When: June 6th

Where: The Roseland Ballroom, NYC

For more information please visit our official event page.

For all additional inquires please contact Kabibi M'Poko at kabibi@ubuntufund.org

or +1 (646) 827-1190.

The Urban Zen Center in Greenwich Village, NY: Donna Karan, Joaquin Phoenix and Salman Rushdie hosted a hip downtown evening with guests from the worlds of entertainment and finance, to launch the partnership between Ubuntu Education Fund and The Lunchbox Fund. The Roots and the Gift Horse Project (featuring Karen Elson, Zac Hanson, and Rain Phoenix) rocked the house. The $70,000 raised will support the New Growth Partnership: Nourishing Bodies, Nurturing Minds.

NYC: Our third New York City Gala was a festive affair with more than 700 guests.  Two Ubuntu students told their stories, connecting the glamorous audience to the impact of their investments in South Africa. Ubuntu President and Founder Jacob Lief asked people to think about their own lives and the time and money it took to make them successful. Ubuntu, he said, is “doing whatever we need to do to ensure that a child makes it out of poverty." Dave Matthews and Vusi Mahlasela performed. We raised $2 million.

Brooklyn Bowl, Brooklyn, NY: Our inaugural “Rock the Bowl” party was held at Brooklyn Bowl, a bowling alley/live-music venue. Lion of Ido, GrindCity, and Sierra Leonean hip-hop group Bajah + the Dry Eye Crew performed. Cast members from FELA!, and world-famous Brooklyn band Antibalas also performed. Aerialists dangled from the ceiling. Dancers from Broadway’s The Lion King energized the crowd. The Ubuntu Tribe, a group of up-and-coming artists, activists, entrepreneurs, and educators, made its debut. We raised $100,000.

NYC: Ubuntu marked a decade of working in Port Elizabeth. Kevin Bacon was master of ceremonies, and Janice and Frank Lipman chaired the proceedings. Paul Simon and Hugh Masekela joined us to celebrate. Kevin Bacon, Alan Cummings, Serena Altschul and Julia Stiles were among the celebrities to join us. Ubuntu Scholar Lungi Ngceza came from Port Elizabeth and brought ubuntu to the crowd.

The Canal Room, NYC: Rent on Broadway hosted a cocktail party at The Canal Room for Ubuntu Education Fund to honor the legacy of Rent’s writer and creator, Jonathan Larson.  The partnership continues his mission to celebrate life amongst poverty and HIV/AIDS.  An online auction featured exclusive prizes and once-in-a-lifetime experiences with the Rent cast.  Guests included past and present Rent stars.  Akoya Afrobeat performed, along with the RENT cast. We raised $70,000 to build a hall and theatre in the Ubuntu Centre.

Puck Building, NYC: Ubuntu Education Fund hosted its first annual benefit at the Puck Building which had been transformed into a lush African Bush for the evening's festivities. Nobel Peace Prize winner and Ubuntu Patron Archbishop Desmond Tutu was the keynote speaker. Donna Karan, Kevin Bacon and supermodel Iman were guests. The event was emceed by Kevin Bacon and featured Angelique Kidjo, the Grammy-nominated singer from Benin and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, who had the entire room, including the Archbishop, on its feet.