|
The World Food Dinner
A Fearless Planet Fundraising Event
Held February 5th, 2005
At the Home of Danielle and Stuart Gold
In Paradise Valley, Arizona
Update April 2005
Many Thanks to all
those who supported Fearless Planet by attending the
World Food Dinner, or sent us a donation. Your gift
to the project came just as it was needed, and has
been put to use immediately, enabling women in Ghana
to receive training and employment, improving the
quality of life for these women and their families.
I returned from
Ghana on April 1st, after an exciting and productive trip. As you
may have noticed, I was finally able to deposit your
checks, as we have just received our certificate of
incorporation as a non-profit organization. Any
donations you have made or plan to make in the
future to Fearless Planet are tax deductible.
The Event - February 2005
This fundraising dinner was intended as an enjoyable
way to draw attention to our relationship to other
people in the context of the global distribution of
resources. There were three different dining
experiences: a few fortunate
 diners found themselves
feasting by candle light on meat and fine wine
served by a waiter, others ate a hearty family-style
meal, while the majority of diners, reflecting the
world’s population, filled their bowl with rice and
beans. It was the luck of the draw on this night…
Guests were invited to the World Food Dinner to
support a partnership that enables African women who
sew and dye fabric, to produce beautiful hand-batiked
yoga mat bags, lap-top cases, and other products
that people can utilize. The revenues from the sale
of these products will support a revolving business
loan program for women, and those loans will be
administered by a small but successful women’s
credit union which in addition will provide business
training, literacy classes, and financial planning
advice and support.
The proceeds from the World Food Dinner, which came
from donations from over 100 people, will assist
Fearless Planet in adding two new programs to our
current production project:
 In March, Danielle Gold, founder and Director of
Fearless Planet, will go to Ghana to establish a
batik workshop in which batik artists from Elmina
will work with more highly skilled batik artists
from Ghana’s capital city, Accra. The intention of
the workshop is for the Elmina women to develop
their own designs to be used in production of
Fearless Planet merchandise. This will enable an
even larger portion of revenues to remain in the
Elmina community and also allow us to control stock
and price fluctuations more effectively.
The second program to be initiated in March involves
supporting the expansion of the Progressive Women’s
Credit Union, assisting them in opening a branch in
Elmina in order to better serve the women of that
community, who will, through the activities of
Fearless Planet and ORT’s project there, be
increasing their financial capacity, which in turn
will generate new opportunities for the women,
children and men of Elmina. The Credit Union will
help the women to harness the power of their
increased incomes.
 The World Food Dinner was a successful and enjoyable
event, including a sampling of Ghanaian dishes
prepared by Grace Kyei, hors d’oeuvres and a four
course meal for the gourmet dinner table prepared
and donated by chef Oya Hentz, Amazing Persian rice
dishes by Nika Ramsey, which made eating on the
floor out of a bowl an enjoyable experience, and
great pasta dishes from Pasta Pomodoro. Hand crafted
ceramic bowls made by California potter, Jonathan
Wagner, for the occasion, were well appreciated and
purchased by many of the guests as a remembrance of
the evening and its message of world partnership and
human compassion. And all this accompanied by
African drumming!
Back to top of page
|
