A star-studded line up, including Australian TV presenter and So They Can Ambassador Peter Overton, Australian leading restaurateur and chef, Luke Mangan and New Zealander singer-songwriter, musician and So They Can Ambassador, Neil Finn, is coming together to raise funds for So They Can at the charity's inaugural Global Dinner on 20 November 2021 from 5:30pm AEDT.
Guests will have the opportunity to join Luke and Peter virtually for an online cooking class, streamed live from Luke Mangan's Sydney restaurant, 'glass brasserie'. Luke Mangan will take guests through the preparation of a two course meal to enjoy at home, while Peter Overton will entertain guests as the event's MC and Luke's sous chef.
World renowned singer-songwriter Neil Finn, will treat the guests to a special and intimate live performance while the main meal is in the oven.
Luke Mangan, a leading Australian restaurateur and chef said, "I'm really excited to be joining my good friend Peter Overton in the kitchen of my restaurant, glass brasserie this November for So They Can's Global Dinner. Together, we'll be showing So They Can's event guests how to cook a delicious two course meal with the aim of raising funds for So They Can's empowerment and education programs in East Africa."
TV presenter Peter Overton, who is an ambassador and active supporter of So They Can, said, "I firmly believe in the power of education to empower and change lives. The children that So They Can supports in Kenya and Tanzania have been born into severe hardship and to be able to support their empowerment through So They Can is something I am proud of and happy to do."
"So They Can is achieving so much for children living in poverty through education. I'm proud to be a So They Can ambassador and I'm looking forward to celebrating with their community and performing a couple of songs live at their Global Dinner in November", said Neil Finn.
Breaking the poverty and hunger cycle through education
The international NGO hopes that its inaugural Global Dinner will increase awareness of the challenges faced by vulnerable children living in poverty in East Africa, and raise funds to enable them to attend school, where students receive access to education, meals and safe drinking water.
Since 2010, So They Can has been working to improve the quality of education in Kenya and Tanzania. The NGO partners with 42 government schools to deliver a number of education and empowerment programs, such as their School Feeding Project, that is essential to improve attendance rates and academic performance.
"Hunger is a huge problem in our communities. Many children fall asleep at their desks due to being so underfed, burning all the energy they have walking, sometimes hours, to school. Our feeding project plays a vital role in keeping children healthy, safe and nourished, so they can continue to stay in school and receive the education every child deserves", said So They Can CEO and Co-Founder, Cassandra Treadwell.
In the lead up and on the night, So They Can hopes to raise $60,000 — enough to establish and maintain sustainable feeding programs in 3 schools that the NGO supports.
Hallu Primary School in Tanzania is one such school where the introduction of a school feeding project has made a dramatic impact. Henry, the head teacher at the school said: "Thank you So They Can for helping us encourage the implementation of our feeding program and showcase its importance to our community...Now our pupils are enjoying learning at school through the provision of food."
