A fun-filled afternoon at the Christmas Charity Bazaar
On a bright Sunday (November 24) by the sea, the Spa Ceylon International Christmas Charity Bazaar 2019 took place at the Galle Face Hotel. Long queues of eager shoppers waited their turn to go into a hall which had stalls from around the world offering products that aren’t usually available in Sri Lanka. All with the intention of supporting those who need a helping hand.
With more than 22 countries represented, the stalls run by charity and non-governmental organizations as well, such as E.A.S.E Foundation, International Expatriate Association of Colombo and United Nations Women’s Group, had something for everyone.
So popular was the Japanese stall, that it was sold out before 2 p.m. with all the snacks and most of the products quickly gone. Other countries represented in the three separate halls were Pakistan, USA, Bangladesh, Italy, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, UK, Indonesia, India, Australia and New Zealand, Vietnam, Maldives, Czech Republic, South Africa, Spain, Malaysia and Russia.
France stood out with a gorgeous gingerbread house that attracted much attention. The stall also had banana chocolate muffins, cards, candy and much more. “This Christmas tree was made by the children of the French school and as you can see it is sustainable,” President of the group, Annie Foray said.
“We are selling handicrafts made by the three charities that we support, like the Nuffield School for the Deaf and Blind,” said Linda Madanayake of the UK stall, talking of the British Welfare Group’s charity work. The stall showcased mahogany products as well as bonbons, and chocolates and candies.
“We are from the Turkish embassy and we bring all our traditional items, mostly handmade like the blue tile,’’ said Ahu Emine. The jewellery and bracelets were beautiful and intricate, and their Turkish delight was so popular that it sold out quite fast.
“Salvage is almost 10 years old, and it basically uses waste and creates accessories so we use everything from bottle caps, magazines, fabric and leather waste from factories,” says Subha Grassi, about Salvage, that had a beautiful stall full of unique waste made products. “The waste we get is turned into accessories by women in communities who don’t have jobs or don’t have access to jobs. Now they can stay home to look after their kids while working. From the profits that we make we donate to charities that otherwise would not get funding,” she added. They also work with kids who are HIV positive.
Nimi Amarasuriya is the founder of Shakthi, Make a Difference, that empowers women by giving them work and helping them to support themselves. Nimi also teaches the women how to make bags with handloom and beeralu. Kujileni Pathmarasa who was at the stall was deeply grateful to Nimi for helping her with her education, as she is now doing her Master’s degree.
It was clear that visitors had a great time at the Spa Ceylon International Christmas Charity Bazaar, not only shopping and enjoying a variety of international items, but also helping many a good cause.