The 55th annual International Bazaar is being held at LuxExpo in Luxembourg-Kirchberg this week-end.

An event that is usually held over the last week-end in November or the first in December, it traditionally signals the start of the lead-up to Christmas, in conjunction with the opening of the Christmas Markets in Luxembourg city centre.

On Saturday, HRH Prince Louis and Princess Tessy arrived as the official representatives of the Grand Ducal family. With the new President of the International Bazaar, Erika Ehrhard, on the front steps to meet them along with Mars di Bartholomeo, President of the Chambre de Deputés, and Sam Tanson, Alderman at the Ville de Luxembourg, those in the royal cortege were excused the extra security at the entrance applied this year in the wake of the recent Paris terrorist attacks.

Whether by design or by coincidence, they bumped into Prime Minister Xavier Bettel who was on his way out of the Bazaar as they were going in; they stopped for a minute with the PM delighted to tell the Prince and Princess of his purchases. After all, the International Bazaar is a meeting place and not just where one can go to sample the cultures of so many of the world's countries under one roof.

Slovakia was the first port of call, where the Princess chatted with representatives - both young and old - of that stand decked out in traditional costume, fresh from a musica and dance routine, by purchasing a couple of trinkets. Next stop was Burundi where both the Prince and Princess tasted some of the local fare cooked up by the country's food stand.

After being introduced to members of the organising committee, they then made their way around the halls, stopping at Israel, Greece (where the Princess showed keen interest in the jewellery), France (where she tried on various scarves before deciding one particular design) and Peru, with a number of other stands also on the schedule.

With the event annually raising around €600,000 for charity (this year the organisation supprted 98 charities in total), it relies so much on the time and generosist of the various stand committees - this year there are 75 stands representing 61 countries, with Croatia and Ukraine the two newest additions this year.

Most of the beneficiaries are organisations in Asia, Africa and Latin America, but European and Luxembourgish charities will benefit too. In addition, in 2015 the Bazaar donated €15,000 to support the victims of the earthquake in Nepal as well as €15,000 each to refugee camps in Jordan and Syria. The International Bazaar’s aim is to fight against poverty throughout the world. Priority is given to women, children and families. The support is wide ranging: schooling, professional training, social re-integration, medical care and training of local medical staff, etc. Two charities from the list of 98 were identified as particularly deserving of more financial aid.

The principal charity for 2015 is “Bienvenue Shelter for Migrant Women and their Children” (www.bienvenueshelter.org.sa) run by a religious congregation in South Africa. The shelter cares for destitute women and children, who are victims of forced displacement, having fled the war in the Congo or elsewhere.  The Bazaar will finance in part the cost of schooling and professional training for a year.

The second project “Child Action Nepal” (www.childactionnepal.org.ok) is that of a British organisation which runs two orphanages in Nepal. Aid from the International Bazaar will help fund the running costs for one house for a year. Support will also be given to four charities based in Luxembourg: Service de consultation et d’aide psychomotrice (SCAP), Strassen; Conseil national des femmes du Luxembourg (Foyer pour femmes en détresse), Luxembourg; Rééducation précoce – Hëllef fir de Puppelchen asbl, Strassen; and Mouvement ATD Quart Monde, Luxembourg. 15 other projects in developing countries run by Luxembourg organisations will also receive funds from the Bazaar. They include, inter alia, Fondation Follereau and Solidarité Afrique in Burkina Faso; Enfants de l’Espoir in Colombia; Verein Future for Kids in Rwanda; MPG Responsibilty Now asbl in Thailand; and Together for Children in Mexico.

Photos by Geoff Thompson

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