Right 2 Thrive

I have followed this non-profit from its inception. Its founder, Janet Patry is an exceptional and inspiring person who has created an organization that is making a difference. She is dedicated to helping the children and people of Kenya, not by giving handouts, but by showing them they are capable and deserving of making a good life for themselves. Her empowerment programs as well as her job training programs has given many people the tools they need to change their lives in a positive manner. What she teaches lasts a lifetime and has strong reverberations through the community. I have limited funds to give to charity, so I like to know my money is not being wasted. With Right 2 Thrive, I know everything I give is put to good use.
In addition, the energy and spirit that Janet and Right 2 Thrive share with this community has reaches beyond Kenya. For myself, it has been an inspiration to do the best I can in my efforts as a teacher, to believe in myself and teach my students to believe in themselves. I know I am not the only one so inspired!

When I first heard about Right 2 Thrive and all the great things Janet Patry, the founder, had accomplished I was inspired and motivated. I wanted to do more. I started attending events and donating for this great cause and eventually became a Board Member. It's that inspiring! Right 2 Thrive is doing great things and helping shape the community is involved in. In time I can see this organization helping more communities in Kenya and having a bigger reach. Help us continue the great work Janet started!

We are proud to be supporters of Right 2 Thrive since its founding and to volunteer for this organization. This "grassroots" organization is redefining the term. So much has been done in such a short time, both at Neemaland Children's Home, and now in the surrounding community, where Janet Patry, the founder who now lives in Nairobi, empowers men, women and children in the local community to change their lives by giving them the building blocks to forge ahead. Janet Patry and the Board are professional and dedicated, and will surely take Right 2 Thrive to new heights in the years to come. R2T is an inspiration, teaching us that we all CAN make a difference.

My husband and I have donated to Right 2 Thrive for three years now. We first learned of the org through a personal connection to the founder, Janet Patry. Since then, we've seen Right 2 Thrive grow in all of the right ways. It began by caring for the basic needs of the precious children of Neemaland. Then it expanded to empower the kids to live self-sufficient, fulfilling lives through education and other means. Now Right 2 Thrive also works to empower people in the surrounding community. It's grown slowly and steadily, all the while inspired by a real love for the children of Neemaland and a love for mankind. Founder Janet lives there in Nairobi and she's one in a million - open-hearted, whip-smart, driven, and charismatic. With her at the helm, Right 2 Thrive will continue to do awesome things.

My husband and I have recently become more involved with Right 2 Thrive after working professionally with its founder Janet Patry for several years. Her willingness and dedication to inspiring change in the lives of the young people at Neemaland as well as those participating in the Empowerment Programs she has developed inspired us to support her efforts as donors, fundraisers and advocates.

Since our first interactions we have seen the impact she has had and look forward to working toward creating a sustainable funding model for Right 2 Thrive so it can continue its good work in perpetuity.

Right 2 Thrive was introduced to me, by its founder, Janet Patry. From the moment Janet began this organization, her passion for it has become contagious. She believes not only in what she and her organization are doing, but she believes in the children and people of Kenya. Her story is an inspirational one. She went to Kenya as a volunteer and fell in love with the people. She wanted to help them to help themselves. I have donated to Right 2 Thrive on various occasions. Each time I was able to see (through photographs, video and online posts) the impact my donations are having on the lives of the people in Kenya. Right 2 Thrive works to create self sustaining communities through education. I

Right 2 Thrive's work does not only reach those in Kenya. Janet Patry reaches out to young people here in the United States as well. She has visited my alma mater, Sacred Heart Academy. At SHA, she worked with the young women to find their passion within. She called them to action. She asked them to reach out and make the world a better place for all of us. They have found ways to give, not only to Right 2 Thrive, but to others as well.

I was able to attend a presentation that Janet gave to students in 3rd and 4th grade. Janet educated the students on the geography, culture and economy of Kenya. She passed around examples of currency and crafts made by Kenyans. The children learned that though they are thousands of miles away and technologically more advanced, the children in Kenya were very similar to children here. She again called these children to action, asking them to do small things to make the world a better place.

I was also able to attend a Right 2 Thrive fundraiser in Janet's hometown. The outpouring of support that evening and in the weeks that followed were truly inspirational! Janet and the Right 2 Thrive organization have made each donor feel as though they are truly part of the organization, not just a bystander. Right 2 Thrive provides many updates on what they are doing in Kenya. They utilize not only their website, but social media, like Facebook, to keep their supporters constantly updated. I know the people there, in Kenya, by name, even though I have never met them. I really feel the difference my donations make!

Having just completed my taxes, I am reminded of just how many charitable organizations and non-profits to which even someone of my modest income can end up donating in the course of a year. I happily give to a friend's walk to fight cancer, a few dollars to my college, a museum, a church appeal... all sort of given blindly with the hope my gift will make a difference. And while I am sure it does make a difference to those organizations, I couldn't say exactly how. That's where Right 2 Thrive is different. It's personal.

From the moment I was introduced to this organization through a friend on the board, I knew exactly how my money would be making an impact. I had the opportunity to meet the executive director, Janet Patry, and hear of the hands on work R2T is doing for the children of Neemaland orphanage in Kenya. I got to know these children through pictures and stories and fell in love with their hopeful, joy-filled faces. Right 2 Thrive offers a chance to contribute to real projects that make a real difference in the quality of life for these kids: from providing new shoes to kids who have never seen a new pair of shoes in their life, to helping maintain their clean water supply, to raising the floor of their dormitory so flooding is not a constant problem and health concern. R2T does a great job of keeping the donor informed of their progress on various projects through social media and e-newsletters. And there is no better thanks for your gift than to see the gratitude in the faces of these children.

In addition, Right 2 Thrive is working within communities in Nairobi to provide empowerment and skill-training workshops for the residents there, which speaks to their broader mission of building self-sustaining communities. I think it's such an important part of the work they are doing, to not just distribute money and goods to people in need, but to provide them with the resources and skills to sustain themselves and build a better future. I am excited for the potential there is in these programs and hope Right 2 Thrive is able to broaden it's own resources to expand and enhance this effort.

I am proud to be a donor of Right 2 Thrive. And I deeply respect the people behind the organization who are truly making an impact in people's lives.

We were introduced to Right 2 Thrive through a good friend. Donating has enabled me to teach my children about the power of giving, and it also facilitated discussions about what is necessary and not in our lives-in terms of material goods. Donating has inspired my children to learn more about Africa and to become, even at their young ages, active and aware.
The Kings and Queens are so beautiful and we are so grateful we could be just a tiny part of their lives.

I got connected to – and excited about – Right 2 Thrive through a board member and have since been privileged to learn about the incredible work this organization is doing to benefit both the children of Neemaland (children’s home) and the wider community. Right 2 Thrive has made direct, well-documented use of donations to effect profound and meaningful improvements to the living conditions for these children. They use the R2T facebook page and periodic email updates to help even a modest donor like myself feel strongly connected to specific outcomes, like new shoes for a particular child or the new flooring in the dormitory. The children of Neemaland are purely and joyfully thankful for these small changes that bring big improvements to their life – their gratitude is a powerful reminder of the many things in my own life for which I should give thanks.

Janet, the director of Right 2 Thrive, is also delivering a powerful message that change for the better is possible – and to be expected – when we put our minds to it! She educates and uplifts women from the local Nairobi community through empowerment classes and educates children and adults in the US through excellent communication from Kenya and occasional speaking engagements. She visited my school last year to speak with our middle school community action club; the kids came away with an age-appropriate understanding of how they can help children in Kenya as well as the message that they should nurture themselves and ensure that they also thrive.

You as a donor to Right 2 Thrive get so much back. You get the smiles of the Kings and Queens (how the children of Neemaland refer to themselves and all connected with them). You get the true satisfaction of knowing that you reached out and directly touched the lives of children in desperate need half a world away. The dollars given to Right 2 Thrive take a very direct, undiluted path to benefiting the children. You get regular reminders to think beyond your own daily ruts and worries – to take joy in what we have and the things of which we are capable. It is grass roots at its best – but with big-picture goals and strategic infrastructure plans to support their long term efforts.

Donating to Right 2 Thrive is so satisfying because, through their website and social media, you can immediately see those funds being put to work with the amazing things that R2T is doing EVERY day for the children and the community in Kenya. I love to follow the updates on Facebook of each child- I feel like I know them personally and am so proud of each of their accomplishments! Additionally, the training that R2T is doing for Kenyan women is absolutely amazing and inspiring! Kudos to Right to Thrive for making a difference!