We've met a ton of fascinating people since opening the gallery, many with strong ties to Africa. Stephanie Timmerman, who lives down the road in Grand Rapids,  ranks high on that list. For several weeks in 2007 and again in 2008, Stephanie taught art to young kids in Ethiopia. She is planning to return in early 2009 (with Mark, her new fiance) to reconnect with the kids who have grown to mean so much to her. One look at the contented expressions on the kids' faces as they paint and you can see why she keeps going back. In the process, the kids have created some really nice and very colorful abstract art.

 

Stephanie, a wonderful painter in her own right, is a big supporter of the Tesfa Foundation, which was founded by Minnesota native Dana Roskey in 2004 in loving memory of his late Ethiopian fiance who had died in a car accident. Since she had aspired to be a teacher, Dana traveled to Ethiopia in Jan. 2004, intending to spend six months founding an elementary school in her honor. Nearly five years later he is still there, now having opened five schools in a place where educational opportunities are extremely scarce.

 

The foundation raises money to cover the school's operating expenses as well as tuition for individual students.  Stephanie has already thrown several benefits in the Grand Rapids area to raise funds for Tefsa, during which the kids' art is for sale. We at Amazwi have also sold a few of the kids' pieces on behalf of Tefsa, and Stephanie recently dropped off more. See a sampling below. At $25-$40, these original artworks would make a great holiday gift, and you'd be supporting a very worthy cause in the process.

 

Amazwi is already paying tuition fees for one child for a year, but we would like to do more. We are hoping to host a reception in 2009, following which we will donate a percentage of sales to Tefsa. Stay tuned for more details in our next newsletter.