Food and Photographs will be the theme for Foundation Rwanda’s Evening of Food & Fotos LA. Foundation Rwanda & La Brea Bakery will host an evening of award-winning photography combined with fine cuisine from some of LA’s top chefs like Suzanne Goin of AOC and Dahlia Narvaez of Mozza to support women and children affected by the 1994 genocide. The first annual LA Food & Fotos event will take place at The Paley Center for Media on April 7th, 2011 from 6 pm – 10 pm. The evening will feature food extravaganza, you’ll get to taste and sip on some of the leading chefs’ and mixologists’ creations. And tequila will be abundant as well as 901 Silver Tequila is one of the sponsors.
Intended Consequences Exhibit
Art for activism will be shown including the Intended Consequences Exhibit of portraits and testimonies from Rwanda by Newsweek photojournalist Jonathan Torgovnik. The exhibition, underwritten by CBS, will be on view at The Paley Center for Media gallery March 2 – May 1, 2011. The event will also include an auction of high-end culinary items and entertainment and sports experiences. All proceeds raised from the evening will benefit Foundation Rwanda to help sponsor education for 1500 children in Rwanda. Check out photos from last year’s Food & Fotos NY.
Why Rwanda?
Between April and June of 1994, Rwanda endured Africa’s worst genocide in modern times. It resulted in the brutal massacre of over 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus — as well as brutal rapes leading to the birth of an estimated 20,000 children. These children represent the hope and future of Rwanda. All proceeds from An Evening of Food & Fotos benefit Foundation Rwanda to sponsor the secondary school education for these children and to help provide medical and psychological support and income generating opportunities for their mothers.
What is Foundation Rwanda
In February 2006, photojournalist Jonathan Torgovnik traveled to East Africa on behalf of Newsweek magazine to work on a story about HIV/AIDS. While there, he met Margaret, a Rwandan survivor who was brutally raped during the genocide, became pregnant, and contracted HIV. This horrific story led Torgovnik to embark on a photography project to document and tell the stories of 40 women like Margaret. He learned an estimated 20,000 children were born from rape during the genocide and repeatedly heard that their mothers are unable to afford the secondary school fees to keep their children in school. Deeply affected by the ongoing consequences of the genocide and the challenges these women and children face daily, Torgovnik joined with Jules Shell to create Foundation Rwanda.
When Chef Gabe Thompson and Pastry Chef Katherine Thompson, (dell’anima, L’Artusi & Anfora) heard about Foundation Rwanda’s efforts to support the education of children affected by the genocide and help empower their mothers, they rolled up their sleeves and offered to help the best way they knew how– by cooking for a good cause! Foundation Rwanda: An Evening of Food & Fotos was their idea and launched in 2010 in New York thanks to the goodwill and generosity of over 30 acclaimed NYC restaurants and specialty shops, a wide array of talented photographers, and a small army of amazing volunteers. Foundation Rwanda: An Evening of Food & Fotos is an annual event in LA in the spring and NY in the Fall.
Joseline Ingabire (37, HIV+), with her daughter Leah Batamuliza (11) Gishari, Rwanda.
Why help Foundation Rwanda?
There are 20,000 good reasons. An estimated 20,000 children were born as a result of sexual violence during the Rwandan genocide. Due to the stigma associated with rape and HIV/AIDS, these children and their mothers have been severely marginalized by their communities and are not actively seeking help. Their mothers live in extreme poverty and do not have the means to pay their children’s school fees. Foundation Rwanda was established to improve the lives of these children by 1) providing funding for their secondary school education, 2) linking their mothers to income generating activities and psychological and medical services, and 3) raising awareness about the consequences of genocide and sexual violence through photography and new media. This event is to help sponsor secondary school education for this generation of children who represent the hope for a better future.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
VIP Hour 6:00 – 7:00 pm
*VIP film screening at 6:20 pm w/ live auction of luxury food, entertainment and sports experiences at 8 pm.
Includes vip access to cuisine, silent auction, champagne and exclusive gift bag
VIP Ticket: $350
*Sponsors 1 child for 1 year of school
General Admission 7:00 – 10:00 pm
General Ticket: $125.00 in advance
*$150.00 when purchased at the door
To purchase tickets or for more info on the event, click HERE.
To learn more about Foundation Rwanda and other ways you can help, click HERE.
Photo Credits: Jonathan Torgovnik/Foundation Rwanda
