Nonprofit In Her Presence celebrated its 10th anniversary with a 420-person gala March 13 at Westin Portland Harborview that raised over $131,000 to continue lifting up immigrant women through education. “What a wonderful turnout tonight,” said Anne Hallward, a practicing psychiatrist in Portland. “I think so many of us are looking for a way to support this community, and this is one way.
” Gala guests shopped at a pop-up African market, bid on African-inspired original artwork and enjoyed the exhilarating rhythms of the Batimbo United Burundi drummers. “I have never seen such a generous and immediate response to a fundraiser as we have seen for this event,” said board chair Lucky Hollander. “I’m taken back by how many of you said you were donating and attending this event and wished you could do more.
” In Her Presence offers a mother-centric English language program underpinned by cultural competency, confidence-building and career counseling and networking. “When I first transitioned to the USA from Burundi in 2011, I had no one to help me read English, navigate daily life or even order a cup of coffee,” said Executive Director Claudette Ndayininahaze, who founded In Her Presence with Congolese immigrant Micky Bondo in 2015. “Our experience with all of this — the struggles and the frustration — became the spark that ignited In Her Presence.
We needed to create a space where women could find confidence, relationships and a true sense of belonging, .
