A Decade of Youth Empowerment Deserves to be Celebrated: May 18th New York City Gala will Benefit the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village in Rwanda
NEW YORK (PRWEB) May 04, 2017 -- The Stand Up & Be Counted Gala will be held at Gotham Hall on Thursday, May 18, to celebrate its 10-year anniversary. The Gala benefits the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village (ASYV), a residential community designed to nurture the country’s orphans in the wake of the Rwandan Genocide.
Agahozo-Shalom is a 144-acre residential community in Rwanda committed to healing and nurturing vulnerable youths impacted by the Rwandan 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. It seeks to transform lives and grow its residents into self-sufficient and engaged global change makers.
“We are so grateful for all those who make Agahozo-Shalom possible,” said executive director Jean-Claude Nkulikiyimfura. “They give hope, joy and progress to children who faced poverty, neglect and abuse. Students graduate as balanced adults who are not only able to care for themselves and their families, but who are committed to making their community, their country, and their world a better place.”
Conceived by the late Anne Heyman, a well-known philanthropist and native of South Africa, ASYV was modeled after the way Israel cared for orphans after the Holocaust. It provides a safe and loving community as a backdrop for educational, healthcare and enrichment programs – all designed to help residents grow emotionally and intellectually.
The ASYV is a place where "tears are dried" (signified by the Kinyarwanda word "agahozo") and students can live in peace (from the Hebrew "shalom"). In addition to healing oneself, Agahozo-Shalom teaches the principle and practice of healing one's community, and encourages students to mend the world around them.
Today ASYV is operating at a capacity of 525 students, distributed over four grades and has alumni spread throughout the world, including in the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, and many others.
To purchase Gala tickets and to learn more about ASYV, click here.
Thor Harris, Percepture, +1 (800) 707-9190 Ext: 800, [email protected]
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