Today we’d like to introduce you to Rukshana Hafez-Triem.
Rukshana, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
What began as a simple idea to raise funds for classrooms in rural African villages has grown into a movement that bridges cultures, creativity, and community.
African Fashion Show PDX was born out of my work with Firmina Foundation, a nonprofit I founded to expand access to quality education in Mozambique, Malawi, and Zambia. As a former refugee from Mozambique, education was not just something I valued — it was something I had once lacked. I knew firsthand how access to learning can change the entire trajectory of a child’s life.
But fundraising for global projects came with its own hurdles.
Cold emails went unanswered. Meetings ended in polite rejections. Many people loved the mission but didn’t yet understand how deeply connected global education is to local community wellbeing. I realized that I needed a platform that didn’t just ask for support — it invited people into the story.
That’s where African Fashion Show PDX was born.
What started as a small community fundraiser has become an annual cultural experience that celebrates African designers, local creatives, musicians, vendors, and entrepreneurs — while directly funding schools and community projects overseas. The runway became more than fashion. It became storytelling. It became economic opportunity. It became impact.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Of course, the journey hasn’t been easy.
Producing large-scale events without big corporate backing meant wearing every hat — fundraiser, producer, marketer, volunteer coordinator, and sometimes even model wrangler. There were years when sponsorships fell through at the last minute, venues changed unexpectedly, and exhaustion hit hard. I’ve faced rejection after rejection while trying to secure funding for schools and infrastructure projects.
But when you’re mission-driven, rejection becomes part of the process — not the end of it.
Each “no” sharpened the vision. Each challenge built resilience. And each year the community showed up bigger.
Through African Fashion Show PDX, we’ve not only raised critical funds for classrooms and education initiatives — we’ve also created a platform where local designers and small businesses are seen, celebrated, and supported. The impact is both global and local: children gaining access to education overseas, and entrepreneurs gaining visibility and opportunity right here in Oregon and Southwest Washington.
The greatest hurdle has never been resources alone — it has been helping people see that community impact doesn’t have borders.
Today, African Fashion Show PDX stands as a living example of what’s possible when culture, creativity, and purpose come together. It’s proof that small community-led initiatives can create ripple effects across continents.
This journey has taught me that building something meaningful is rarely easy — but it is always worth it.
We’re not just producing fashion shows.
We’re building classrooms.
We’re empowering creatives.
We’re connecting worlds.
And we’re just getting started….
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
At the heart of everything I do is community building — locally and globally.
I’m the founder of Firmina Foundation, a nonprofit expanding access to education in rural communities across Mozambique, Malawi, and Zambia. I’m also the founder of Women’s Lifestyle Coaching, where I support women in building confidence, leadership, and lives that feel aligned and purposeful. And through African Fashion Show PDX, I’ve created a cultural platform that supports local designers and small businesses while directly funding schools and community projects overseas.
What started as a personal mission rooted in my own journey as a former refugee from Mozambique has grown into a multi-layered impact model — blending entrepreneurship, philanthropy, culture, and storytelling.
I specialize in turning community into action.
Whether it’s producing large-scale cultural fundraisers, building schools in rural villages, hosting retreats that reconnect women to themselves, or creating partnerships between local businesses and global impact, my work focuses on connection — people to people, culture to culture, and vision to reality.
I’m known for building things that last.
Not quick events. Not one-time projects. But sustainable relationships, community-powered initiatives, and impact that continues long after the lights go off and the runway clears.
What I’m most proud of is watching something that began with a simple idea — “How can I help children access education?” — grow into classrooms being built, creatives being empowered, and communities on two continents supporting one another. Seeing kids walk into a school that didn’t exist before. Seeing local designers gain visibility and income. Seeing people realize that their support truly changes lives.
That never gets old.
What sets me apart is that I don’t separate business, culture, and impact — I integrate them.
African Fashion Show PDX isn’t just a fashion show. It’s a fundraising engine, a cultural celebration, an economic opportunity for small businesses, and a bridge between Oregon communities and African villages.
Firmina Foundation isn’t just about building schools — it’s about community-led education, sustainability, and long-term empowerment.
My coaching isn’t just about confidence — it’s about helping women step into leadership in their families, businesses, and communities.
Everything I build is rooted in real relationships and lived experience.
I’ve been the child without resources.
I’ve been the woman rebuilding from adversity.
And now I’m the entrepreneur creating access, opportunity, and hope — not just for myself, but for entire communities.
I don’t believe in charity that feels distant.
I believe in community that feels connected.
That philosophy shapes every project I touch.
And if there’s one thing I’m known for, it’s this: bringing people together to create impact that reaches far beyond what any one person could do alone.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
I still remember standing in a rural village where children were learning under a tree because there was no classroom yet. Months later, walking back into that same community and watching those children step into a school we helped build — laughing, carrying notebooks, full of possibility — I realized this work was bigger than fundraising. It was about restoring hope.
Also as a former refugee learned how to read and write by smoothing out the ground and printing with my fingers to form letters on the ground because we didnt have the resouces to purchase books and pensils. And it was not the government job to provide materials for education.
Pricing:
- $99
- $59
Contact Info:
- Website: https://africanfashionshowpdx.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/african_fashion_pdx/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afspdx/#!/profile.php?id=1135518680
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rukshana-triem/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@RukshanaTriem
