[ADVERTORIAL]

Giving comes in many forms, and in this end-of-year-season spirit, Braun Büffel held a charity golf drive on October 19 at the Mines Resort and Golf CLub, in benefit of UNICEF.

Good weather marked the start of the day for the approximately 100 high net-worth participants, with a strong tee-off led by Mr SS Chiang, chairman of Lianbee-Jeco, licensee company for Braun Büffel. The golfers, which included notable comedian Harith Iskander, are from varying industries, but come together in sharing Braun Büffel’s ideals on education. Afterwards, lunch was hosted by Yvonne Lee, emcee, entrepreneur and former Miss World Malaysia (2012), where Harith entertained guests with a hilarious segment of standup comedy, and winners of the tournament were announced.

Braun Büffel CSR Initiatives In Support of UNICEF

Overall, the event raised a total of RM130,000 all of which will be donated to UNICEF, in support of the non-profit organisation’s South East Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM) Assessment Programme. Braun Büffel Malaysia took on the initiative to support SEA-PLM, a learning assessment developed specifically for the Southeast Asian region, in order to convene, unite and strengthen the advocacy for equal education opportunities for all children and youth in Malaysia who have no access to education.

The belief held at Braun Büffel is that in order to be ready for the future, new generations of leaders, entrepreneurs and bright young minds must be prepared with a solid foundation in education and hence, the charity golf drive is not the first CSR initiative to bring awareness to the UNICEF SEA-PLM. This past August saw the launch of the Büffel Art Project in Malaysia, in conjunction with Braun Büffel’s own 130th anniversary of fine leather craftsmanship.

Held between August 30 to September 3, the launch had the support of six local arts and entrepreneurial personalities: graffiti artist Kenji Chai, fashion designer Silas Liew, Broadway actress Atilia Haron, former Miss Malaysia Deborah Henry, tattoo artist Lynda Chean and singer-songwriter Elizabeth Tan. During this time, the Büffel Art Project also introduced the Büffel Art Competition, where aspiring local artists and students from schools across Malaysia took part in designing their own Büffel figurine. Participants were required to  create their designs with an ‘education’ theme in mind during an on-the-spot, four-hours competition.

“No child should be told or feel that education is a privilege nor a far-fetched dream,” said Christiane Brunk, Managing Director of Braun Büffel Europe and great-granddaughter of founder, Johann Braun, when speaking at the August launch of the Büffel Art Project.

“Braun Büffel is committed towards our partnership with UNICEF in championing for education equity for all children. As a responsible and privileged society, we must work together and never inhibit a child’s future.”

Braun Büffel’s philosophy on preparing the new generations stem perhaps from the house’s own venerable history of passing the finer skills and sharp business acumen from one generation to the next. The house was started in 1887 by master saddler and upholster Johann Braun  from Kirn, Germany, which was then expanded into a larger enterprise by his son Alois Braun, who led the house throughout the ups and downs during World War II. With refined technical craftsmanship skills, the house entered the hands of the third-generation under stewardship of Hans-Werner Braun. The beloved Braun Büffel buffalo symbol that we know today was introduced by his brother, Karl Heinz, who is also Christiane Brunk’s father.

Visit Braun Büffel for more on their latest collections. For more on the UNICEF SEA-PLM Assesment Programme, click here.