Backs of Africa raises funds

The Backs of Africa (TBOA), a student led organization through Chi Alpha Campus Ministries, set up to sell art and raise awareness during x-period on March 29 in the Student Center Courtyard.
Sophomore Nick Stevens, one of the leaders of TBOA, said it was a perfect day for the sale.
“Nice and sunny with a nice breeze,” he said.
The event was open to everyone, allowing people to come and go, browsing through the art freely.
“We were excited to get to share with many students about our cause,” he said.
Stevens said the organization started through a couple of UCA students that went on a mission trip to Africa one summer where they came upon a need at one of the local schools they visited.
“The school needed uniforms for their kids and a lot of them couldn’t go to school, because they didn’t have those uniforms,” he said.
Stevens said when that group of students came back to the United States, they made T-shirts and raised money to send to the missionaries they had formed relationships with in Africa.
“Inspired by this, they decided to start TBOA,” he said.
Stevens said TBOA organizes different fundraisers throughout the year, including the art sale, to help consistently send money to their ministry partners in Southern Africa.
He said this helps keep an ongoing sponsorship program going.
He said they have an ongoing partnership program to pay for tuition, food and school fee in Quelimane.
“In Zambia we provided a donation of $1,000 for the building of a malnutrition center that helps nurse kids back to health,” he said.
Stevens said he felt TBOA was able to spread a lot of awareness about the organization and what they do.
He said that even if people didn’t buy art the day of, he hopes that interest is generated from friends of people who did buy.
“We were also surprised to have a few people ask to make donations next year,” he said, “So we were encouraged to have such strong interest and to be making connections with artistic students on campus.”
Alumnus Kris Pistole, another leader in TBOA, said “students from all different walks” donate their photography, paintings, crafts, sketches etc. to the art sale.
He said he likes how the organization is so young, working to get new people with new ideas.
“We’re just trying to figure things out,” he said, “We’re only as strong as the people who are passionate about and involved with us.”
Stevens said he heard about it last year through Chi Alpha, but didn’t really join in until this year when they had an informational meeting to welcome people who were interested in being involved.
He said it was good place to spend his time.
“It’s a cause that we can be dedicated to that doesn’t have to be far off. We actually get to see these kids and get to see where the money’s going,” he said referring to the missions trip that Chi Alpha takes every summer to Africa.