This week on Focus Montreal: December 12

Focus Montreal introduces Montrealers to people who are shaping our community, bringing their stories into focus.

It airs on Saturday at 5:30 p.m., on Sunday at 7:30 a.m. and at midnight.

Take a look at who we’re meeting this week:

Global news reporter Aalia Adam joins us from South Africa to tell us about her experience covering Nelson Mandela’s memorial service.

Aalia’s family lives in Southern Africa, and she traveled there to be with them as the country mourned the man known as the nation’s father. During her time there she gathered in the streets with tens of thousands of South Africans in their joyous celebration of Mandela’s life and legacy and she lined up to get inside the memorial to the man who brought down apartheid.

You can see Aalia’s reports on our website and follow her on twitter @_News_monster

Alex Carruthers, Executive Director of Made in Montreal

We meet the man behind madeinmontreal.org. The website is designed to support Montreal manufacturers and it now features a map of stores across the city that feature locally made products. Carruthers explains the advantages of shopping local products, and tells us that surprisingly many locally manufactured goods are comparable in price to items made overseas. Made in Montreal has also launched a “kickstarter” campaign to try to raise funds to print their “made in montreal ” maps and distribute them across the island.

More information at www.madeinmontreal.org

Adrian and Natalie Bercovici, Generations Foundation

And we’ll urge you to get involved in our Global/Shaw Direct/MegaBloks “Holiday Heart Toy Drive” for the Generations Foundation. Adrian and Natalie Bercovici join us to explain why the campaign is so important to kids in dozens of schools across the island. The campaign aims to collect 4,000 toys to distribute to children who may otherwise receive nothing this holiday season.

You can find out how to contribute by clicking here.