The Face of Hope

After a bit of searching, I became aquainted with Tau Banda, a man from Malawi who now lives in Albany. Through Tau I became aware of his sister, Sekani and brother, Keni. Both siblings have dedicated their lives to working with vulnerable children. Sekani lives in Malawi and currently provides aid to about 30 children, but hopes to expand her impact to meet the growing need by starting a non-profit organization called Keen Rural Camp. To raise money she works at a sugar mill, grows and sells crops,and has even sold her own clothing to obtain the funds she needs. Keni Banda is a retired soccer coach and has begun his organization to benefit children in Malawi called the Chituka Village Project. (You can read more about his organization how to be involved here) He is working to start after-school programs in the primary schools which will encourage children to attend school, and he also collects donation of sports equipment and school supplies to give to the children.

After talking with the brothers I got a better picture of the situation these children are facing. Chituka is an area that consists of subsistence farmers and is unreached by government aid. The AIDS epidemic has devastated the local communities and has left behind numerous orphaned children. These children are in desperate need of basic necessities such as food, clothing, hygiene items and school supplies. These are things Sekani is working to provide, but with limited funds and no building from which to work, it is difficult to reach all the children who need her help.

This is how my project, The Face of Hope, was born.

Being an artist, I wanted my fundraising to include an element of visual representation that people could connect with. So in order to raise money, a 5 x 4ft canvas with a painted image of a child's face is being sent around and displayed in public areas. People can sign their name in the blank spaces on the canvas to help complete the image and are asked to donate a suggested minimum amount of $1. The ultimate goal is to collect 6,000 signatures and $6,000 to represent the fact that 6,000 children are orphaned everyday by AIDs. All the money collected will be given to Sekani to assist her outreach to children. Currently the project has raised about $1000 towards the goal, and I hope the momentum will continue.

For more information and continual updates check out: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=32561093530&ref=ts

In order to donate, checks made out to "Chituka Village Project" can be mailed to:

Hannah Walker
5 Barrington Ct
Schenectady NY 12309