African Charity Ball raises AED120,000 to save Sierra Leone orphanage

The lively black tie event - for the All As One registered international charity - involved entertainment by Dubai Drums, the Shangri-La Band and DJ Ash; donated prizes from Jumeriah International, Siemens, Virgin Atlantic, Jebel Ali International Hotels, Wafi Mall, and Fits & Simons, as well as an art exhibition by 4Walls Dubai.

All As One Founder & Executive Director Deanna Wallace said:

"We are totally thrilled and our hearts are filled with gratitude to the people of Dubai for their generosity, unselfishness and kindness. All of the money raised will be sent to Sierra Leone to pay for the monthly ongoing needs of the orphanage, with this amount allowing us to operate for at up to 6 months. These funds will provide food, clothing, shelter, education and medical care for the children and wages for the Sierra Leonean staff whose families depend on All As One. We are so encouraged and blessed by the outpouring of support from Dubai."

The African Charity Ball organiser and father of two adopted children from the Sierra Leone orphanage, Matthew Morgan-Jones, said: "The night was an amazing success and I thank all who attended for their generosity and support for such a worthwhile cause. I would specifically like to thank the key sponsors for the evening; Virgin Atlantic Airways, MMI, Siemens, as well as all of those companies which donated auction and general prizes for fundraising. This support means so much to me and my children as well as the lives of the children of Sierra Leone. All As One can now pay the rent of the property until the end of the year and have funds to operate the orphanage that provides much needed love and shelter to over 70 children. Thank you Dubai!"

All As One has taken steps to establish a formal office at Dubai Aid City to support its fundraising efforts in Sierra Leone. Matthew Morgan-Jones continued "Now we have secured the much needed funds to keep the current orphanage operational for the coming months, we are confident to start fundraising to build a specially designed building that could house more children, allowing All As One to take in more of the estimated 15,000-20,000 street children and provide them with food and shelter. The details on the "Build An Orphanage" Campaign will be announced early next month."