From Langhe to Central Africa: the solidarity journey of Barolo “Ai Fondatori”

The Ai Fondatori project turns each participating bottle into a charitable contribution. Its beneficiaries were the Istituto di Candiolo for cancer research in 2024 and the Turin Federation for Rare Childhood Diseases in 2025. During a ceremony at the winery on 27 June 2026, Confederazione Parkinson Italia received €6,000.

The next phase will direct future proceeds to Carmelite Missions in the Central African Republic. Active in the country’s north-west since 1971, the missions have built more than 30 schools attended by over 7,000 children, together with hospitals, dispensaries, kindergartens, nutrition centres, wells and other community infrastructure.

Planned funding will help expand the dispensary and medical clinic in Bozoum, create spaces for malnourished children and support construction of a maternity ward. A portion will also fund the “Scholarships for Girls” initiative promoted by Bishop Aurelio Gazzera, designed to improve access to education, independence and social inclusion.

The initiative connects the Langhe with a long Piedmontese tradition of volunteering in Central Africa. Participants named in this work include Bishop Aurelio Gazzera, volunteer nurse Francesco Musso, Enrico Massone and Alessio Vada, who contribute professional skills and labour to educational, religious, water and healthcare projects.