Painting titled: The Hope of Africa by Marci Stacey, 2019 Oil

Hope of Africa is the original painting by artist Marci Stacey that inspired her journey to non-profit work in East Africa. The original photo reference came from a photograph of a young girl in Uganda. She stands inquisitively in a second-hand dress, holding on to a chair as she watches the women in her village learn to style hair as a source of income. I was overcome with compassion, courage and hope as I looked into her questioning eyes. I wanted to capture the vulnerability, pain and hope for a future of the children of Africa I found in her eyes.

Every dollar earned in proceeds goes toward the making and distribution of one reusable fabric sanitary pad that can be used 3-5 years. Every sanitary pad made employees a seamstress. Every pad empowers a young girl to stay in school to get an education. Every pad provides an opportunity for a woman to not only save her family money in disposable pads worth 2 months worth of groceries for a family of 4, but also allows women the opportunity to get jobs and provide a source of income they could not sustain missing 1 week of work every month, simply due to the lack of money for sanitary protection.

Own a piece of what started the movement to rethink charity. Give the gift of empowerment and opportunity through the beauty of art.