Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of Hublot, and Yann Borgstedt, founder of Smiling Children, today announced their partnership: the watch manufacturer has committed to support the projects of the Foundation, whose objective is to help young girls and women in Morocco and Afghanistan. In the presence of Cherie Blair, patron of the Foundation, renowned lawyer and specialist in the defence of human rights, they explained what has brought them together and how Hublot contributes to the work of Smiling Children. On this occasion, Mr Biver unveiled a new Big Bang, a special 38 mm diameter design, part of the sale revenues of which will be donated to the Foundation.
The reason behind Hublot’s commitment
The watchmaking brand has always manifested great interest in the defence of children, and regularly takes part in initiatives dedicated to their protection through its own MDM ("Hand in Hand") Foundation. Sharing and sense of humanity are important values for Hublot. By associating with the Smiling Children Foundation, the Swiss watchmaker wants to contribute to restoring justice for girls in countries where attending school is difficult. More broadly, he wants to take part in the fight against child labour and support school reintegration. With regard to disadvantaged women who have not had access to education, the aim is to help them acquire training which will enable them to have a job and a stable income. Mr Biver is delighted that Hublot supports Smiling Children and explained: “In real terms, each watch sold will make it possible to finance one girl’s schooling for a whole year".
The Smiling Children Foundation
This is a non-profit-making foundation, based in Switzerland, which was created in 2005. Through its “young maids” sponsoring programme, it works to reunite with their families young Moroccan girls who were uprooted from their homes to become servants, and reintegrate them into the school system. In parallel, the foundation campaigns to make the local population aware of this problem. In Morocco, there are 30,000 young girls between 6 and 12 years of age, from poor families in rural areas, who are "recruited" to become physical or moral slaves — and sometimes even prostitutes — in the cities.
In Afghanistan, the majority of schoolchildren are boys because education for girls was forbidden for seven years by the Talibans. The Foundation has begun the rehabilitation and development of a school for 7000 Afghan girls aged from 6 to 18 years, with support from the government, Cherie Blair and the British Council.
www.smilingchildren.org
The Big Bang Smiling Children
On the occasion of this partnership, Hublot has created the first 38 mm diameter Big Bang, to suit the slender wrist. Its design includes the Big Bang features characteristic of this model, while its diamond-set bezel and the sober dial embody femininity. The seconds hand with its purple colour, which stands out among the harmony of whites, is reminiscent of the Foundation colour, whose logo is engraved on the back of the watch.
Press release
