I first met Sahra in one of my Asian Am classes as a junior at UCLA.  Aside from the fact that her name is spelled weird, you could immediately notice a fire within her.  A fire that could set the world ablaze through her philanthropy, spoken word, and art.  Fast forward eight years later, and the woman has created a yearly tradition of giving back on her birthday to support causes that need our help collectively.

This year, Sahra has decided to create an art grant for the Saigon Sky High Project which will be given to a talented group of graffiti artists in Vietnam called The 10 Seconds Crew.  You can just watch the video above if words make you dizzy and you want to see her pretty face.  More details and examples of their work can be seen here.

This grant will fund:

• Art supplies and equipment for the 10s Crew to paint the largest mural to date–a 100 x 16 feet wall. The mural will be about the architecture and culture of Vietnam, and how Western influences over the years are reflected through architectural and cultural changes.
• A short documentary on the graffiti scene in Vietnam. This film will be a great opportunity for these young artists to share their story with the rest of the world.
• Art supplies and art workshops for orphans. As part of the grant agreement, the 10s Crew and The Saigon Projects will donate proceeds from their annual anniversary (5 year on September 1) to an orphanage of their choice.

Her current goal is $1,000 and she’s already more than halfway there, but I’m sure we can blow that number out of the water.   Donate by September 4th and support the arts abroad. It could be one dollar or a thousand, but every bit counts.  Haps baps Sahra!

– nova