Zonta Club of Makati holds ‘Smartshop’ at Rockwell Tent
MANILA, Philippines -With 20 years of successful bazaars behind them, members of the Zonta Club of Makati & Environs will hold their biggest annual fundraising event “Smartshop†on Sept. 21 and 22 at the Rockwell Tent in Makati.
Smartshop will present the discriminating shopper with an array of fashion and beauty products, arts and crafts, home items, healthy food items, jewelry, handbags, shoes, specialty items, and holiday décor.
This two-day event is aimed at promoting women entrepreneurship, as it brings together skilled and capable vendors, 90 percent of whom are women. In effect, women will be helping their fellow women, the disadvantaged beneficiaries of the Zonta Club of Makati, who are given free medical and dental services and taught livelihood skills prior to extending to them small loans to help them start their own micro business. This is at the club’s Center for Women Empowerment at the Centennial Village complex along C-5 in Taguig, where the club also has a DECS-accredited free preschool for children aged four to six.
In addition, the club runs a Psychological Center to rehabilitate sexually abused girls aged six to 17 at Marillac Hills in Alabang. There are an average of 250 girls in the DSWD-owned facility, with Zonta providing psychologists and trained nurses to help the girls overcome their trauma. Part of the program consists of art classes and dance therapies given by Zonta volunteers.
A new bazaar feature this year is the Art Walk, where several art galleries will each have a booth exhibiting chosen works of up-and-coming artists. National Artist BenCab has graciously agreed to have his painting reproduced to show his support of Zonta. Twenty prints of BenCab painting, owned by club past president Maritess Pineda, will be for sale. He will sign each of the prints.
