Abigail Bachopi, Director of Family of Hope Services, accepting a cheque from Luc De Smet, Vice President Manufacturing, Africa, for Laurelton Diamonds

“We are so grateful for Laurelton’s faith in us and for their continued support”, says Abigail Bachopi, Founder and Director of Family of Hope Services.  “Without your donations we could not have built our new centre in Havana and continue to educate and feed so many disadvantaged children.  We want to thank you from the community at large and in particular on behalf of the children at FHS who benefit directly.”

This third donation from Laurelton Reign Diamonds will be used for Family of Hope Services’ solar project.  The long-term goal of Family of Hope Services – the ‘Little Charity That Could’ – is to become self-sufficient.  The solar project will not only allow them to function primarily off-grid, but it will allow them to rent re-chargeable batteries to people within the community to use for lighting at night and to charge their cell phones.

Laurelton’s two previous donations of N$250,000 ($35,000 US) made it possible for Family of Hope Services to build the new Centre in Havana, Katutura.  The money was used to clear and fence the land, and to build two additional classrooms by connecting four stacked container units with brick rooms.  Family of Hope Services was also able to build a kitchen and can now support 500 children at their new location.

Left to right: Mike Bergkoetter, Vice President of Supply Chain and Operations, Tiffany & Co., and Andy Hart, Senior Vice President, Diamonds and Gemstones with Tiffany & Co. and President of their subsidiary, Laurelton Diamonds, on tour of the new centre with Abigail Bachopi, Director of Family of Hope Services.

At the small ceremony that was coordinated at the Laurelton Reign Diamonds factory to hand over the cheque, Johan Du Preez, Plant Director, talked about how the company believes in giving back to the community in which they do business and about the good long-term relationship established with Family of Hope Services.

In addition to the large cheques that Laurelton Reign Diamonds has handed over to Family of Hope Services over the years, they also donate food on a weekly basis, they donated interlocks for the new centre, and the management staff sponsor a child.

Luc De Smet, the Vice President of Manufacturing for Africa, and his wife, Danette Jaeb, also donate all of the marketing materials for the charity and sponsor a number of children.

Johan Du Preez and his wife, Christine Du Preez, donate clothing to the centre.

Siobhan Zollner, Manager – Executive Administration for Tiffany & Co., organizes and sends boxes of clothing and school supplies to the centre every year, and a number of Tiffany & Co. staff and board members also support through sponsorship and donations.

For more information contact:  Abigail Bachopi – Director@familyofhopeservices.org