FACES OF AFRICA: BENEFIT PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS OF AFRICA

A Benefit in support of the Schools of Africa Project was held on Sunday afternoon, November 17, 2013, in the beautiful Art Gallery, the Arnold Bernhard Center, at the University of Bridgeport, in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

The organizing committee consisted of eighteen women, including eight young University of Bridgeport women students, under the leadership of Ms. Atsuko Giampaoli. Of the seventy participants, seventeen were young adults, University of Bridgeport students.

The program included three speakers, three musical presentations, and a silent auction of more than one hundred and sixty one-of-a-kind items. The speakers included Mrs. Alexa Ward, WFWP International Vice President for WFWP, North America, who gave an overview of the history of WFWP; Ms. Virginia Orman, a University of Bridgeport student who participated in service activities in Swaziland, as well as in the Philippines; and Mrs. Lib Denure, the owner of the Hazel Daze Boutique in Fairfield, Connecticut, who gave a moving testimony of serving in Africa with her elder son. Music was provided by James Ramunni, Sam Orman, Elijah Whitmore, and Abraham Deshotel.

The silent auction included a remarkable collection of 50 items from Japan, Korea, and China, generously donated by Dr. Ikuko Jassey, a Japanese language professor at the University of Bridgeport; a unique collection of African masks, donated by the sister of Rev. Chris Hempowicz; fifteen items hand knit by Mrs. Marjorie Buessing; valuable pieces of art, jewelry, and household items; as well as numerous gift certificates from area businesses.

The Benefit raised $4,200, all of which will go directly to WFWP schools in Africa. It is estimated that an additional $1,000 will be raised by the end of the year. In addition, generous financial support was provided by the WFWP UN Office; WFWP Connecticut; and the Family Church of Connecticut.

The Schools of Africa Project was established in 2001, in an effort to raise money in the United States for those schools either founded by, or supported by, WFWP, International. At the present time, WFWP, International is supporting nine schools in eight countries, including the Motoko Shiroma Kindergarten and Elementary School and the Pilar Momo Kindergarten and Elementary School, both in Equatorial Guinea; the One Hope Garden Primary Education Class in Ethiopia; the Sunac Elementary School in Guinea Bissau; the New Hope Technical Institute in Rwanda; the Handow Secondary School in Kenya; the Peace Hana School in Liberia; the Sun of Mozambique Secondary School in Mozambique; the New Hope Technical Institute in Rwanda, and the Social Self-Support Assistance Center in Senegal.

An impressive total of 27,132 students have graduated from the WFWP sponsored schools since the project began in 2001.