• By: OLM Staff

Persona Non Grata: Art by Lesotho’s Orphans

Persona Non Grata is an art show to benefit the orphans of Rachel’s Home taking place on October 10th, 2012 from 7-10 PM. This event will be held at Saint Brigid’s Centre for the Arts, 310 St. Patrick St., Ottawa, to raise funds for post-secondary scholarships and awareness about the ongoing AIDS epidemic in Lesotho.

The show will feature thought-provoking photography and paintings by the orphans of Rachel’s Home, an orphanage and school in Maputsoe, Lesotho. The night will be filled with art, African music, spoken word poetry and a Lesotho marketplace.

The orphans at Rachel’s Home have lost their families to HIV/AIDS. Unfortunately, there is stigma and discrimination associated with those affiliated with HIV/AIDS. We believe the only way to break the stigma is to provide the children with a post-secondary education in order for them to become functioning members of their community. The Canadian Rachel’s Home team works closely with the founders of the orphanage, a local Basotho family, to provide food, education, shelter, and medicinal supplies for the children.

Stephanie Vizi is the founder of Persona Non Grata. She is a fourth-year Carleton student. She has had the opportunity to travel to Lesotho twice to volunteer at Rachel’s Home. She started Persona Non Grata because she feels privileged to receive a post-secondary education and she believes her friends in Lesotho should be able to do the same.

We would would like to invite you to the Persona Non Grata Event on October 10, 2012. For further information, interviews with Stephanie or media kit please contact:

Stephanie Vizi, Persona Non Grata Founder

613.986.5117

stephanievizi@live.com

Twitter: @RachelsHome1 

Facebook: Rachel’s Home 

www.centralchurchcambridge.ca