Alabaster International will host an immersive gala, ETCHED, on September 12 at Serendipity Labs Costa Mesa to raise money for its enset program and spotlight women smallholder farmers in Ethiopia and Kenya. The event coincides with the U.N. International Year of the Woman Farmer and will feature an enset documentary, marketplace, auction, and cultural programming.
Enset Program and Food Security
The enset program supports food security, farmer income, and protection of Indigenous agricultural knowledge. Enset, known as the “Tree Against Hunger,” has helped sustain more than 20 million people in Ethiopia through drought, famine, and conflict.
Alabaster International’s enset program will be expanded using funds raised from the gala. They aim to equip women farmers with resources and increase income opportunities, ultimately contributing to food security in the region.
Event Details and Sponsors
ETCHED will premiere Alabaster International’s enset mini-documentary and include a curated marketplace focused on the communities and agricultural knowledge behind the organization’s work. The gala’s presenting sponsors are GAP Community and Novus Global.
Percipio Business Advisors is a silver sponsor, while the Glidden Family and Jobs Family are bronze sponsors. The event will feature passed hors d’oeuvres and charcuterie, as well as cocktails and beverage selections from RIKI Spirits, Three Spirit, and Recess.
Read Also: Tanzania named Africa’s top destination
Tickets and Admission
Tickets for the event must be purchased in advance, with options for General Admission at $100, Impact Admission at $150, and Legacy Admission at $200. Legacy Admission begins at 4 p.m. and includes VIP red carpet interviews, a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony, and early marketplace access.
The main event runs from 5 to 7 p.m. A limited number of tickets remain available before the September 12 event. Proceeds from ETCHED will support Alabaster International’s enset program and help expand cultivation, equip women farmers with resources, and increase income opportunities.
Alabaster International’s founder and CEO, Shannon Fernando-Rubera, has a humanitarian and medical background that shapes the organization’s focus on linking hunger, water access, livelihoods, and health. In 2023, Fernando-Rubera and local partners helped secure the first agreement between Ethiopia and Kenya to share enset for research and development.
After years of approvals and collaboration with local experts, Kenya produced its first successful enset harvest in 2026. Shannon Fernando-Rubera said the harvest represented “hope, dignity, and the possibility that communities facing drought could one day become food secure.” The success of this harvest is a significant step towards achieving food security in the region, and it highlights the importance of supporting women smallholder farmers and promoting climate-resilient crops.
