WATERLOO - There's the "Sorrisos Saudaveis" - "Heathy Smiles" - program in Salvador, Brazil.

The Kenyan mother, whose three kids are attending school while she is mentored on self-sustainability.

And the Roma, or gypsy, population in Romania, the largest and most marginalized minority group of central and eastern Europe.

The 2009 World Fair, hosted by Over the Rainbow, was a fundraiser to benefit impoverished women and children around the world at the National Cattle Congress Pepsi Pavilion on Saturday. The event celebrated diversity and opportunity.

Making health and education services accessible and effective empowers others to create change, say leaders of Over the Rainbow, a local grass-roots, nonprofit organization. Over the Rainbow has a center in Brazil that offers early childhood programs and free tutoring in areas like English, photography, sewing, jewelry making, baking and nutrition.

It also reaches out to other groups across the globe, and the smallest donations could generate huge results.

To help the Roma in the Romanian settlement of Pata Rat, for example, $5 buys over-the-counter medications, while $6 covers children's multivitamins for up to six months for a single child.

The World Fair packed in country displays, ethnic food tastings, a children's carnival and an international market. Live entertainment included Chinese tai chi, belly dancing and bagpiping.

"My family and friends don't go to other countries, and it's not something you always talk about," said Jenny Hall, executive director of Over the Rainbow, who's visited about 25 countries. "I wanted to bring the world to them."

Dressed in traditional Muslim clothing and a headscarf, Mona Elkhaldy of Cedar Rapids was invited by friend Charlotte Rady of Cedar Falls. Elkhaldy was born in Egypt.

"I found some foods here, and even though they're from Bosnia and from different places, they're closer to what we have in Egypt," she said.

Both had just gotten their names hand-inked in Chinese calligraphy by Crystal Yang, 17, who moved to Cedar Falls from southwestern China three years ago. Each name, based on how it's pronounced and written, also carries a meaning, which was right on target for members of her family, Elkhaldy said.

"Mona means friendly," Elkhaldy said. "My son (Omar) is 3, and she said it means curious, and he is very curious. And my other son, Mohamed is 12, and he is a very good boy, and she says he knows the right from the wrong."

Next door, Esma Lulic of Waterloo and her son, Armin, 14, were demonstrating how to cook burek, a flaky pastry filled with meat that's a traditional main dish in Bosnia. The Lulic family moved to the states in 1998 and once ran Euro Grill in Waterloo, near Hometown Foods on East Mitchell Avenue.

"I'm always willing to help and share," Esma Lulic said. "I love cooking. We're part of the culture here."

The second-annual event outgrew last year's venue at the Cedar Falls AMVETS Post 49, where it raised $1,600 without charging admission. This year, an adult ticket was $3 and children younger than 12, $1.

Hall said the number of participants has nearly doubled, and several folks approached her Saturday about representing more cultures next year.

That building of excitement and awareness of what needs exist in other parts of the world are the driving forces behind the World Fair.

Violinists Walter and Wagner Caldas were among featured acts scheduled throughout the day. The two endured poor conditions growing up in Brazil, but a volunteer came into their neighborhood to teach them how to play the instruments. They now have music scholarships to attend the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls.

"They are living proof," Hall said, as she introduced the duo to the crowd. "An art got them out of poverty into a whole 'nother world. And they are truly amazing."

Contact Tina Hinz at (319) 291-1484 or tina.hinz@wcfcourier.com.