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• Sep 5, 2007 7:11 pm US/Mountain
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  Colorado Native Raises Money For Girls In Africa

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Colorado Native Raises Money For Girls In Africa

DENVER (CBS4) ― Ashley Shuyler made her first trip to Africa when she was just 11 years old. Now she's a student at Harvard and has raised more than $500,000 to help educate girls in Africa.

She stopped by CBS4 Weekend Morning News Sunday to talk about her foundation, AfricAid and the fundraiser scheduled for Friday, Sept. 7.

"The memories are still very vivid. I was, of course, expecting to be amazed by the wildlife, by the cheetahs and the lions," she said of that first trip. "But it was really the people that caused me to come back here a changed person.'

"Some of the poverty there was unlike I had ever seen before yet some of these people I met were the most generous, hardworking people that I've ever had the chance to meet."

"I wanted to do something to help these people."

It took several years, but Shuyler eventually decided to help send girls to school.

"Traditionally the women of east Africa are not allowed to go to school past the elementary level. I decided to start by providing scholarships and have expanded to building classrooms and providing textbooks."

Through the years Shuyler has kept her focus on educating those girls.

"We really believe these women who are given in a voice in their future are going to go back to the communities and make the health changes and the economic changes that they all so desperately want and need."

Friday Shuyler will host the Worlds Apart United By Art fundraise. It is a sale of artwork from Tanzania as well as pieces from local artists.

"We've just had an outpouring of support here in the Denver area which has just been wonderful," she said. "It's a wonderful way for people to find out more about what Africa does."

And Shuyler said it is important to help people around the world, even when there is need in our communities.

"We know that today we live in a globalized community. We're all part of this world now and I think it's so important that we all reach out to each other."

The Worlds Apart United By Art fundraiser will be held Friday, Sept. 7 beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Walnut Foundry. That's at 3002 Walnut Street in Denver

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