IndieGoGo.com: Tapestries of Hope

Tapestries of Hope

Two activists from two corners of the world take on a government and an urban myth to protect young girls from rape and abuse.

Woodside, California
United States

Project Status: Not Yet Fundraising

RATINGS (11)

Idea

Team

Chance of Success

Tags: zimbabwe education aids humanitarianism bettymakoni girlchildnetwork rape africa abuse girl documentary travel michealene stanford

Synopsis: "TAPESTRIES OF HOPE" is the story of Filmmaker and child rights advocate, Michealene Cristini Risley, traveling to Zimbabwe to document Betty Makoni and the Girl Child Network (GCN), and to expose an issue that continues to be ignored: the rape and sexual abuse of thousands of young girls in Zimbabwe.

The cause of these rapes is shocking: men with HIV/AIDS are counseled by local traditional healers that if they have sex with a virgin, their blood will be purified and they will be cured of the disease. The rape and abuse is out of control with little to no legal or societal consequence. The youngest case reported was that of a day-old.

Both victims of child abuse, Michealene Cristini Risley and Betty Makoni unite from two corners of the world to give the girls of Zimbabwe a voice and fight for the safety and rights of the women of this unstable and poverty stricken country.

Betty Makoni, native of Zimbabwe, rape survivor, and renowned child rights activist, has been a vital source of hope and support for these girls. Through her non-profit, Girl Child Network (GCN), she and her staff provide food, shelter, and a chance for girls to further their education and interests. It is groups like hers that give hope and a continued future to these girls.

During the filming of this documentary, the filmmaker and her crew were interrogated, arrested, and deported from Zimbabwe. The crew will not be silenced and neither will the girls of Zimbabwe.

IndieGoGo URL: http://www.indiegogo.com/Tapestries

FUNDING

Goal
$2,500

How will these funds be used?
Funds will be used for editing and post-production expenses.

VIP PERKS

$5	TOH Friend	Every bit makes a difference!
$10	TOH Supporter	THANK YOU!
$25	TOH Fan	Thank you for making a contribution!
$50	TOH Member	Be the first to know the latest and greatest on this important cause!
$100	TOH VIP Member	Be the first to know the latest and greatest on this important cause and receive a copy of the film on DVD.
$250	TOH VIP Bronze Member	Be the first to know the latest and greatest on this important cause, receive a copy of the film on DVD and a pair of Future Earrings.
$500	TOH VIP Silver Member	Be the first to know the latest and greatest on this important cause, receive a copy of the film on DVD and the Future Pendant Necklace.
$1,000	TOH VIP Gold Member	Be the first to know the latest and greatest on this important cause, receive a copy of the film on DVD, a pair of Future Earrings and the Future Pendant Necklace.
$2,500	TOH Associate Producer	Be the first to know the latest and greatest on this important cause, receive 10 copies of the film on DVD, a pair of Future Earrings, the Future Pendant Necklace, credit on the film, and invited to attend the festival premiere.

HISTORY

March 07, 2008	Fundraising Canceled ($180 of $10,000)	Funds use: Funds will be used for the film's website and initial phase of editing.
March 17, 2008	Fundraising Completed ($10,000 of $10,000)	Funds use: Funds will be used for the film's website and initial phase of editing.
May 01, 2008	Fundraising Completed ($10,000 of $10,000)	Funds use: Funds will be used for editing and post-production expenses.
July 01, 2008	Fundraising Completed ($2,500 of $2,500)	Funds use: Funds will be used for editing and post-production expenses.

Michealene (Wed Jul 09)
Our web-site went up-check it out! www.tapestriesofhope.com Michealene

anandc (Thu Jul 03)

Check out a nice review of TAPESTRIES' success so far on IndieGoGo.

FROM THE BLOG POST:
"In the expanded awareness made possible by the Networked World, we experience burdens we have not had to bear before. But our power to connect — patron to artist, money to cause, healing to suffering, vision to reality — has expanded too. The payback to investors in Tapestries of Hope cannot be tallied in the boxoffice grosses. There’s no EBITDA on heroism. The payback comes with shining a light on an ugly and inhuman atrocity, and supporting the cause of Betty Makoni, a beautiful human being whose bravery and sense of purpose is the measure of us all.

See full post: www.gamechangers.com

rawpp (Thu Jun 26)

This is turning out to be a busy week for "Tapestries of Hope" with director Michealene Cristini Risley just finishing a talk by invitation at Google as part of the Women@Google series (This after Risley's successful Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders Seminar at Stanford University with producer Anand Chandrasekaran).

THIS Saturday, June 28th, 2008, from 1 to 3 pm, is the Tapestries of Hope Fundraiser Wine & Music Event. YOU'RE invited to Wente Vineyards (California's oldest family owned and continuously operated winery) for an afternoon of live music, free food, wine tasting, and helping our human rights cause in the historic (air-conditioned) Estate Winery Barrel Room, located at 5565 Tesla Road in Livermore, CA.

Enjoy live music from winemaker Karl Wente's acclaimed band "The Front Porch," which includes "Tapestries of Hope" producer Ray Arthur Wang, a retired concert pianist. The Front Porch rotates through multiple genres for a truly unique listening experience: Hear original music as well as The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Van Morrison, Tom Petty, Chick Corea, Beethoven, Gershwin, etc. (Joining The Front Porch for this charity event will be world renowned percussionist Kenneth Nash, famed for his collaborations with Bobby McFerrin, Herbie Hancock, Dizzy Gillespie, B.B.King, Woody Herman, Weather Report, and many more.)

All proceeds from the concert ticket sales go to complete "Tapestries of Hope," the human rights movie and social entrepreneurship effort that you're familiar with. Michealene will speak at the event.

For the PHILANTHROPISTS out there, tickets go for donation levels of $25, $100, and $500, the latter two coming with great perks. RSVP today at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=22850579492

For those with a tighter budget, there are GROUP DISCOUNTS: you can show up at the door in a group of 2 for $5 OFF each $25 minimum entry fee. Show up in a group of 3+ for $10 OFF each entry fee.

As a thank you for your donation to our registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, you will receive UP TO $50 SAVINGS off wine and merchandise in the Wente Family Estates tasting rooms. Restrictions may apply.

Finally, the blog love for "Tapestries of Hope" continues with this nice read:
http://humaneconnectionblog.blogspot.com/2008/06/films-reveal-horrors-of-rape-as-tactic.html .

how did you get so much funding?

Just kept asking and moving forward. Good luck!

You are an inspiration to all filmmakers producing documentaries like this that needs to be told! Thank you!

Thank you very very much! comments like this help me keep going...it is a long haul! Michealene

I was wondering why you don't have any low level donations? I'm a starving artist and I would love to support you, but $50 is high for me...