Globally
The Livingkindness Foundation was founded in 2011 to create the Livingkindness Centre for Learning in Ikuzeh, Nigeria. We worked with Hope for the Village Children, an NGO directed by Sr. Rita Schwarzenberger, and the tribal chiefs to originate a plan that was good for the children and good for the village.
The result was a building that housed a solar-powered computer center with an apartment on each end for two teachers to live in and work from. There are 20 computers now being used by children and adults for educational purposes.
The two videos below were sent to us by the villagers. They celebrate the building and the dedication of the completed Livingkindness Centre for Learning.
Sister Rita shares the story of how the Centre came to be
The tribal chiefs gathered for its initial commissioning
Locally
An Art & Activism Award is given each year to a woman writer of color whose work marries creativity and social activism. The scholarships underwrite all registration expenses for attending the International Women’s Writing Guild Summer Conference at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA. The latest recipients are Sarah Martin, Pamela Harris, Connie Garcia-Barrio from Philadelphia and San Diego poet Johnnierenee Nelson.
A scholarship was awarded to D’jatarya Powell, a 24-year-old filmmaker, actress, and entrepreneur from San Diego. With a deep understanding of storytelling and visual composition, D’jatarya directed, wrote, produced, and edited impactful projects like the mini-documentary We Are, So Just Be (2018), Questions with Yamz (2019), and The Monologue (2024).Her compelling performances in short films and pilots highlight her extraordinary talent and depth. D’jatarya’s early career in the arts also paved the way for her entrepreneurial success. She founded/established Black Biz Flea Market, a platform empowering Black-owned businesses. These ventures showcase her visionary approach and commitment to community upliftment.
Livingkindness also gave a scholarship to Criselda Vasquez to support a year of study with a Los Angeles artist. Criselda is the artist who painted New American Gothic, a 4 foot tall painting of her parents.
Livingkindness gave a $2000 grant to the African Choir at (LGBTQ-affirming) All Saints Church in Syracuse, NY for their choir robes. The robes were made in Africa, shipped to Texas, and picked up by a trucker from All Saints who brought them home. A photo and their thank you note is below. It takes a village!
Constance Garcia Barrio speaks at “The Emperor Jones”
All Saints Church, Syracuse NY
