On Saturday evening at The Prairie Cafe in Middleton, Wisconsin over 100 people gathered to support Roots Ethiopia’s commitment to job creation in Ethiopia. Artful Giving included art created by women in support of women. Proceeds from the event benefited SHE which currently provides market jobs to over 200 people in rural Ethiopia! The evening was an enormous success with many pieces of art being sold and proceeds going to our work.
The main words used to describe the evening were connected and empowered. Old and new friends of Roots Ethiopia had a lovely time admiring and purchasing the artwork that linked the attendees to the lives of rural Ethiopian women.
The crowd was treated to luxury chocolate donated by Vosges Chocolates out of Chicago!
A traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony was also part of the evening!
In order to get a true feel for the intimacy and power of the evening, you need to hear from the artists themselves. Read what each of them had to say, and then enjoy some more pictures from the lovely night!
“I am grateful and elated to have the chance to empower women through my art jewelry and S.H.E.. I love the idea of women empowering women!” Chris Callahan, CMC Studio
“To bear witness to life in Ethiopia and be able to express it through my art has been an honor. It is my intention to share parts of what I have witnessed and experienced in Ethiopia and be able to empower women through S.H.E. With every brush stroke, I was connecting to a country I love, the birthplace of my daughter, to our Ethiopian family and to the vulnerabilities that exist in their community with the hope of being apart of a solution to ending poverty. This series of art emerged after traveling to Ethiopia to work with Roots Ethiopia’s school enrichment project. Some pieces speak to a different aspect of life and culture in Ethiopia, while other pieces were an expression of the hope I held onto during our adoption process and the same hope I witnessed while visiting Ethiopia.” Jennifer Rikkers, Jennifer Rikkers Art
“As a photographer, my inspiration happens at the same time the photograph is made. One memory I have is of a woman sharing that she was unwelcome in her community when she was homeless and without a job. Now that she has her own shop selling things, she is welcomed and included once again. When I took her picture, she was serving us injera with such beaming pride, it was a moment that made me realize that it was her own work that saved her life.” Lauren Werner, Lauren Werner Photography
$27/month sponsors one small business for an Ethiopian woman. These grants are intended to alleviate poverty by empowering families to develop the means to generate sustainable income, year after year.
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