‘Helping the needy, alleviating their difficulties’

The 53rd Seoul International Women’s Association (SIWA) annual charity bazaar was held at Lotte Hotel in Seoul on Nov. 9, 2015 on the theme of “Share Culture, Share Love and Share Life.” It is one of the largest charitable events in Korea, which is participated in by the embassies in Seoul, women’s clubs, welfare organizations and local businesses as sponsors. They sold products, food and cultural goods from all over the world and the raised funds are donated to Korean charities.

“I would like to express my deep appreciation to all of you and especially to the SIWA Bazaar Committee for organizing this fund-raising event for the benefit of needy people in Korea,” said Mrs. Amal Lahlou, chairperson of the Ambassadors Spouses Association in Seoul (ASAS), in an interview with The Korea Post. (See excerpts from the speech at the end of this Report.)
The visitors to the SIWA bazaar enjoyed themselves shopping unique products displayed by a total of some 40-plus countries of the world, sampling international foods, watching cultural performances and costumes and winning raffle prizes. Admission was free. Representatives from the embassies sold goods and foods from their home countries and donated the proceeds to local Korean charities. The goods sold for the charity purposes included Christmas items, handicrafts, kitchen and other household goods, cosmetics, tea and various other goods.
The SIWA Bazaar, which started at 10 a.m. and ran through 3 p.m. this year was the 53rd since it had its inaugural event in 1962. The money accrued from charity event is given to a total of over 20 benefit organizations and events for the needy.

Excerpts from the speech of Mrs. Lahlou, chairperson of ASAS:
It is my great honor and privilege to speak on behalf of the Ambassadors’ spouses association in Seoul called ASAS.
I would like to express my deep appreciation to all of you and especially to the SIWA Bazaar Committee for organizing this fund-raising event for the benefit of the needy people in Korea.
Today, thanks to SIWA, we are once again gathering here for the same goal: contributing to help the needy people and trying to alleviate their difficult plight because we believe that each human being deserves to live in dignity.
SIWA Bazaar is also an opportunity to strengthen our friendship, to know each other better and to learn from each other so that we can conduct our activities and fulfill our noble objectives in the best way.
I'm sure everyone will do one’s best to raise as much fund as possible in order to allow SIWA to help in a significant way the people in need.
While wishing everybody good luck, I would like to thank you most sincerely for your valuable contribution.