Hopeful Africa Inc

The Power of Education

I give to Hopeful Africa because I believe in the power of education to foster sustainable prosperity around the world. Hopeful Africa works to do just that through educational development and equal partnership. I have had the great opportunity to volunteer on the Executive Team as the Social Media Manager of the nonprofit for over two years, and it has been the most rewarding two years of my life thus far. Last May Hopeful Africa hosted their annual celebration event Hope Night, of which I helped plan and promote. The exec team spent months and months of planning and fundraising leading up to the event. It was a huge success. We had 200+ attendees, which was double than the year prior, and we raised $12,000 in that single two hour event. Again, doubling our funds from the year prior. This was definitely a collaborative event for all team members, and I was so overcome with reward and fulfillment following the event. The success of Hope Night 2015 shows how team work and passion can make a world of difference for an organization. The funds raised at the event went directly to supporting the programs at our seven partner schools in Kenya.

I have stuck with Hopeful Africa for many years because it was easy to see the impact that we were making as an organization.

It all started in 2006 when I relocated back to the United State from Kenya, Africa. I saw the disparity between the education system I grew up in and the education system that I was a part of in West Des Moines, Iowa. In order to create educational opportunities for the youth, Kenya introduced free primary education in Kenya. However, there were some unexpected consequences with the dramatic enrollment increases. Teachers became overwhelmed, resources were exhausted, and ultimately the quality of education was compromised. In 2008, I decided something needed to be done, so I started a club at my high school. With the funds raised, we were able to provide educational resources for a school in Nakuru, Kenya. Little did I know what would follow.

Hopeful Africa has grown tremendously in the last seven years, from a simple high school club to a successful nonprofit organization receiving support from across the state of Iowa and beyond. Through Hopeful Africa’s efforts, over $90,000 has been invested at seven schools in Kenya benefiting over 3,000 students. We have provided 5,231 books, 27 computers, 143 high school scholarships, and 18 teachers, just to name a few. We have created several high school and college clubs, hosted numerous fundraising and awareness events, and built a team of passionate individuals to champion our cause. The investments at our partner schools have paid off too: test scores have increased, school rankings have soared, teacher to student ratios have decreased, graduation rates have improved, and enrollment in secondary schools has increased.

This past summer I had the opportunity to hear a story of one of the lives that we have impacted. I met a grandmother of one of the students that we sponsored. She shared that she had searched for months for support for her granddaughter but all was in vain. Then one day her granddaughter came back home and shared that she was selected for our scholarship program. She fell on her knees and thanked God for “this miracle”. She continued to say, “My hope is that my granddaughter and other sponsored students can continue their education, go away to college, and one day return to better their community with the education they've been given.' It is in moments like this and people like her that I get the inspiration to continue to serve.

These past seven years have been a story of dreams becoming reality. The impact on the lives of thousands of students was previously unimaginable for a such a small club. I believe this is where passion plays such a key role though, because I have continually and shamelessly shared my story with others, they have taken root in our cause, and our impact has grown tremendously. Even though the need is urgent and dire, I am continually inspired by the people I work with and the lives that we are changing in the communities that we serve. This story is just the beginning of what the future holds.