Uweza Foundation: Difference between revisions

In January 2011, Uweza Foundation merged with Faces of Kibera, a charity founded by [[Rooney Mara]].<ref name=":1" /> Faces of Kibera aimed to provide housing, food, and medical care for orphans by building an orphanage in the region.<ref name="JournalNews">Serico, Chris (August 16, 2010). "[http://www.lohud.com/article/20100816/ENTERTAINMENT/100816004/1164/entertainment/Meet%20Rooney%20Mara+,%20she+'s%20not%20just%20following%20in%20her%20sister+'s%20footsteps Meet Rooney Mara, she's not just following in her sister's footsteps] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150205045609/http://www.lohud.com/article/20100816/ENTERTAINMENT/100816004/1164/entertainment/Meet%20Rooney%20Mara+,%20she+'s%20not%20just%20following%20in%20her%20sister+'s%20footsteps|date=February 5, 2015}}". ''[[The Journal News]]''. Retrieved on August 16, 2010.</ref> The charity received fundraising support from NFL teams under Mara's leadership.<ref name="Post-Gazette">"[http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08346/934457-66.stm Steelers, Giants memorabilia auctioned to help Kenyan orphans]". December 11, 2008. ''[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]''. Retrieved on December 11, 2008.</ref> Mara had started the charity after she visited the area as a volunteer in 2006 and was moved to help the orphans, many of whom had lost parents to AIDS and HIV-related illnesses. She started her charity out of frustration with the growing number of nonprofits that she viewed as just business opportunities: "The people who need help aren't really getting it. So I started my own", she told ''[[Interview (magazine)|Interview]]'' magazine in 2009.<ref name="InterviewMag">Martin, Michael. "[http://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/rooney-mara/ Rooney Mara]". ''[[Interview (magazine)|Interview]]''. Retrieved on June 25, 2009.</ref> Mara later found it challenging to balance her charity work and acting career; Uweza Foundation continues to be overseen by Mara who serves as president of its board of directors.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Ma |first=Julie |date=2013-05-31 |title=Rooney Mara and Mom, Hair Twins |url=https://www.thecut.com/2013/05/rooney-mara-and-mom-hair-twins.html |access-date=2024-03-04 |website=The Cut |language=en}}</ref><ref name="JournalNews" /><ref name=":02">{{cite magazine |title=Rooney Mara – Voguepedia |url=http://www.vogue.com/voguepedia/Rooney_Mara |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111107003939/http://www.vogue.com/voguepedia/Rooney_Mara |archive-date=November 7, 2011 |access-date=November 15, 2011 |magazine=Vogue |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

During the [[COVID-19 pandemic|Coronavirus pandemic]], Uweza cooperated with private-sector partners to form an initiative to promote sanitation in informal settlements such as Kibera and provide free artistic masks to residents designed by a local artist.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Strive Masiyiwa, Dangote Group, Safaricom… Africa’s private sector leads the fight against Covid |url=https://www.theafricareport.com/85503/strive-masiyiwa-dangote-group-safaricom-africas-private-sector-leads-the-fight-against-covid/ |access-date=2024-03-04 |website=The Africa Report.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lee |first=Alicia |date=2020-05-10 |title=In 2020, masks aren’t just for protection – they’re being used to make a statement |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/10/world/coronavirus-face-masks-statement-trnd/index.html |access-date=2024-03-04 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lee |first=Alicia |date=2020-05-10 |title=In 2020, masks aren’t just for protection – they’re being used to make a statement |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/10/world/coronavirus-face-masks-statement-trnd/index.html |access-date=2024-03-04 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> The foundation also worked with artists from the Uweza Gallery to create informational murals to create awareness during the pandemic.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-08-06 |title=Mural art: Coronavirus pandemic inspires global graffiti artists |url=https://gulfnews.com/photos/news/mural-art-coronavirus-pandemic-inspires-global-graffiti-artists-1.1596703113643 |access-date=2024-03-04 |website=gulfnews.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Nunoo |first=Ama |date=2020-03-30 |title=Artists in Kenya’s Kibera slum are kicking out coronavirus with these eye-popping murals |url=https://face2faceafrica.com/article/artists-in-kenyas-kibera-slum-are-kicking-out-coronavirus-with-these-eye-popping-murals |access-date=2024-03-04 |website=Face2Face Africa |language=en}}</ref>