FAWCO member clubs are creating a varitey of amazing events that raise awareness and educate about the Target Poject Awesome Blossoms – Safe Spaces. Whether you are focused on hydroponic farms or nutrition and food security, here are three examples for inspiration. AAWE visited a strawberry hydroponic farm in Paris, AWC Amsterdam made their own speically branded bowls, and AWC The Hague hosted a Kenyan Dinner!
AAWE–Nature Urbaine (Nu-Paris) partnership supporting the FAWCO Target Project “AWESOME BLOSSOMS”
Sheila Doucet, AAWE, FAWCO Environment Team Co-Chair & Eilean Ellison, AAWE FAWCO Rep, AAWE Awesome Blossom Fundraising Team, The FAWCO Foundation Team:
What does one do with approximately10,000 strawberry plants at the end of the growing season?
On Saturday, October 28, 2023, Nu-Paris, an urban farm located on a rooftop in Paris, chose to organize a giveaway: FREE strawberry plants (just the chance to try one’s hand at overwintering a strawberry plant) while encouraging its supporters to donate to a “worthy cause” that echoes its activity – an urban farm in Nairobi: our Target Project 5 – Awesome Blossoms.
This all came about because I took a tour of Nu-Paris this summer, liked their vibe, exchanged ideas, joined their distribution list, and they circled back to me with this generous proposition. AAWE in action! Thanks to our FAWCO Rep Eilean Ellison, the AAWE Awesome Blossom Fundraising Team and the FAWCO Foundation Team for their support.
Nu-Paris Staffers & AAWE Rep:
Table presentation featured: postcards (VERY popular; only used French version), A3 posters in French on the board with QR code to FAWCO Foundation page and/or AAWE donation page, a few color photocopies of AAWE designs, a donation box and Awesome Blossoms buttons.
Attendance: A light flow of mainly Nu-Paris adherents, despite chilly weather and the Toussaint school vacation holiday. Interest in the project IS there.
Outreach: AAWE social media blasts, Instagram, Facebook… plus Nu distribution list and social media. The strawberry pick-up for Nu members continues through November 2. One French language poster explaining the project and several postcards left on site. Therefore, any additional donations will be made via a QR code. As listed on the translated version of the FAWCO Foundation info sheet, every euro counts!
AAWE Contact: Sheila Doucet, AAWE FAWCO Rep: Eilean Ellison. All photos by the authors.
Empty Bowls for Awesome Blossoms
AWC Amsterdam
Hosted by Kate Gazzaniga, AWC Amsterdam
Our first Awesome Blossoms fundraiser of the club year was very successful. Over 70 people attended our Empty Bowls event at The Ceramic Centre in Haarlem. We had a wonderful time appreciating local art, socializing and sharing a meal. There was a great sense of community. The Ceramic Centre hosted and supported the preparations for the event. In addition to inviting interested community members in to make their own bowls, studio owner Rhonda Tracey donated clay and encouraged members to make bowls for the event. AWCA member Kate Gazzaniga hosted a group of community members who prepared more than 20 liters of soup. AWCA members also baked desserts for the event. It was a lovely event that included artists from The Ceramic Centre, local ceramic enthusiasts and AWCA members and families. Participants purchased a bowl of their choice and had it filled with one of the many delicious soups available. Besides having a great day of fun, the event raised a significant amount of money for Awesome Blossoms, which was a huge win for all.
Kenyan Dinner
AWC The Hague
Mary Adams, AWC The Hague, Human Rights Team Co-Chair
AWC The Hague held a Target fundraiser, a Kenyan dinner and wine pairing for 21 people. Catering was done by Kenyan Delicacies, a local restaurant. Chef Betty Bifwoli is Kenyan. In Kenya, she was a lawyer and Advocate of the High Court of Kenya for women’s rights to own real estate, and she also loved to cook. When she and her husband moved to The Hague about 15 years ago, she realized that she wanted to change her focus to being the taste of Kenya for the Netherlands. When I originally sampled her food, I thought it was lovely – aromatic with spices and tender meats. I was also impressed with her belief that when you empower women, you empower nations.
We ended up with a five-course meal of samosas, grilled chicken and plantains, bean curry, beef and goat curries, chapati flatbread, sides of rice, salad and spinach, and a dessert of mandazi and Kenyan tea. (Mandazi is comparable to a French beignet.) In the photos, you may spot the Kenyan tablecloths that Marilyn Engelbrecht bought at the Region 4 meeting.