Wednesday, May 22, 2013

June 1st Fundraiser for Refuge Enfants Pour Tous (REPT)

I'm sharing a missive from our neighbour, Diana Knol, and some of you may know former
Palmerston P.S. teacher Allyson Tache.
Cheers,
Vanessa

"As many of you are aware I have been involved with Refuge Enfants Pour Tous - doing charitable work in Burkina Faso for many years already. Our work through this organization is continuing and evolving…  Refuge Enfants Pour Tous (REPT) - Hounde; Souman Nafaman Orphanage; and now Building Blocks Burkina (BBB). We continue to find ways in which we can make a difference – and we would like to invite you to hear some of the stories of our evolution, celebrate some of our successes, and enable us to carry on by providing your support.
On Saturday June 1st, 2013 we will be hosting a Fundraiser at the new MEASURE Bar/Resto (formerly The Annex Live) on Brunswick Avenue. The evening will feature:
·         music by The Thin Skulls (a group of musician- lawyers who regularly donate their time & talent to support worthy charitable causes such as this one) – for your entertainment
·         an African Market –  some original textiles, beads & artifacts from West Africa will be for sale to raise funds to support our charity (cash only)
·         a Silent Auction -  including some original work by West African artists
Brigitte Roussel and Allyson Tache – the dynamic women who together form the anchor of the organization and who have the perspective from the source - will be present to discuss the ongoing work, the future plans and to answer questions.
All money raised will be used to support our initiatives in Burkina Faso which are focused on improving the lives of needy children. This is our 6th year! We have made a positive difference to the lives of dozens of Burkinabe children so far and we expect to reach thousands more through the innovative & unique Building Blocks Burkina program which we introduced last year.
For those new to our organization, some brief highlights of our activities are below:

* Refuge Enfants Pour Tous,  Hounde - fully supports 12 needy children by providing shelter, meals, education and medical care. In addition we  provide tuition fees and school supplies for 10 other children who live with their families but wouldn’t otherwise be able to go to school; infant formula for 6 orphaned babies; scholarships for 2 students at a Teacher Training College school; and financial support to a summer camp for 20 children in Hounde.
*  Souman Nafaman (Seeds of Hope) Orphanage, Bobo Dioulasso – provides shelter, meals, education, extra-curricular activities and medical care for 12 orphans.
*  Building Blocks Burkina - locally manufactures kits of building blocks (300 small blocks per kit) for use in pre-schools throughout the country and provides training for teachers on how to use the blocks in the classroom. So far 80 schools have received the kits and over 200 local educators have been trained to use them to effectively introduce and promote independent, self directed learning skills in their young students – a pedagogy which has been proven to lead to academic success. Through this program, thousands of children will develop essential cognitive skills that will enhance their learning and increase the likelihood that they will become, and remain, fully engaged students.

Please join us any time after 7:00pm on Saturday June 1st at MEASURE Bar/Resto – 296 Brunswick Avenue. (South of Bloor, between Spadina and Bathurst.)

The event will have a cover charge of $20 for adults and $10 for students.
Any additional donations will receive a tax receipt from REPT. Cash or cheques only please.
There will a cash bar, food options and an outdoor patio."

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