Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009, 10 am to Noon at EWI – Come celebrate some old-fashioned ideas very relevant in today’s world, like listening to other people’s stories and learning from their experiences. Enjoy making a one-of-a-kind storybook with your own hands as a special gift for someone; and sitting down with a hot cup of Chai and sharing stories and laughter. read more »
A wonderful group of community members and new friends attended Empowered Women International’s (EWI) kickoff event in Silver Spring, Maryland on November 7 at the house of EWI’s generous supporters, Synthia and George Dang. The guests welcomed EWI’s immigrant and refugee women artists to Montgomery County and embraced the expansion of the organization’s entrepreneurial programs and support services for artistically talented immigrant women.
George and Synthia Dang, Our Supporters and Event Host
Marga Fripp and Artist, Sheldon Reiffenstein
Attendees included Maryland State Senator Jennie Forehand, Maryland State Delegate Susan Lee, Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett, Montgomery County Councilmember Nancy Floreen, Mark Puryear, Suzan Jenkins CEO of the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, as well as special friends and supporters including Merle and Steven Steiner, Tom Block, and Vera Vandendries .
John Stevenson and Kate Campbell Stevenson
EWI Artists: Sharmila, Rolyn and Naomie
Ten immigrant and refugee artist graduates of EWI’s entrepreneur center exhibited and sold one-of-a-kind art during the event and shared the stories of their personal journeys as newcomers, artists and entrepreneurs. Fatana Arifi, a talented American-Afghani artist, and her younger sister Fariba talked about their experience fleeing Afghanistan as refugees, first to Pakistan and then to the US. Fatana shared how difficult it was to find a community like EWI that nurtures the artist and the woman within and infuses career and business knowledge to help women participate in the community and the economy.
Long time supporters and Volunteers Laura Nally and Steven
EWI Artists: Meseret, Fatana, Fariba and Mekbib
Even though Fatana has a degree in Fine Arts from the University of Kabul, Afghanistan and over 20 years experience exhibiting and teaching art across Afghanistan and Pakistan, she has been struggling ever since she left Afghanistan. She has encountered difficulties securing a job, promoting herself as a working artist and making ends meet. In addition, Fariba recently lost her job, which has added a new layer of stress for the whole family.
EWI Artists: Rabia Naeem Pervez and Valentina Dimilo
The sisters found new hope, guidance and an opportunity to earn income from their art through EWI’s micro-enterprise program. With the help of EWI’s talented staff and artists, the sisters design, produce and market their jewelry, fine art ornaments, note cards, prints and paintings.
Ann Stone, EWI Chair Emeritus, Kate Campbell Stevenson, EWI Chair of the Board, Sheldon, Marga and Rabia
EWI is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that helps artistically talented immigrant and refugee women like Fatana and Fariba gain confidence, marketing experience and business skills, which helps them take their product to the market. EWI has established a strong record of empowering immigrant and refugee women in the Greater Washington area from culturally diverse backgrounds to become working artists, educators, community leaders and entrepreneurs.
Every year, Empowered Women International trains, presents and gives access to the market to more than 200 immigrant and refugee women. Artists teach and present art in schools and various community organizations.
In 2008, 235 immigrant women benefited from our services and more than 1,500 people participated in our culturally diverse arts programs. More than 120 volunteers donated 12,000 hours in service valued at $90,000.
Nov 20 – Come join us again this year or for the first time, to drink, nibble and shop for unique holiday gifts for you and for others… I have some fussy friends who bug me all year long as to when this Party will be again…they bought unique items for themselves that folks comment on all year long. I have other friends who say that their friends tell them the gift they bought here was their favorite!
It’s for a good cause and you get some truly unique things….let me know if you can join us!! Feel free to circulate this to your friends and bring ‘em along…the more the merrier!
Jewelry, scarves, clothes, pottery, sculpture, paintings, cards, accessories for the home and office…all hand made by women!
It’s from 7pm until 10pm Friday November 20th in Alexandria Virginia…please RSVP to Ann Stone at aews@aol.com, so we can have a good count for libations and nibbles…and bring a friend! Entertainment guaranteed… See you all soon, Ann Stone
Nov 18, 2009 – The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory will host an EWI multicultural women’s art market. During the event, EWI will present a unique selection of jewelry, holiday art gifts, hand-painted silk scarves, jewelry boxes, note-cards and more. All works are handcrafted-locally by immigrant and refugee women artists and artisans, supported and trained as artist entrepreneurs by Empowered Women International (EWI).
The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory partnered with EWI to feature immigrant women’s artworks, tell their stories and raise support for the organization’s transformational empowerment program for new American women and their families.
Thank you to Mistra Moazami and all our supporters, friends and volunteers who made partnership possible.
Nov 17 – George Mason University in partnership with Ashoka University Programs presents on Nov 17 at 10 am in the Johnson Center Cinema, New Capitalism a panel of discussion with social entrepreneurs who led change locally and internationally. The panel will examine personal characteristics and motivations that led social entrepreneurs to start their organizations, and the process by which they came up with their innovations.
The panel will be lead by Alex Gudich-Yulle
Panelists include:
Christopher Washington of SOLVE Co-op
Fiona MaCauley of Making Cents International
Ben Lyons from FrontlineSMS:Credit
Marga Fripp from Empowered Women International