Time To Give
Basel, Switzerland, April 2007 – Beginning in 2007, the Timex Group opened a new Swiss-based company to handle its global Guess and Guess Collection watch and jewelry businesses.
The new company, named Sequel AG, signifies the second chapter in its history with the Guess brand. Cindy Livingston, President and CEO, Sequel AG, said, “We have been given the opportunity to enhance our mission statement by adding the element of charitable giving to our overall efforts. We have an opportunity to expand upon all of the positive elements that have made our company and our brands respected around the world.”
The tagline, “Faces to Watch” was introduced in 2005 as the marketing handle for the Guess Global Model Search. The success of this tagline has led Sequel to recognize the many ways that this line can be interpreted – for example – identifying break-through watch design (Faces to Watch), and recognizing people inside and outside of the company who go the extra mile for the Guess Watch business (Faces to Watch).
As stated above, with respect to enhancing the mission statement, “Faces to Watch – Time to Give” has been selected as the theme for all of Sequel’s global charitable activities. These activities will be directed by a committee of seven business partners throughout the world who will be responsible for selecting a different charity each year that will support the health, education, and welfare of children around the world.
First in a series, Sequel and its partners have chosen Safe House Ethiopia as their initial charitable project.
Safe House Ethiopia (a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization) was founded in 2006 by Victor Ozeri for the purpose of educating, liberating, and healing children in the city of Addis Ababa. The children of Ethiopia customarily quit school by the second grade and are sent out to “work” in order to help their families. Work in Ethiopia for children consists of begging on the streets 12 hours a day. A child doing this can earn about $12 a month. This $12 makes the difference between a family eating one or two meals a day. Unfortunately, this also means that the child will remain uneducated and continues the unbroken chain of poverty that has gone on in this part of the world for many years.
One hundred children ranging in age from 4 to 17, ninety percent girls, are currently provided a secure refuge from the city streets of Addis Ababa. At the Safe House Ethiopia shelter, the children that come malnourished, uneducated, and with only the clothes on their back, are immediately enrolled in private school, given 3 meals a day, new clothing, tutoring after school, self-esteem classes, computer training, recreation, and direct financial support to their families, thus allowing the children to attend school.
The goal for Sequel AG is to raise funds through events with their partners, distributors, manufacturers, and their employees – to build a permanent gated compound in the heart of Addis Ababa for Safe House Ethiopia. This facility will serve over 300 of the poorest children, as well as facilitating many hundred more with school sponsorships. One hundred percent of the charitable donations go directly to serving the program. Employees within Sequel and their distributorship community, along with their partners and outside benefactors will have the opportunity to virtually adopt children served by Safe House Ethiopia. You will be able to visit your virtually-adopted child over the Internet and witness first-hand, the difference you will make in this child’s life over the years. www.safehouseethiopia.org.
As part of its global fundraising effort, Guess Watches will launch a limited-edition “Time to Give” watch inspired by their African “On The Wild Side” fashion theme for Fall 2007. A portion of the proceeds of the sale of this watch will go directly to help fund the Safe House Ethiopia project.
Cindy Livingston said, “Sponsoring Safe House Ethiopia is all about emotionally and spiritually giving back to those less fortunate, and allowing our employees and partners around the world to connect to a child, to save a life, and to make a difference.”
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