Variety Cruises will collaborate with the Explorers Club to improve education in Lamin Koto, Gambia.
The partnership aims to innovate and expand the Lamin Koto school, transforming it into a model for education in the region. The company launched the Gambian village school in 2011 to make education more accessible in remote areas. Variety Cruises has supported this initiative ever since.
As part of the school's expansion, Variety Cares transformed an abandoned building into a museum called "Rose Museum," named after its founder Triantafyllos Venetopoulos, whose first name means "rose" in Greek.
The museum will display significant objects donated by the Explorers Club, such as items that have participated in space excursions with NASA. Other educational materials include maps, books, and compasses donated to the museum from various sources, including Variety Cruise customers.
Constantine Venetopoulos, Brand Director of Variety Cruises, stated: “Being able to showcase historically significant objects, including components of NASA spacecraft, to our visitors and customers is truly in line with our organization’s values. Our goal is to create a cultural exchange between our guests and the communities we visit, and we are incredibly grateful to the Explorers Club for their generosity and support in helping us achieve our goal of truly going the extra mile with our small-boat adventures.”
Richard Garriott, president of the Explorers Club, stated: “We were inspired to join forces with Variety Cruises to work towards our goals of promoting the scientific exploration of land, sea, air and space through research and education, and our projects are geared towards fulfilling that mission.”
The Rose Museum will be inaugurated during the seven-day West African Rivers cruise, departing on December 23, 2023.
