Thank You for a Successful 2017 African Family Night

The African Mission Committee is most grateful to all who made donations by November 5, 2017 and to all others who have pledged support during the fall fundraising season. With your help, Westminster has exceeded its $10,000 fundraising goal for African Family Night. The more than $11,000 raised will support the Westminster projects in Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Thank you! For the first time an African Family Night program: featured speakers from Asia, collected donations for survivors of a disastrous mudslide in Sierra Leone (one of most deadly African mudslides in decades), and raised enough money to fund fully three of the 11 Hope Mission School orphans until they graduate from high school. In addition, the African Mission Committee used the weekend to expand the distribution of menstrual hygiene kits in developing countries. Our Speakers We were honored to have the following people speaking during African Family Night: JB Hoover, Executive Director of American Friends of ARI; Kathy Froede, in charge of Ecumenical Relations for ARI; Acivo Rhako, 2000 graduate of ARI from India and meal service manager They described the Asian Rural Institute’s unique training program. During our Second Hour discussion on Sunday, they elaborated on how ARI has trained rural leaders, and particularly women, to empower marginalized groups and to use local resources. While in Albany, our ARI guests participated in a “MoonCatcher Sewing Bee (a MoonBee) to make menstrual hygiene kits to help girls in Africa. When they return to ARI in Japan, they will take back materials and instructions to help their participants learn to make menstrual hygiene kits for use by girls in countries located in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Westminster is hosting a MoonBee on November 18, 10 a.m. – 12 noon. Fundraising Projects Our 2017 fundraisers, when combined with the Westminster African Mission budget and a Presbyterian Women’s Thank Offering Grant, are supporting the following projects: Ghana Projects, $9,000 Ebola Orphans, $9,550 at Hope Mission and in Freetown; Liberia & Sierra Leone, $10,000 for Hope Mission scholarships and school support; relief for mudslide victims in Freetown Specific projects to be funded with funds raised for the dinner hosted on November 4, 2017 include: More than $5,000 – The Hope Mission School in Liberia for the full care of 11 Ebola orphans and for 50 school scholarships. About $6,300 will be put towards the following projects: Help pay for food delivered 4 times a year to orphans at the M.O.M. orphanage in Freetown. Send items valued at more than $1,500 to survivors of the devastating August 14 mudslide in Sierra Leone. These items include 40 MoonCatchers’ Menstrual Hygiene Kits for girls, more than 100 Church World Service (CWS)-style hygiene kits, gently used blankets and clothes, and school supply kits for teachers. Help a teenage mother who lost both arms in a truck-related accident. She is a former Presbyterian Church of Ghana vocational student. Address emergency needs at the Hope Mission School. Thank You! The African Mission Committee leaders spoke at the African Family Night program, Gabriel Ofori-Okai (born in Ghana), Fatmata Hilton (born in Sierra Leone), and Felicia Kollie-Gambles (born in Liberia) and expressed gratitude for working to make this event successful and for the continued support of our African Mission Ministries. Save the Date Our next event, the African Spring Dinner, will be held on March 24, 2018. For the latest information, view our website at http://www.wpcalbany.org/world.