Projects
Gala 2025
With our long-standing partner 1KOMMA7, we welcomed over 60 guests to our gala dinner in November 2025, with the aim of building a classroom with our new impact partner Tawanga’a Education.
We were delighted to have Sonya Maechler-Dent and Audrey Ricklin from Tawanga’a Education with us, and they presented the opportunity we had to make a sustainable impact for the Maasai community in Eiti village, Kenya. Esther Enuma, a Kenyan chef based in Zurich, served up a delicious Kenyan meal for the evening and our very generous donors helped to raise over CHF 30,000!
Gala 2023
In November 2023, we once again partnered with 1KOMMA7, this time to support the GATE foundation in Pokhara, Nepal. They provide hospitality education training and job placement for young people with hearing and speech impairments.
We again had over 50 guests with us for the evening, with Santosh Shah (finalist for Masterchef Professionals, UK) in the kitchen cooking up a brilliant Nepalese meal. We also had a presentation from Khem Lakai, founder and president of GATE, about the impact we could make to these young people’s lives and we were delighted to raise CHF 12,000.
Gala 2022
In October 2022, we partnered with the 1KOMMA7 grill & bar and Kinderhilfe Kekirawa in Sri Lanka. Facilitated by the German organization "Kinderhilfe Sri Lanka e.V.", our community set out to build a school building for the children of this kindergarten.
Over 50 guests joined us and they were treated to a delicious Sri Lankan meal from Marco’s talented father, and had a presentation from Ivor, the owner of the kindergarten. Donations from the night were over CHF 8000 and enabled us to start the construction.
Tawanga’a Education | Kenya
Jan 2026
Thanks to the money we raised, we didn’t just build one classroom, we built two fully furnished classrooms. The money was also used to add solar panels and electricity to five classrooms, build two teacher huts, and add gutters plus six water tanks to the schools grounds. In January 2026, Marco, Manu, Jon and Phil from the CONNOPPO team, along with some of the Tawang’a team, travelled to Kenya to attend the official opening of the classrooms.
GATE Foundation | Nepal
July 2024
Thanks to the money raised, we were able to sponsor 20 young people through their hospitality training. Once again, Marco visited our partner and had a humbling time speaking with the students and seeing the work they do.
Kinderhilfe Kekirawa | Sri Lanka
May 2023
In May 2023, the construction of the new building was completed. Our president, Marco Wijeratne, had the chance to attend the opening ceremony, and 50 additional children can now attend this kindergarten on a yearly basis.
