand words…
Well these pictures, courtesy of our colleagues, Junerly Agua Agum and Nep
Castillo, are worth many more. The Fair provides the opportunity for fundraising. There
were a variety of stands, most of them selling
handmade items from a number of countries to benefit specific projects, for example:
a school construction in Bobo Dioulasso; a
kindergarten in Tangeran, West Java to provide the opportunity for a good early childhood education for children; a women’s support group in Lima; children’s projects in
Tibet and Calcutta; the Ethiopian Food Appeal, established in 2002 by our UNCTAD colleague, Ms. Jo Elizabeth Butler ; Asociación SOMOS, rebuilding homes destroyed
following the 15 August 2007 earthquake in
the Ica region of Peru.
This year, we welcomed the UNWG (United Nations Women’s Guild) Hiking Group who asked to participate. Their “The Hiking Book”, a collection of their group’s favourite hikes, was a complete sell out. All profits from the sale of the book will go to the UNWG Fund for Children’s Projects.
Our special thank you goes to our colleagues who ensured the smooth running of the Fair: the security guards, the electricians, the sound technicians, the movers, the cleaners. And we must not forget our colleagues who donated, baked, cooked, and served. With out them there would be no Fair. Thank you to our «sangria» king, Xavier, and to our handcraft artist, Isabelle. And we cannot forget our Country and Western Star, Mr. Lauri Jalanti!
As this year is WHO’s 60th birthday, the Solidarity Fair Committee decided to make the day last longer by adding an extra evening event – the STAFF HOUR which was held between 17.00 and 18.00. This was a superb event with the Indonesian community providing traditional dances and music performed by the Angklung musical group. What a delectable surprise to see H.E. Mr Ambassador Pudja Wesaka, performing a Bali dance entitled «The Evolution of Creativity.»
