Make a date to make a difference with One Girl Can

Make April 21, 2016 a night to remember, and a night to make a difference, with One Girl Can - a Vancouver-based charity that empowers young women in sub-Saharan Africa. Join 400 dynamic influencers and business leaders, including One Girl Can's Founder, and CEO of AG Hair, Lotte Davis, for the second annual #IWant2Be fundraiser at The Imperial in Vancouver.

Local TV personality Fiona Forbes will MC the fast-paced evening, made possible by presenting sponsor TD Bank. Two fun-filled hours, from 6-8pm, will include a silent auction with contributions from Vancouver's top brands and a live auction of unique experiences, including two African safaris in Kenya and South Africa. Guests will enjoy a complimentary drink and appetizers from No Fixed Address Social Catering, and a gift bag of AG Hair products worth $68 as a thank you for attending.

"Educating women is the only known cure for ending poverty," says One Girl Can's Lotte Davis. "In one short evening, we can raise enough money to effect sustainable change in literally hundreds of lives, and slowly start to shift the needle on gender imbalance and poverty in Africa." 

Last year the inaugural #IWant2Be - One Girl Can event raised $100,000. We aim to double that this year with proceeds going directly to help build or refurbish four dormitories and three washroom facilities for students at Ganze Girls Secondary School in Kenya. Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest dropout rate of girls in secondary school due to poverty and cultural norms that favour education for boys over girls.100% of the girls enrolled in this school board here, because the risk of them not returning once they go back to their villages is extremely high.

Lotte Davis, originally a native of Africa herself, will share her story of how the question 'What do you want to be?' inspired her to start One Girl Can. Through scholarships and education, One Girl Can gives young African women a voice and empowers them to make positive changes in society. A portion of the proceeds from every bottle sold by Lotte and her husband John's company, AG Hair, has been contributing to building schools in Africa since 2008.

The #IWant2Be One Girl Can fundraiser will take place Thursday April 21, 2016 at 6pm, at The Imperial in Vancouver (319 Main Street). Tickets are $65 and are available for purchase online. Anyone unable to attend the event can still support by donating funds to purchase key necessities for One Girl Can students, including a mattress, bunk bed, a toilet or a shower stall. Visit eventbrite.ca/e/iwant2be-tickets to purchase tickets or to make a donation.