Hello to my fellow artists!

I want to invite you to donate an item to an online auction I am putting together to raise funds for Zion Children’s Orphanage (ZCO), an NGO in Uganda that  I’ve been supporting  for several years. They’re really good people doing necessary and difficult work in a very challenging place governed by a malevolent dictator. Earlier this month, Alex Ssebakiwa, the director and founder, got sick with COVID and his friends took him to the hospital. Long story short, he thankfully survived but was left with a $4700 hospital bill.  In Uganda, they will not discharge you until the bill is paid. We received a loan for half of that amount and Alex was able to negotiate his release – being able to leave but without any of his papers or phone, which was held as collateral until the rest is paid.  It’s a pretty grim situation and the children they are caring for are suffering as a result.

I am putting together on online auction on www.betterworld.org.   I want to raise enough money to pay the hospital bill and hopefully more, since they are not receiving the support they did before the pandemic hit and they have great needs to keep the children sheltered, fed and educated. Their website is https://www.zionchildrensorphanageug.org/ if you want to see what they are doing. I know there are a lot of scams emanating from Africa and I can assure you that I was able to check this organization and the people out and know for sure they are legitimate and doing profound work in their impoverished community.

If you are able and willing to donate, here is a form for donating an item to it: http://zco.betterworld.org/donate-an-item. Once you write the description, you can click on the box to the right and add more info, a price and photos. A gift certificate is fine, in which case be sure to list your website. Please let me know if you  need any help with this. You can also email me at janae@organicattire.com and send me the info and photos if that is easier for you.

This auction is open to people in the USA and we will ask that you mail the item to the winner after the auction closes. I will establish that date once I have gathered enough items.

Please let me know if you have any questions. And please pass this on to your artist friends.

Thanks so much!
With love,
Janae Stephens
Organic Attire
Willits, CA