Variety Cruises is expanding its philanthropic efforts through the Variety Cares foundation. The foundation aims to make a positive impact on the communities in the destinations visited by the cruise line. Variety Cares focuses on three key areas: Clean Seas for All, Gender Equality for All, and Education for All.
In 2011, Variety Cruises launched the Lamin Koto School in The Gambia to improve education accessibility in remote areas and enhance living conditions while respecting local traditions. The company has been supporting the school since its inception.
In 2019, a new building was inaugurated, and in 2020, a well was installed to provide clean water to the village and its surroundings. Variety Cares also partnered with Inside Out to raise awareness and support education and clean water initiatives in the area.
Despite the temporary suspension of West Africa itineraries due to the pandemic, Variety Cruises has continued to support the Lamin Koto School. As the company prepares to relaunch its West Africa routes in DEC 2023, it is collaborating with the Explorers Club to expand the school. The partnership aims to create an innovative educational prototype for the region.
Richard Garriott, the president of the Explorers Club said, “We were inspired to join forces with Variety Cruises to work towards our goals to promote scientific exploration of land, sea, air, and space through research and education, and our projects are geared towards achieving that mission.”
As part of the school's expansion, Variety Cares has transformed an abandoned building in Lamin Koto into a museum called "The Rose Museum." The museum will feature objects donated by the Explorers Club, including a piece from NASA's spaceship, a flag of the Explorers Club that went to space, and a piece of a comet, alongside maps, books, compasses, and other educational materials donated to the museum from a variety of sources, including Variety Cruise customers.
“To be able to showcase items of historic significance, including components of NASA spacecrafts, to our visitors and patrons, is truly in line with our organization’s values. We aim to create a cultural exchange between our guests and the communities we visit, and are incredibly grateful to the Explorers Club for their generosity and support in helping us achieve our goal to truly go deeper with our adventures by small boat," said Constantine Venetopoulos, Brand Manager of Variety Cruises.
The inauguration of the Rose Museum will occur on 23DEC, 2023 during the Rivers of West Africa Cruise. Attendees at the event will include Garriott, as well as Filippos Venetopoulos, CEO of Variety Cruises.
