Photo: From past Wegene Foundation event. (By Tsedey Aragie/Tadias)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
October 17th, 2017
New York (TADIAS) – The Wegene Ethiopian Foundation will host its annual fundraising event this weekend with the theme “A Night of Hope” that’s scheduled to be held on Saturday, October 21st at The Waterford in Springfield, Virginia.
Wegene is celebrating its 17th anniversary this year and was established by by a group of like-minded friends in D.C. metropolitan area as a way to give back and assist “less fortunate and disadvantaged children and their families in Ethiopia.” Wegene focuses on “overcoming three critical barriers in the seemingly unbreakable poverty cycle: little or no education, poor housing, and family instability.”
Tadias had featured an interview with the foundation’s inspiring Founder, Nini Legesse, as part of our “Women’s History Month” series in 2012. Nini was one of the fourteen community leaders from the East African Diaspora that was honored at the White House as a “Champion of Change.” Nini said: I founded Wegene in 2000 with similarly inspired friends who like me had left their home country in their teenage years.”
Photos: 2015 Wegene Ethiopian Foundation Annual Fundraising Dinner (Tadias)
Nini added: “We felt morally obligated to give back. Even though my friends and I feel grateful for the security, opportunity, education and better life that we enjoy in our adoptive country, the United States, we wanted to assist those who have less opportunities in Ethiopia. The goal of Wegene is to enable hardworking, poor families to meet their daily needs and send their children to school in a sustainable way.”
The 2017 event will feature dinner, music and presentations.
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If You Go:
A Night of Hope: Wegene’s 17th Annual Fundraising Gala
Saturday, October 21 at 7:00 PM – 1:00 AM EDT
The Waterford Springfield VA
Click here for Tickets
www.wegene.org
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