Renzo Rosso, founder and president of the group otb and of Otb Foundation, e Ariadne Alessi, vice president of Otb Foundation received the award “Fashion dresses peace” 2023. The recognition is given every year by the African Fashion Gate to authoritative people who have distinguished themselves for their commitment to inclusion and the fight against discrimination and racism.
African Fashion Gate wanted to reward the president and vice president of the Otb Foundation above all for the commitment shown in supporting the Ukrainian population since the outbreak of war and for welcoming over 440 refugees in Italy.
The engagement in Ukraine
Otb Foundation promptly intervened last February and was the first to accept the appeal launched by Unhcr, the UN refugee agency, to support people and families forced to flee the country, ensuring initial financial support for almost 7.000 people . The Otb Foundation then organized buses that left Italy for Ukraine loaded with medical supplies and returned to Italy with women and minors on board, for whom accommodation was found and who were included in the reception projects of the Ministry of Internal. Overall, the foundation has welcomed in 443 Ukrainian refugees and launched the first long-term job placement project in Italy for some Ukrainian refugees in the companies of the group and in other companies in the area.
Finally, the Foundation continued to provide support to people left in Ukraine through operational partners on site, and thanks to a recent project carried out with Unhcr, it still supports the various Ukrainian refugee centers in Moldova today.
The investment dedicated to women
Alessi also turned the spotlight on the new Otb Foundation project dedicated to women, i Brave Women Awards: “Convinced that only through culture can we change women's working conditions and salaries, we have invested 550 euros in scholarships for 55 young women, deserving for their academic curriculum but in a situation of economic difficulty. Thanks to this project, they will have the opportunity to access quality education in business management and public administration at five prestigious universities in our country. Safeguarding the dignity of women, against violence in general and her empowerment is one of the pillars of the work of the Otb Foundation ”.
The comments of Renzo Rosso and Arianna Alessi
"I thank African Fashion Gate for this award, which recognizes the OTB Foundation's commitment to supporting people in difficulty, especially in times of greatest emergency - he said Red –. I have always believed in the value of giving back, the commitment to the environment, the territory and people. This is why the OTB Foundation exists: we want to help those who are most in need in a concrete way".
“We are proud of what we have done with the Foundation both for Ukrainian refugees in Italy and Moldova and for earthquake refugees in Syria and Turkey, acting in a timely and effective manner by immediately joining those who were already operating on site. I am really happy with this recognition, for which I deeply thank the team of the Foundation and African Fashion Gate who have recognized our commitment", he added Alessi.
