Press Releases

Business Leaders And Worldwide Supporters Gather To Expand Urgent/Basic Educational And Medical Support

SEATTLE, WA - Working on behalf of the world's orphaned and most destitute children, All As One joins forces with international film star and Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Glover, on Saturday, October 24, 2009, for a special event to draw attention to the dramatic needs in war- ravaged Sierra Leone. The VIP, invitation-only event includes prominent community business leaders and supporters from around the world in a celebration of the culture and cuisine of Sierra Leone and takes place atFremont Studios, 155 North 35th Street, 5:00 p.m, hosted by former NBA All-Star and humanitarian, James Donaldson and Suzie Burke, visionary community leader and philanthropist.

Established in 1997, All As One is an international child welfare non-profit organization with U.S. headquarters in Spanaway, Washington, dedicated to providing the orphaned and destitute children of Sierra Leone with a loving home, education, medical care, and a chance for a better future. All As One provides support through an orphanage, school and clinic in Freetown, the capital city of Sierra Leone. Ranked as the world's least developed country in the world (of 179 countries) by the United Nations, in an index comparing poverty, life expectancy, literacy, and education, among other factors, Sierra Leone faces the world's highest infant mortality and maternal mortality rates. 64% of the population does not have access to medical care. War and the subsequent return of refugees have also put enormous economic strain on the country.

ALL AS ONE BENEFIT EVENT DETAILS:

EVENT: VIP Benefit With Special Guest, International Film Star And Goodwill Ambassador To The United Nations, Danny Glover

LOCATION:  Fremont Studios, 155 North 35th Street, Seattle

DATE/TIME: Saturday, October 24, 2009, 5:00 p.m.

DETAILS: With community business leaders and supporters from around the world, the event will draw attention to the urgent needs of orphaned and destitute children of war-ravaged Sierra Leone and the work of All As One.

All As One provides care to Sierra Leone's most vulnerable children through a children's center, school and medical clinic staffed by a Sierra Leonean staff of 40 working professionals. The organization purchased six acres of land in Grafton, Sierra Leone, just outside Freetown, to expand these urgently needed services. Considered to be the heart of a large population of displaced and war-wounded children and families, the land will be utilized to build a complex of buildings including a hospital with modern equipment that would provide room for medical professionals from abroad to train Sierra Leone's nurses and doctors, expanded school with both primary and junior secondary education for the local population as well as the children already served by All As One, and an expanded children's center that would double the number of homeless children served. An administration building, guest housing, cafeteria and a soccer field and playground are also planned for the project.

"Sierra Leone does not have any government-funded child welfare programs for its citizens, which makes our organization's need all the more critical," stated Deanna Wallace, Executive Director, All As One. "Our work is very rewarding because it takes very little to make a dramatic difference in a child's life."

All As One boldly stepped into the critical dilemma of orphaned, abandoned, disabled, abused and destitute children in Sierra Leone with a belief that by saving lives and empowering it's citizens to be self-sufficient, they will become catalysts for sustainable change within their country. Despite a challenging U.S. and global economy, the organization has been quietly and efficiently developing partnerships with philanthropists and companies around the world to meet its mission. With the support of special guest, Danny Glover, the All As One VIP event and cultural celebration provides an exclusive opportunity to share the organization's substantial progress on the world stage.

On September 24, 2009, deluxe jewelers Rafaello & Co. announced their official partnership with international charity, All As One (www.allasone.org). In honor of their newest luxury jewelry collection The Blackout, Rafaello’s will be donating 10% of their net proceeds to the organization in an effort to raise global awareness and increase funds for poverty-stricken children in Sierra Leone.

Well-known for catering to the grandeur needs of celebrities such as: Jamie Foxx, Alicia Keys, Ne-Yo, Carmelo Anthony (NBA), and Dwight Freeney (NFL), Rafaello added further purpose to a glamorous lifestyle with their July debut of their superior line The Blackout. The collection includes an array of high quality black diamonds all accessed from the world's most exclusive mines, taking inspiration from the millions who lost their lives in Africa during the Sierra Leone Civil War. "At any age, any status, any race, it’s always important to give back to humanity," says Rafaello & Co. founder, Rafael Aranbayev. "We hope leading by example motivates others to recognize the needs of Sierra Leone."

Rafaello’s has remained adamantly committed to the non-usage of conflict diamonds and hopes the new partnership will not only benefit young lives of the less fortunate, but encourage notable names in entertainment to take action as well.

Rafaello & Co. was founded by Rafael Aranbayev, his two sons Avi and Eric Aranbayev and nephew Gabriel "The Jeweler" Jacobs. Together they own a luxury lifestyle brand catered to the upper echelon of sports and entertainment.

All As One (www.allasone.org) is an international charity established in 1997 that is dedicated to providing the orphaned and destitute children of Sierra Leone with a loving home, education, medical care, and a chance for a better future.

For more information about Rafaello & Co. Jewelers’ partnership with All As One please contact Lexi Chowat lchow@thecncagency.com.

The All As One orphanage, in Sierra Leone, West Africa, announces their involvement in a global creative project, linking orphans from around the world, while they create music and art together. A video of the project will be featured at the opening of the Elevate Film Festival, on October 5, at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, California.

Spanaway, WA (PRWEB) August 7, 2008 -- The All As One orphanage, in Sierra Leone, West Africa is excited to be participating in HearMe, a project providing orphans with the means to create music and film, and to connect with other orphans from around the world.

With the help of One Laptop Per Child and MagNet, HearMe will deliver 20 XO laptops, a Yamaha drum kit, a keyboard, a Mac computer, and a film crew to All As One, as well as orphanages in Iraq, Cambodia, Zimbabwe, Puerto Rico, and Watts, California. The children will learn how to work with the equipment, and will create their own unique rendition of "Imagine," by John Lennon, in their native languages. They will be filmed by Shot in the Dark Films for a video that will be featured at the opening of the Elevate Film Festival, in Los Angeles, California, on October 5, with the theme of "All Tribes Unite!" This video will be used to promote the HearMe program, so that children all over the world will be able to experience the joy of making music and art.

There are an estimated 340,000 orphans in Sierra Leone, alone. The country is ranked last out of 177 countries evaluated by the United Nations, in an index comparing poverty, life expectancy, literacy, education, and other factors. All As One is dedicated to providing a home, medical care and an education to orphaned and destitute children of Sierra Leone, which can be a daunting task with no government-funded child welfare programs currently available in the country.

"The children in our care have suffered greatly in their short lives, but art and music are a vital part of their existence and happiness," says Deanna Wallace, All As One's founder and Executive Director. "This is something that the kids can never lose. It belongs to them. It's their voice."

Each orphanage involved in this video production will receive 20 XO computers, provided by One Laptop Per Child, for long-term use and development of their skills. The OLPC nonprofit organization, founded by Nicholas Negroponte, gives under-privileged children in developing countries the opportunity to learn via a computer designed to operate not only in their potentially remote environments, but also with their creative abilities in mind. The children can learn language and math skills, as well as animation, music, and graphic design.

MagNet, the creation of Dan Mapes and Gabriel Rene, is a new software program that enables the purchasing of any piece of music or video from any webpage on which it is displayed. This innovation allows artists to sell their own music, and enables anyone on the Internet to become a distributor of their favorite art. The HearMe website, made exclusively for the orphans involved in this program, will feature the MagNet technology, making it possible for the kids to sell the music they create.

The kids of All As One have already begun to practice their song, and are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the crew from Shot in the Dark Films, near the end of August. The final video, with combined footage from all of the orphanages involved, will open this year's Elevate Film Festival, founded by Mikki Willis, to encourage artists to create works of social and global importance. The festival sold out Hollywood's Kodak Theater last year, and will take place in the Nokia Theater this year, in front of 7,000 attendees. The HearMe project will not only benefit the lives of the orphans involved, but will spread a message of global unity.

For information about All As One, or their involvement with HearMe, contact them at info@allasone.org or 253-846-0815.

To learn more about the HearMe Orphan's Project, contact Executive Director, Shae D'Lyn, at sdlyn@mac.com or 917-355-0242.

International charity, All As One, believes the Warner Bros. film, "Blood Diamond," will bring needed attention to the children of Sierra Leone, who still suffer the effects from a brutal, ten-year civil war. Coinciding with the release of the film, one supporter will be auctioning his diamond ring from a broken engagement to help raise awareness and funds for All As One and the children in their care.

Spanaway, WA (PRWeb) November 16, 2006 -- International charity, All As One, is hopeful that the upcoming Warner Bros. film, "Blood Diamond," will raise awareness about the decade-long war in Sierra Leone and the children who are still suffering its effects. One supporter of the cause will be auctioning his diamond ring from a broken engagement, and donating the proceeds to All As One, in an effort to shine a light on the continuing issue of "conflict" diamonds, while benefiting the children of Sierra Leone in the process.

The civil war in Sierra Leone, funded by corruption and the "blood" diamond trade, was devastating to the people and economy of the country. Though the conflict ended in 2002, it is the children who are still suffering the most. Operating by donations from individuals across the world, All As One's Children's Center in Freetown provides shelter, food, clothes, education, and medical care for orphaned and destitute children, who would otherwise be living on the streets.

Deanna Wallace, a resident of Washington and founder of All As One, is a mother of twelve -- ten of whom came to her through adoption, both internationally and domestically. She says, "In Sierra Leone's past, orphans were raised by their extended families. But the war has ravaged the country, destroyed villages, and left Sierra Leone's citizens in poverty. The government simply does not have the resources to begin implementing child welfare programs or orphanages."

According to UNICEF, Sierra Leone has a staggering 340,000 orphans. While the number of orphans has decreased significantly in Asia and Latin America since the 1990s, the number in sub-Saharan Africa has increased by more than 50%. Complicated adoption procedures and restrictions, many imposed by the US government, make the need for organizations like All As One even greater. "For many of these children, this is the first, and possibly the only, home they will have," Wallace says. "But they are thriving at the Children's Center -- here, they have a chance to learn, play, and just be kids." 

The eBay auction will run from December 5-15, to coincide with the December 8 release of the film, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Connelly. Wallace hopes the film and the auction will bring needed attention and support to a country much of the world has forgotten.

For additional information about All As One or the upcoming auction, contact Jen Brauer or visit www.allasone.org. Photos are available upon request.

About All As One:

All As One is an international charity and non-governmental organization in Sierra Leone, whose US office is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and whose Dubai office is a registered nonprofit organization licensed through Dubai Aid and Humanitarian City. Through their orphanage, school and medical clinic in Freetown, they work to build a better future for the children of Sierra Leone.