Livingstone holds the fourth Charity Dinner of its Foundation

On Friday, 20^th October 2023, the Livingstone Foundation held its fourth Charity Dinner in favor of the educational and health projects supported in the Luangwa Valley, Zambia, since 2014. During the dinner, which took place at the Westin Valencia Hotel, works of art donated by national and international artists were auctioned, as well as sporting goods donated by important Spanish sports clubs.

The origin of the Livingstone Partners name came from a direct connection to Dr. Livingstone, the first English explorer to discover Victoria falls dividing Zimbabwe and Zambia. Inspired by this connection, the Livingstone Foundation was created in 2014 by Livingstone Partners and led by one of its partners, Neil Collen, to help address the educational and health challenges suffered by many children in Zambia. Specifically, the Foundation decided to focus its efforts on the most rural and remote areas of the Luangwa Valley in Zambia. Livingstone Partners remains the cornerstone supporter of the Foundation, although it now raises donations from a range of sources and individuals.

The Foundation has built and refurbished two schools and financed teaching personnel and materials, where now approximately 1,000 children study. With a sponsorship program, supported by families from all over Europe and the USA, it sponsors the most economically disadvantaged but academically bright children, so that they can access secondary school and even university. It has built 12 wells with its own funds and the support of CIS and Renoveduch, two companies that are friends of the Foundation. It runs the Edulution mathematics program, sponsored by Livingstone Partners International, and supports a further two important projects in the area: Chikowa, a vocational school, and Chipembele, an NGO for the care of and coexistence with the wildlife of the area.

In addition, as of this year, Livingstone Partners International has initiated a volunteer program through which its employees can travel to the region and, working with Chipembele and Project Luangwa, teach students leaving for University. The program has proven extremely successful in helping students from such a poor, rural area prepare for university and city life.

More than 250 people attended a fun, enjoyable and, at times, emotional evening where the generosity of the attendees made it possible to raise more than €35,000. These funds will be used to strengthen all the projects that the Foundation carries out in Zambia.

Neil Collen, chairman of the Livingstone Foundation, said: “We are overwhelmed by the response to our fourth Charity Dinner in Valencia. We are very grateful both to the companies that have collaborated with us and to the rest of the attendees who have once again shown their support for our project. We also thank the artists who selflessly donated their works for the auction and to all those people who were involved in the organization of the dinner, donating objects for the raffles, and helping in the smooth running of it. To all without exception, thank you.” He added: “The funds raised have exceeded our expectations and will allow us to continue financing the drilling of wells in villages in areas that do not have access to clean drinking water. We will also continue to make improvements to our schools to provide children and young people with an education that will give them the opportunity to better their lives and that of their community. And it’s all thanks to the generosity of our dinner attendees.”