BACKGROUND FOR CREATING FOUNDATION
In order to better support Betty’s amazing life adventure, a group of concerned friends have worked to create a nonprofit 501(c)(3) Foundation to better serve her long-term goals and objectives.
We originally thought to call the foundation the Betty Asha African Children’s Foundation. However, after some thoughtful consideration we thought it was important that the foundation not be just for Betty’s personal children, but to support her desire to create a better life for all African children. We also did not want its message and purpose to be lost in the name.
It is our defined mission, as members of the foundation’s leadership, to ensure that all funds raised in support of its mission go – 100% – to support its mission.
Please know and understand that this is not a fundraising campaign for personal gratuity and benefit for Betty Asha in any way, nor for any other member of the foundation. It only exists for the purpose of creating a mechanism to support the –
AMERICAN SUPPORT for HUMANITARIAN AFRICAN CHILDREN’S FOUNDATION
In its MISSION STATEMENT, here stated to help provide the funds so that it.
“EMPOWERS YOUNG CHILDREN, ESPECIALLY YOUNG GIRLS, BY CREATING FOR THEM EDUCATION AND LIFE OPPORTUNITIES THUS ALLOWING THEM TO TAKE CONTROL OF THEIR PERSONAL LIVES FOR THE BETTERMENT OF PRIMARILY ALL WOMEN IN EAST AFRICA.”
A couple of additional thoughts – Betty Asha is, and will continue to be, a force of change in the hopes and needs of the children of her country and those countries surrounding her ancestral South Sudanese home in East Africa. As stated, she particularly wants to empower young girls away from the common medieval tribal culture existing to this day by creating modern educational and life opportunities for them to actually take control of their own lives.
To understand the significance of this is to have an appreciation for the difficulty of life that has been the norm for young girls in East Africa – culturally for centuries. Again, the horror is that this custom / practice still exists there today. In fact, by refusing a centuries old tribal arranged custom of being sold (Betty – and by reference CURRENTLY ALL OTHER YOUNG GIRLS) into an arranged marriage at the age and f 13 for the staggering price of two (2) goats and two (2) chickens.
NOTE– The custom is that the “groom” butchers 1 goat and 1 chicken and gives a “piece of meet” to EVERYONE IN THE VILLAGE. Thus creating a shard cultural ceremony honoring the this “right of passage.” The remaining goat and chicken go live to the father of the “bride.” To be raised and enjoyed by the family in place of “their” daughters life. This is what Betty refused and as a result actions suffered amazing psychological trauma and physical wounds and burns. And afterward being left for dead from these 3 days of tribal sponsored torture leaving her to be placed in a WWI class hospital for 2 months by Methodist Missionaries.
She is driven every day of her life by these images that haunt her still. She will simply not rest until she has accomplished her primary goal of empowering young girls by creating modern education and life opportunities for them to take control of their own lives – And that give them a shot at a free life.
It is to that end that this AMERICAN SUPPORT for HUMANITARIAN AFRICAN CHILDREN’S FOUNDATION is empowered.