Supermodel Selita Ebanks Named Honoree and Guest Speaker at Voss Foundation 3rd Annual Women Helping Women New York Luncheon on Wednesday, Nov. 14
Campaign Helps Provide Women and Children With Clean Water Access In Africa
NEW YORK, Oct. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Voss Foundation will host its third annual Women Helping Women luncheon in New York on Wednesday, Nov. 14 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at Manhattan Penthouse, 80 Fifth Avenue. The Foundation has announced its 2012 Women Helping Women Honoree and Guest Speaker will be Selita Ebanks. A supermodel, actress, and philanthropist, Ebanks was chosen by the Foundation for her spirit and dedication to empower women and children in Africa.
Women Helping Women (or "Kvinner hjelper Kvinner," in Norwegian) is a Voss Foundation campaign that has created a global community of more than 400 women champions of clean water in eight countries to raise money for water projects. Because water is disproportionately a women's burden in Africa, providing women with facilitated access to clean water is an important part of Voss Foundation's ripple effect of clean water –– creating an engine for growth that spurs change in a family, community, region, and country.
"I am extremely honored and humbled to be the Voss Foundation's Women Helping Women honoree and guest speaker. Their mission and work enables women in Africa to improve their own lives with access to clean water, and aligns perfectly with my devotion to women's health, education, and economic empowerment, especially in Sierra Leone. I have seen first hand, access to clean water is the first step to development," said Ebanks. "This honor that the Voss Foundation has graciously awarded me has fueled me to continue to pursue my passion of improving the lives of women and girls in Africa."
"Selita Ebanks has devoted herself to helping women and girls around the world, especially in some of the poorest parts of West Africa. She works tirelessly and selflessly without fanfare, proving that she is astoundingly beautiful, both inside and out," said Voss Foundation Executive Director Kara Gerson. "We are overjoyed to be able to honor Selita for her work, and hear her talk about the importance of empowering women in Africa, as Voss Foundation does by providing access to clean water with our Women Helping Women campaign."
Ebanks has worked for brands such as Ralph Lauren, Abercrombie & Fitch, Levi's and Tommy Hilfiger. In 2005, she joined the ranks of Heidi Klum, Gisele Bundchen, Adriana Lima and Tyra Banks as a Victoria's Secret Angel. Ebanks is also a spokeswoman for Shine On Sierra Leone, a non-profit whose mission is "to shine the light on Sierra Leone's needs and create sustainable programs to promote thriving self-sufficient communities."
Sponsors of the November 14 luncheon include Benefit Cosmetics, Claudia Chan, Evaton, House of Marnier-Lapostolle, Karen Egren Jewelry, Lunetta, Ruthie Davis and VOSS of Norway.
Items from Voss Foundation's African Bazaar, a unique collection of accessories, crafts, home goods and jewelry, made in the regions of Sub-Saharan Africa where Voss Foundation builds water projects, will be available for purchase at the Women Helping Women event and online at shop.thevossfoundation.org.
Click here to download Selita Ebanks' photo. A limited number of press tickets are available.
Twitter @vossfoundation
About Voss Foundation
Voss Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing access to clean water to communities in Sub-Saharan Africa and raising awareness of ongoing need in the region. The Voss Foundation aims to help fulfill communities' water requirements and then focus on the self-improvement of lives and communities once basic water needs are satisfied. We have a particular interest in assisting women and girls who, relieved of the burden of fetching water, have time to devote to education and enterprise.
Voss Foundation projects primarily involve a combination of well-digging and -creation or -rehabilitation, pumping, and piping. Secondary water-related aspects are based on local requests and range from bringing clean water to schools and infirmaries, to agriculture and irrigation, to micro-finance and education based on new resources, time, or money made available by the presence and proximity of clean water. We incorporate both environmental consideration and the lasting success of the projects into villages' requirements to create a comprehensive project that meets diverse water needs.
Founded by VOSS of Norway ASA as an independent 501(c)(3) public charity, the Voss Foundation has offices in New York and Oslo.
SOURCE Voss Foundation
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