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Posts with tag SouthAfrica

We Are Together, Charity of the Day


We Are Together
is a film about children living in the Agape orphanage in Africa. It chronicles their lives, individual personalities, and incredible journeys through life. They are also all part of a choir and have recorded an album that coincides with the film (absolutely beautiful music!), with profits from the both the film and CD going to benefit children in South Africa.

There are lots of ways to support the cause, including joining their email list (which includes getting a free music track download), donating money, or simply by purchasing the CD and watching the film (coming soon to HBO).

Nelson Mandela's 46664 Foundation, Charity of the Day

The 46664 Foundation, named after the number former South African President Nelson Mandela wore while imprisoned for 27 tears, aims to raise awareness and to educate people about the global HIV/AIDS crisis. The campaign began in 2003, when Mandela realized that to reach the youth of the world he needed to engage the support of the people who most appeal to them. Mandela, supported by Dave Stewart of Eurythmics, Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen, and Bono (natch), persuaded more than 30 of the world's top artists to come together to perform at a global awareness concert for HIV/AIDS in Cape Town.

Mandela will be 90 this year, and to celebrate, as well as to raise funds for 46664, there will be a global launch of limited-edition 46664 wrist bangles during the birthday celebrations in London on June 27. The goal is to create jobs as well as bring at least R1-billion (R=South African Rand, equal to $0.12587 on June 23) to the fight against HIV/Aids. Offered will be 90 platinum bangles (at the cost of R135 660 each), 90 24-carat gold bangles (R67 260), 466 18-carat gold bangles (R54 948) and 46,664 silver bangles (R1 995). The initiative will be a South African effort using metals from local suppliers, the skills of local craftsman and domestic suppliers from the tooling, machining and packaging industries. At least 60 percent of revenues from the sale of bangles will go to the 46664 HIV/Aids prevention campaign.

You can donate directly to 46664 here.

Russell Simmons Speaks at JCK Las Vegas on the Diamond Empowerment Fund


Greetings from the JCK Jewelry Show in Las Vegas. The show is one of the jewelry world's major events where manufacturers and wholesalers show their latest wares to retailers and industry professionals. The keynote speaker this morning was Russell Simmons, the hip hop impresario behind Def Jam Records and Baby Phat and now Simmons Jewelry and the Diamond Empowerment Fund. Simmons first became interested in the jewelry business a couple of years ago. He began thinking about jewelry when his then wife, Kimora decided it would be a good idea to make jewelry. His initial response was that he would never buy her fur coats or diamonds, two things he associated with hurt and damage to others.

He changed his mind after doing more research with the Clinton Initiative and other groups and taking his own trip to Africa where he met with Nelson Mandela and learned that while diamonds have caused a lot of pain and suffering they also can do good in the world. He found that in some areas people would starve without the sales of diamonds. This led to the formation of the Diamond Empowerment Fund. DEF works to promote higher education for Africans and so far has raised $9 million for a school in South Africa, the CIDA school which serves 3300 students, It is a four-year school,which is basically a college to teach students and send them back to the townships as teachers. It offers liberal arts education and business classes and the students do all the work at the school except teaching.

Continue reading Russell Simmons Speaks at JCK Las Vegas on the Diamond Empowerment Fund

Luxury Houses: Holiday Escapes


Hotels are fine as far as they go. For a really luxurious vacation however, renting a private house or villa is much the better choice. Of course the prices at the top-end can be astronomical. If money is no object, however, a new book called Luxury Houses: Holiday Escapes is a perfect guide to the best high-end hideaways around the globe. One of the standouts is Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld's former villa in Monaco (pictured here), which can be yours for a mere €30,000 per week. For that you get six bedrooms, panoramic views of the ocean and the mountains from an enormous terrace, a pool, Jacuzzi, game room and a tent on a private beach. The interior is described unironically as "quasi royal."

Also on display is the Birkenhead House in Hermanus, South Africa (about $7,000 per night) with eleven bedrooms and three pools, dominating a steep cliff above Walker Bay where whales frolic; and Villa Indigo in the Caribbean Sea within a protective reef in Anguilla with two pools and a private beach and sandbar, for $16,000 - $38,000 a week depending on the season; as well as dozens more ritzy rentals from ski chalets in Switzerland to modern palaces in China.

Gallery: Luxury Escapes - Villa Karl

Drawing room.Parlor.Staircase.Billiards room.View from terrace.

Winespring South Africa Tours


Combine wine with anything and it just gets better. Winespring offers two tours this November that include both wine tasting and a safari in South Africa. WineSpring -– together with Cape Town-based luxury tour company Southern Destinations – have created a tour that includes the presence of award-winning wildlife photographer Alex Bernasconi on the photo safari part of the journey for six days in the African wilderness. The journey also includes a wine component with vineyard tours and wine-tasting exclusives at prestigious wineries like Vilafonté, Raats and Lanzerac (shown above). Deluxe accommodations includes stays at Cape Grace, Sabi Sabi Lodge, Londolozi camps, and Singita Ebony Lodge. The total cost is $12,495 per person and includes accomodations, breakfasts, lunches and dinners but not airfare. The tours will be open to just eight people each time.

Singita Luxury Game Camp

If traveling to Africa to spend time with wild animals is your idea of fun, but your partner is more interested in making sure that the hotel has more than mosquito nets keeping out the wildlife, have I got the place for you. Singita is a private game reserve in South Africa that brings urbane style and plops it down in the Krueger National Park. Daily game excursions to check out the wildlife leave on your timetable and be prepared to come face to face with elephants, rhinos, and lions. Afterwards, you can lounge in private pools or get a massage, the choice is yours.

The resort is actually composed of several lodges spread out amongst the different settings of the park. The Sweni Lodge overlooks a river and is finished in dark hues and greens. The Lebombo Lodge is airy and situated on top of a rock ridge. Such variety of setting makes a trip to this Relais & Chateaux property a perfect glimpse into the different wilds of Africa.

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