Tony and Maggie Rizzo, founders of the Alternative Hair Show, have announced the launch of the Alternative Hair Ethiopia Project.
The couple founded the Alternative Hair Show in 1983 following the loss of their son, Valentino, to leukaemia. The annual charity hairdressing show is now its 33rd year and continues to raise vital funds for charity. In 2012, the fundraising got a boost with the launch of Fighting Leukaemia; their own trust committed to funding charities supporting those suffering leukaemia and related cancers of the blood.
Tony has now made the decision to extend the charity’s support to Ethiopa – the country with the lowest level of health care in the world and where the survival rate of leukaemia patients is only 20%, compared to 75% in the UK.
A visit to Ethiopia was key to the new charity’s launch, and Tony and Maggie spent their time visiting schools, aid projects and hospitals in cities including Addis Ababa, Tambaro, Hawassa and Gambella.
The Alternative Hair Ethiopia Project will fund a dedicated health centre in Tambaro, including a much-needed education program.
Tony says: “The trip was an incredible experience, providing a great insight into the basic minimal needs for the people to survive. It was invaluable to see first hand the incredible work that the many aid agencies do to extend help within the region.”
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