In April 2019, the Nourafchan Foundation and SAWA Life in partnership with Journeys in Film launched the Nour Film Club in Africa. Project manager, Thelma Njeri John, and educator, Maggie Matokah, hosted the event at the Kenya National Library Branch in Kibera, Africa’s largest slum. The inaugural film was “Queen of Katwe” aptly starring Kenya’s own Lupita Nyong'o, the first Kenyan to win an Academy Award. An overwhelming participation of over 400 students, ranging from ages 11-20, came to participate from schools in and around Kibera. The event was a resounding success with many of the kids having stated how inspired and hopeful they felt after watching a movie which resonated so closely with their lives. Many felt that they, too, like the young Ugandan girl in the film, may escape a life of poverty, open doors to a brighter future, and transform their own communities into a better place. The Nour Film Club will be active in schools throughout the year in various parts of the country, effecting change by teaching with film.

ABOUT SAWA LIFE
https://sawalife.org/pages/about-us
SAWA Life is an innovative and impact-focused social enterprise infusing technology with fashion, while empowering and uplifting at-risk women through employment. The company was incubated by the non-profit, The Nourafchan Foundation, during a philanthropic mission by the founders to Kibera, Africa’s largest slum. Inspired by a diverse collective of artisan women beaders who banded together after enduring a range of hardships like sex trafficking, HIV-AIDS infliction, and extreme poverty, the founders devised an innovative program to leverage the artisans’ masterful and intricate beading skills with a unique way of upcycling magazines into one-of-a-kind handcrafted beads. SAWA has created a vocational program to train and hone the beaders’ skills into creating remarkable products. As a result of SAWA’s sustainable operations, the women develop life-long skills, which are supplemented by wages that are above the market average, safe and clean working environment, food, and as breadwinners, healthcare and education for their entire family, which on average numbers 15 dependents.

ABOUT THE NOURAFCHAN FOUNDATION
http://nourafchan.com/
The Nourafchan Foundation (TNF) is the world’s first open-source, participatory philanthropy whose mission is to improve the human condition through social and economic development. By also serving as a philanthropic incubator and accelerator, it is committed to promoting health, happiness, education, and kindness. Initial priorities include education, healthcare, orphans, women empowerment, youth, and those living in extreme poverty and slums. TNF believes in prioritizing philanthropy and focusing on activities that have the greatest impact, underpinned by the dual objectives of sustainability and scalability. Headquarters are based out of Africa’s largest slum, Kibera, in Nairobi, Kenya, with regional offices located in the US, Middle East, and Asia. His Highness Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan serves as Honorary Chairman.