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In Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, street children are thousands. 10 years ago Cesvi created for them a “House of Smiles” where they can find food, medical care, psychological assistance, education and hope for a better future.

After Maori war dance (2014), Superheroes (2015), G20 (2016), and Star Wars (2017), a new parody is in the pipeline for the corporate calendar of Logimar, a freight company based in Carobbio degli Angeli.

The calendar for 2018 is the recording room selfie of United Support Artists, the American supergroup who recorded “We are the World” in 1985, in order to raise funds to fight hunger in Africa, a continent to which Logimar is currently very committed…

After choosing the theme, it seemed normal to recreate the spirit of the team put together by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie (which included Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Ray Charles, Tina Turner, Cyndi Lauper, and Bruce Springsteen, to name but a few) in the mid-80s.

“This year, we have selected ‘We are the World’, a song that is a symbol of solidarity. We are aware that it is a small contribution,” explained Mr.  Marcello Saponaro, CEO of Logimar, “however we had no choice but to combine this imitation of USA for Africa with a similar initiative of our own: we therefore involved Cesvi, an NGO based in Bergamo, and together we decided to support the House of Smiles in Zimbabwe, a shelter for the street children of Harare, in the southern part of Africa, who have lost their parents, as a consequence of AIDS. The shelter aims to give them a place where they can have a shower, study, play, and find hope“.

Not only will Logimar support Cesvi through a bank transfer, the company will also try to involve its customers and foreign agents. 400 copies of the calendar will be distributed, together with two letters by Logimar and Cesvi, in Italian and in English, in order to explain that Logimar will double any amount donated to Cesvi, provided that the payment description of the bank transfer indicates “Logimar X Africa“.

The initiative was appreciated by Confindustria Bergamo and by the newly found association Leonardo’s Ark (Arca di Leonardo, based in Bergamo), which both granted their sponsorship.

“We set a goal of 10,000 euros,” anticipated Mr. Saponaro, “half of which will be raised among our partners and as a result of the social campaign.”

Over the years, the Logimar calendar has become a fun ritual, much awaited by customers and agents all over the world. “In 2018,” Mr. Saponaro explained, “we want to involve our foreign customers and partners, asking them to participate in the fund-raising initiative. Our suppliers, on the other hand, were asked to join the ‘We are the World 2018’ in order to be part of the picture“.

So, together with the 20 employees of Logimar, there are also the sales managers of some of the most important Shipping Companies: the Danish Safmarine, belonging to the Maersk Group (represented by Marina Bacci), the Chinese Cosco (represented by Ferruccio Bombelli), the Italian Ignazio Messina (represented by Emanuele Messina and Alessandro Rabbia), the Taiwanese Yang Ming (represented by Marco De Gaetano). And then there are customs agents (LCA from La Spezia and GST from Genoa), as well as local carriers (CDM from Gorlago and ASA Trasporti from Grassobbio).

“We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to everybody,” concluded Mr. Saponaro, “to those who accepted to join the team and pose for the photograph, spending days to get ready, pillaging the depths of their wardrobes for vintage pullovers or Mardi Gras wigs. Finally, our sincerest gratitude goes to those who will contribute with a donation to support the House of Smiles, for the children of Harare.“