A Report from the Ol Malo Trust Fund Raiser

I had the pleasure of attending a fund raising event at the Soho House in New York City this past Monday for the Ol Malo Trust, an organization set up to " to contribute to the preservation of the Samburu people in terms of qualities and health in such a way that the Samburus are independent, strong and empowered to live their lives in the way that they strongly desire and choose." I have come to know the trust's founder, Julia Francombe, through our work importing wonderful beaded products made by Samburu women in her workshop. Her workshop also supports a fantastic painting program where children create whimsical watercolors that are signed as originals and then sold to support the trust.

The trust (funded in part by the sales of the beaded goods) supports several programs in the areas of health, education, water and the arts. The event attracted a wide array of people including guests who have stayed at Ol Malo lodge, a contingent from the UK and New Yorkers who are interested in Africa. One such New Yorker (or NY transplant!) was Toby Tanser, founder of Shoe for Africa, a nonprofit that sends used shoes to people living the Kibera slum (for more on the slum, see the "vivid example" video in our September blogs). As an organizer of the NYC marathon he has great access to whole lot of shoes and with the help of actor Anthony Edwards and his wife, Jeanine Lobell, they have sent thousands of shoes to some of Africa's neediest feet.