Come have a great time while supporting a great cause.
A lively dance featuring entertainment by Brodie Dawson and Friends is being held Saturday, February 6 at the Cumberland OAP Hall. The event is a fundraiser for EduAfrica, a Canadian charity launched by Courtenay resident Jean de Dieu Tuyisenge that provides education funding for African women and children.
“We are so happy to have Brodie and other local musicians being so supportive,” says Tuyisenge. “People will have a great time, and knowing that they are supporting such a good cause will also make them feel good.”
A good cause, and one that hits very close to home for Tuyisenge.
When he was just eight, Tuyisenge lost his mother, eight siblings, a leg and his innocence to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, during which more than 800,000 people were killed. From the misery of Rwandan refugee camps and a miraculous second chance at life in South Africa, to a coveted spot at Vancouver’s Simon Fraser University, Jean’s life has been marked by unimaginable suffering and steadfast resilience. A chance online encounter with a Tourism B.C. ad touting “The Best Place on Earth” brought Jean to British Columbia in 2011, where he founded EduAfrica.
The charity raises money for several education initiatives focused on African women and children left widowed or orphaned due to the genocide and HIV.
“Through funds raised by our charity, we’ve been able to pay school fees for those who don’t have the financial means to attend primary or secondary school,” explains Tuyisenge. “We’re also funding learning centres where new vocational skills are taught.”
Having just returned from a trip to Rwanda, Jean has seen first-hand the difference being made in so many lives and is looking forward to this latest fundraising effort – as are Brodie Dawson and the other the musicians involved.
“When I first met Jean last year, I was inspired by his purpose in life – educating and empowering underprivileged children and women in order to create change,” says Dawson. “Hearing what he went through as a child and seeing him flourish and succeed in this life that he’s living now has truly changed my outlook on my own life.”
For this event, Dawson will be joined by Christy Vanden, Blaine Dunaway, Mike Berman and Cam Boyce, along with other special guests throughout the night.
Tickets are $10 and are available at the door (advanced ticket sale locations TBA). Doors open at 7:30 p.m. with the dance running from around 8:00 to midnight. An adult-only event, there will be food and refreshments (including beer from Cumberland Brewing Company) available. The OAP Hall is located next to the Cumberland Museum at 2680 Dunsmuir Avenue in Cumberland.
For further information on this event, go to www.facebook.com/events/169760366718865/171782496516652.
To donate to, or learn more about, EduAfrica, visit www.edu-africa.org.
