Virtual Auction to Help Girls in Tanzania Uncategorized by Sonya Bernard-Hollins - April 27, 2021April 27, 20210 TASTE OF THE WORLD TO RAISE $10,000 FOR GIRLS ON TWO CONTINENTS! KALAMAZOO (MICH.) – When Colleagues International passed the Taste of the World fund-raising event to the Merze Tate Explorers, the pandemic hit. Not only were the plans for a fundraiser canceled, so was their study abroad to South Africa. A year later, a Zoom relationship with girls in Mwanza, Tanzania has allowed the organization to bring the Taste of the World virtually with a new twist. The event will include a virtual auction that highlights the wears created in partnership with the students of WoteSawa Domestic Workers, the Explorers, and local businesses. The goal is to raise $10,000 for scholarships for girls in Tanzania and for Explorers! The Explorers raised $1,000 during a recent fundraiser to send a girl in Tanzania to school for a year. The virtual auction will provide funds for her to complete her education along with funds for other girls! Her Elizabeth says goodbye to her friends as she heads to school. Images provided by WoteSawa Domestic Workers Organization and may not be used without permission. “We all miss the opportunity of tasting the amazing foods that represented cultures around the world,” said Sonya Bernard-Hollins, founder of the Explorers. “But, the pandemic has made everyone more creative. Not only did we bond virtually with the girls in Tanzania, but their desires to help one another has led to what may be the world’s first international girl-led scholarship fundraiser.” A student of WoteSawa Domestic Workers Organization poses with items she helped create for the virtual auction! Funds raised will help support her and other students who desire an education. Images provided by WoteSawa Domestic Workers Organization and may not be used without permission. The Taste of the World Virtual Auction will be held 7 a.m. May 1- 7 p.m May 7th on 32auction.com/Explorers. Each bidder will have the opportunity to selected from 40 amazing packages that include everything from a virtual wine class for a group to a pinata, handmade table mats, and dinner at local restaurants. Each of the 40 items will be coupled with one of the many authentically-made wine bottle covers, reversible aprons, skirts, purses, and more, created by the girls in Tanzania. Sierra takes photos of the Explorers who pose with the items created by the girls in Tanzania. The Explorers will use the images to create a commercial to highlight the partnership and the scholarship efforts. “We have been so thrilled to partner with Merze Tate Explorers through the years, connecting these amazing young Kalamazoo women with people from around the world in exchange,” said Jodi Michaels, executive director of Colleagues International. “We are excited to see where the Explorers take Taste of the World, an event we hosted for several years at the Expo Center. Seeing Wotesawa in Tanzania and the Explorers work together for scholarships on both sides of the ocean is an inspiration and we are honored to have brought them together!” Members of the Merze Tate Explorers planned how the virtual event would take place, created a media trailer to highlight the event, and led a photo shoot of the items modeled by Explorers. Elizabeth threads her sewing machine in preparation for a table mat she will create. Images provided by WoteSawa Domestic Workers Organization and may not be used without permission. “We are changing lives,” said Sierra Ward, president of the Explorers Youth Board. “When we first met with them, we wondered what we could do for them. We provided a scholarship for one student. Then, they shared with us what they could create with a foot-operated sewing machine. We were impressed. Now, we are working together to provide scholarships for each other!” The Merze Tate Explorers was founded in 2008 as a Saturday program for girls in grades 4th-12th. Today, the nonprofit organization continues to serve youth on Saturdays, however, has expanded to include a summer college academy, study abroad, and career exploration.
