Over $100,000 was raised on Thursday, October 15 at the 2020 Seeds of Africa Virtual Annual Benefit streamed live on Facebook with over 1.8K views, where supporters joined online for an hour in celebration of Seeds of Africa’s Tenth Year of Empowering the African Vision. The funds raised during the event will go towards supporting the nonprofit’s education and community development programs in Adama, Ethiopia. Seeds of Africa is an education and microfinancing institution that provides small business loans to mothers to escape the cycle of poverty, while providing a free, multi-pronged school for their children.
This year’s benefit spotlighted the critical work of Seeds of Africa over the course of a decade, from humble beginnings as an after school program to a powerful education and economic development organization transforming thousands of lives in Ethiopia.
The evening livestream event featured an hour full of uplifting stories, a fireside chat with Seeds founder Atti Worku, and exclusive performances by world renowned artists Lucky Daye (US), Zeritu Kebede (ET), Langa Mavuso (ZA) and Jelani Blackman (UK) with music by DJ mOma. Sotheby’s auctioneer Michael Macaulay led a spirited Paddle Raise for sponsorship levels starting from $5,000.
In Founder and CEO Atti Worku’s fireside chat, she reminiscenced with Shawna Hamilton and Shamm Petros on how Seeds emerged and grew from serving 15 students in her mother’s backyard into the prominent NGO that serves over 350 people in Adama, Ethiopia today. Now, the work has never been more vital, yet Seeds’ existence has never been more endangered.
“Resiliency and the ability to quickly adapt and pivot with limited resources is important, but so is listening to the people you serve,” Worku remarked when speaking on Seeds of Africa’s pandemic emergency response programs this year. “Most families needed the basics; food, PPE and tools to educate their kids at home. These are things people in the US have gone through and can understand their complexities.”
