Recent News & Events
It Takes a Village
The board of Nibakure Children’s Village hosted a successful auction fundraiser in Minneapolis on November 7. More than 100 people participated in the event, titled “It Takes a Village.” The net proceeds, exceeding $10,000, will be used toward furnishing the three children’s homes now under construction.
Guests began the evening by bidding on an array of silent auction items ranging from original artwork to children’s toys and books – all while munching on delicious African finger food. A live auction followed on five major donations including a sailing excursion near the Apostle Islands and a dinner of authentic African food to be catered by our own Executive Director, Floriane Robins-Brown.
However, the highlight of the night was the generous bidding by guests not for goods and services for their own use, but to furnish the children’s homes. Motivated by Claudia Kaul’s moving description of the project and list of items needed by the children and their foster mothers, attendees pulled out their checkbooks and gave in amounts ranging up to $1,000. As a woman earnestly said when delivering her $100 check, “I want this to buy a bed for one of the mothers.”
This fundraiser was successful not only in raising money for the village homes but also in introducing new people to our project. It is always a blessing and inspiration to see the faces of those newly touched by the story and hope of Nibakure Children’s Village.
The NCV board is thankful to all who participated but wants to make special mention of these groups:
* Fladeboe Auctions (Andrew Imholte) for their skilled guidance
* Temple Israel for the use of their facility
* Mile from Mars Jazz Trio for their entertainment
* Haskell’s for their wine donation
* African Women Connect for their gracious assistance
* All other individual volunteers
* All of the generous auction donors.