THE ASHE FOUNDATION - SHOES FOR AFRICA
AIDS has already orphaned more than 11 million African children, half of whom are between the ages of 10 and 14. According to UNICEF’s report “Africa’s Orphaned Generations,” even without HIV/AIDS the percentage of children who are orphans would be significantly higher in sub-Saharan Africa than in other regions of the world. Because of HIV/AIDS, the number of orphans is now increasing exponentially rather than declining. Number of orphans due to AIDS, alive in 2007 for South Africa was 1,400,000; Uganda 1,200,000; Nigeria 1,200,000; Zimbabwe 1,000,000; Tanzania 970,000; Ethiopia 650,000; Zambia 600,000; Malawi 560,000; Côte d'Ivoire 420,000.
In March of 2008, CEO and Founder Dion Fearon received an email that included the photo of a pair of feet wearing "plastic bottle flip flops". After several months of being haunted by the heart wrenching image, Miss Fearon was compelled to take action. She pledged to collect one (1) million pairs of shoes and distribute them to the underprivileged children and adults in Africa. So with that, The ASHÉ Foundation was born. ASHÉ, also spelled "Ase", "Axe" or "Ache", is a Yoruba word which means "the power to make things happen".
Through the efforts of The ASHÉ Foundation, a non profit organization committed to changing the lives of the millions of children in African nations who have been orphaned by the devastating effects caused by HIV/AIDS, the foundation gathers and distributes shoes, clothing, other necessities and services to aid the disadvantaged and underprivileged children of African nations.
Four programs are being birth under the foundation; Shoes for Africa, It Takes a Village – Sponsor a Child, The Road to Success – Build a School and “The Power to Make Things Happen” Scholarship Program. Currently, The ASHÉ Foundation’s primary program Shoes for Africa, focuses on collecting and distributing pairs of new or gently worn shoes and basic living necessities to those most in need throughout the African continent.
Over the course of the next 5 to 10 years, it is the plan of the foundation to collect and distribute shoes, clothing and basic living necessities for 10 to 20 countries of the African continent. The foundation’s first stop on a world changing mission was South Africa and Maputo, Mozambique in January 2009 where 3500 pairs of shoes were distributed to a crowd of 7000. Needles to say, it was not enough. It is the foundation’s plan to raise and distribute 4,000 pairs of shoes, clothing and soccer equipment to an orphanage in Cote d’Ivorie in August 2009 and 10,000 pairs of shoes on the next trip to Maputo, Mozambique scheduled for January 2010.
As a newly developed nonprofit organization, only through charitable donations, materialistic and financial sponsorship will these world changing programs be sustainable. In late 2010, we will begin implementing our 10 state tour project. This project will focus on 10 of the largest cities within states as such; California, Washington, Illinois, Georgia, Florida, New York, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Ohio, and Mississippi to collect shoes, clothing and sponsorship for the Shoes for Africa program. Further fundraising events, sponsorships and grants are being pursued to help with the cost of shipping the goods to these countries as well as purchasing needed material to be shipped. Through sponsorship, The ASHÉ Foundation promises to pledge the following for the term of sponsorship with the foundation:
· Acknowledgement at all annual banquets, events, public appearance, etc.
· Logo recognition on all printed promotional materials and slide presentations
· Complimentary table and VIP seating at all banquets and events
· Your company’s logo and link on our website
· Acknowledgement in e-communications and all email correspondence
· Featured in all press release and thank you notices
· Corporate banner displayed at all major events
· Acknowledgement on the official annual T-shirt
· Full cover ad in all event programs
Further terms are negotionable. Many have joined us in becoming Ambassdors for our Shoes for Africa program helping us to change the world two feet at a time.
In March of 2008, CEO and Founder Dion Fearon received an email that included the photo of a pair of feet wearing "plastic bottle flip flops". After several months of being haunted by the heart wrenching image, Miss Fearon was compelled to take action. She pledged to collect one (1) million pairs of shoes and distribute them to the underprivileged children and adults in Africa. So with that, The ASHÉ Foundation was born. ASHÉ, also spelled "Ase", "Axe" or "Ache", is a Yoruba word which means "the power to make things happen".
Through the efforts of The ASHÉ Foundation, a non profit organization committed to changing the lives of the millions of children in African nations who have been orphaned by the devastating effects caused by HIV/AIDS, the foundation gathers and distributes shoes, clothing, other necessities and services to aid the disadvantaged and underprivileged children of African nations.
Four programs are being birth under the foundation; Shoes for Africa, It Takes a Village – Sponsor a Child, The Road to Success – Build a School and “The Power to Make Things Happen” Scholarship Program. Currently, The ASHÉ Foundation’s primary program Shoes for Africa, focuses on collecting and distributing pairs of new or gently worn shoes and basic living necessities to those most in need throughout the African continent.
Over the course of the next 5 to 10 years, it is the plan of the foundation to collect and distribute shoes, clothing and basic living necessities for 10 to 20 countries of the African continent. The foundation’s first stop on a world changing mission was South Africa and Maputo, Mozambique in January 2009 where 3500 pairs of shoes were distributed to a crowd of 7000. Needles to say, it was not enough. It is the foundation’s plan to raise and distribute 4,000 pairs of shoes, clothing and soccer equipment to an orphanage in Cote d’Ivorie in August 2009 and 10,000 pairs of shoes on the next trip to Maputo, Mozambique scheduled for January 2010.
As a newly developed nonprofit organization, only through charitable donations, materialistic and financial sponsorship will these world changing programs be sustainable. In late 2010, we will begin implementing our 10 state tour project. This project will focus on 10 of the largest cities within states as such; California, Washington, Illinois, Georgia, Florida, New York, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Ohio, and Mississippi to collect shoes, clothing and sponsorship for the Shoes for Africa program. Further fundraising events, sponsorships and grants are being pursued to help with the cost of shipping the goods to these countries as well as purchasing needed material to be shipped. Through sponsorship, The ASHÉ Foundation promises to pledge the following for the term of sponsorship with the foundation:
· Acknowledgement at all annual banquets, events, public appearance, etc.
· Logo recognition on all printed promotional materials and slide presentations
· Complimentary table and VIP seating at all banquets and events
· Your company’s logo and link on our website
· Acknowledgement in e-communications and all email correspondence
· Featured in all press release and thank you notices
· Corporate banner displayed at all major events
· Acknowledgement on the official annual T-shirt
· Full cover ad in all event programs
Further terms are negotionable. Many have joined us in becoming Ambassdors for our Shoes for Africa program helping us to change the world two feet at a time.
