On Thursday, May 8th Adventure4Change hosted our Annual Cultural Event themed “Following the Ripples of Impact”, and it was truly a memorable evening. This gathering brought together funders, partners, donors, staff, and community members to celebrate our ongoing journey of collective change and meaningful impact. The night was rich with storytelling, cultural experiences, laughter, and heartfelt connections, a powerful reminder that even the smallest ripples can create waves of transformation.
For an evening of culture, community and celebration guests were welcomed with mocktails, light cultural music, and snacks like puff-puff and samosas in a warm, inviting atmosphere. The mingling space buzzed with conversations full of energy and anticipation. The evening officially began with a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony led by Mamaye, a beloved community mother with Ethiopian roots. She beautifully showcased and served the coffee, offering a cultural moment that made everyone feel welcomed and grounded. Guests then enjoyed a vibrant cultural dance performance by youth from the community, a highlight of the night that showcased the creativity, pride, and talent of the next generation.
We are thankful to our keynote speaker, Maedith Radlein, for delivering a powerful message on working together in community, and focusing on understanding our intricacies as community members and working on bringing those to the forefront and using our understanding of those things to work better together. Her words deeply resonated with the audience and echoed A4C’s mission of empowerment and hope. Later in the evening, handcrafted prizes from Basadi were given including shirts, tablecloths, pillow covers, earrings, and more. These items that were sewn by community members celebrated heritage, craftsmanship, and women-led entrepreneurship.
We then screened a short documentary that told the real-life stories of impact through the lens of A4C’s work highlighting the journey of those who’ve grown through our programs and volunteered. Additionally the documentary included a conversation between Adventure4Change’s Founding Director Jeremy Horne and Executive Director Oluseun Olayinka, it was a good insight on how Adventure4Change has progressed. Explain counting The Impact: Ripples in Motion to our guests, a Tea Time Chat was facilitated by Josh Brown, our Youth Engagement Coordinator. During Tea Time guests heard from Saeed and Abdulbasad, two youth leaders who spoke candidly about their experiences on how A4C has shaped their lives and sense of purpose.
The evening concluded with a heartfelt vote of thanks from our Board Chair, Corrie Ballantyne, who expressed deep appreciation to all who contributed to the event’s success and A4C as a whole. As she spoke she reaffirmed our shared commitment
“Following the Ripples of Impact” was more than just an event; it was a celebration of unity, progress, and purpose. We are grateful to everyone who joined us and continues to believe in the power of community. Together, we move forward one ripple at a time.