Inspiring News!

Ambassador Sue Hickman reports from CA:

“The Animal Party was tons of fun!  Having the little cards with each orphans' full name, village, etc.  was really nice.  Our conversation would go from talking about the VFWI trip to Malawi, then to AFA and then we would start talking about our own little universe.  Before long we were back talking about the orphans and everyone, from time to time, would look at their 'orphan card' repeating their name and once again we'd talk about the orphans, Malawi and the women there.  It was great!”

Talk about inspiring - I just came back from a Soroptimist meeting.  Carondelet High School's "S" Club has asked me to come speak to them next Tuesday about AFA and to sorta  kick them off on this project which they are really embracing.  

The inspiring part is this --- The girls are soooooo excited about making the animals for the orphans that they are putting together a fundraiser and will be selling pizzas at lunch time during Spirit Week (next week) to raise the money themselves to pay for the animals they'll make even though my Soroptimist Club said they'd pay for the cost of the animals.  The girls apparently want to 'own' this project !!!  They most likely won't raise enough to cover the total donation cost (but you never know), and my club will subsidize whatever their short-fall is - but, really ----- this is inspiring to me!!!  Credit goes to my club too and I'm very proud of them because they are advancing the 'seed' money to the girls to get them started with their pizza project!”

• Sue Hickman

  AFA Founding Ambassador since May 2011

It's Official! First "Animal Art Party" launched in Oakland

On 10/2 my friend Lauran Weinmann hosted the first “official” 

Animals for Africa Art Party, where we tested the contents of the AFA Ambassador's Kit and the AFA Creativity Kit, and made 8 new adorable animals for the children of Tukombo Village.  We also collected generous donations to support the project and its mission to benefit and empower women and children of Africa.

I have also recently received some beautiful animals direct from Africa, carried back to the Bay Area from Malawi by Masanko Banda himself- made by the lovely women of Tukombo Village, to share and sell for their initiative! I am so inspired, and there is still so much to learn!

Next on my to-do list is to get more kits together for Sue Hickman, who has been busy garnering support from her Soroptimist Club- I am also ready to make kits available to you and your friends as well...so let me know if you'd like to purchase a kit and/or host a party!

A big thank you to my friend Kathy Guziejka, who’s t-shirt printing biz, Express Shirt Printing & Embroidery gave me a big discount and quick turn around on the AFA tote bags for the kits!

And, the ongoing research and networking in multiple directions continues as I reach out to other non-profits, orgs and friends supporting women and children in Africa, including 

http://www.haloworldwide.org/ and http://www.aidtoartisans.org/, and http://www.theresafoundation.com/ (thanks Susan Turk!)

I will continue to keep you all posted as everything unfolds- exciting and moving, indeed! 

In the meantime, check out this great giraffe below, created by 

Mary Jo Nash of Oakland for 2 yr old Ester of Malawi!

With love,

Robbyn