A Christmas Market for hope: Honoring the memory of Jan and Oscar through education projects

Dear Champiteans,

This year, our Christmas market, which will take place on 18, 19 and 20 December in the garden of the Villa des Sciences, has a goal that is particularly close to our hearts: to raise funds to support the Jan & Oscar Foundation, created by Laurence Pian, the mother of one of our students who suffered a great tragedy in 2004. Her son Jan, who attended Champittet, and his brother Oscar lost their lives in the Asian tsunami. Rather than give in to her grief, she chose to turn it into strength by helping other children.

The Jan & Oscar Foundation supports educational projects in Thailand, a country that attracts many tourists but where some regions are very poor. Thanks to the foundation, schools are built, and scholarships are offered to Thai pupils to give them access to a better education.  The school community has supported Laurence's work ever since, through the Collège Champittet Foundation. Humanitarian trips are organised for our students, who discover this country by taking part in practical projects. Enriched by this experience, they grow to become better citizens of the world.

Every day from 1 to 20 December, an Advent calendar will be displayed in both Secondary and Primary Schools, featuring a picture of the journey of the surviving brother, Lennart, who is now an adult, in search of meaning. This 4-month motorbike journey from Switzerland to Thailand will culminate in a commemoration on 26 December. Our thoughts will be with Jan, Oscar, their family and all the victims of this natural disaster.

Thank you all for your generosity and commitment!