Arts for Africa craft fair scheduled for Sept. 18

The ninth annual Arts for Africa Art and Craft Fair will take place Saturday, Sept. 18, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Noelridge Christian Church, 7111 C Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids. Shop from local artists and crafters. There also will be a silent auction and bake sale.

All of the proceeds from this event will be given to the Tumaini Schools in Tanzania, East Africa. This money will help with their ongoing building and expansion projects.

Arts For Africa founder Kellie Lala first visited the school in fall 2005. At that time, there were just 75 students and it was started by her safari leader and guide Modest Bayo in his own home. Lala was so touched by Bayo’s dream that it has become her passion.

Noelridge Christian Church has supported the school since 2006 with a variety of fundraising projects and personal donations. Lala returned to Africa in September 2011 to work in the school and attend their first-ever graduation of the seventh grade class. This English-taught school has thrived and seen amazing growth since her first visit.

Lala returned again in the fall of 2014 and also in January 2018 with 17 Mount Mercy University students, faculty and then-President Laurie Hamen. There are now more than 1,300 students, with 352 of them being full-time boarders. There are more than 100 teachers and staff, and the school serves three meals and two snacks daily.