The KSP is a wonderful and unique organization! Evelyne's lived experience growing up in Côte d'Ivoire and then immigrating to the Bay Area in the US is the inspiration behind all of the good work that happens here. She is the heart and soul of the KSP and is deeply involved in all aspects of the various programs serving women, girls, youth, and families in both parts of the world. I deeply respect how Evelyne manages to be the face of the KSP for both donors/funders AND for the communities we serve (she is on the ground building relationships - not just directing from afar). I have been involved with the KSP for several years now, and I continue to be impressed with how much gets done even with our limited resources as a small, grassroots nonprofit.
I love the Karat School Project! I've been volunteering with them for 5 years because their mission, accomplishments, and team are amazing. They're transforming the lives of women and children (especially girls) through education in Ivory Coast, West Africa, and here in the Bay Area. The KSP's full-time education center in Ivory Coast, led by an inspirational local team, provides holistic, culturally grounded education to more than 100 children each year (more than half girls) and serves hundreds of women each year through adult literacy training, financial independence training, sustainable farming program, and health screening.
I've been working directly with the KSP in the Bay Area, where we serve families who live in RVs on local streets because local rents are so high. We help the children overcome obstacles to education by assisting with technology access and basic household supplies. We also offer a summer nature camp that takes them to local parks and preserves and a youth leadership program that helps them envision successful futures as educated leaders.
The KSP’s approach is deep and long-term. The goal isn’t to serve as many people as possible, rather, it’s to have an impact on those we serve that extends into the next generation and beyond.
I wholeheartedly recommend the KSP.
I have been volunteering with KSP for the past 6 months in the grant writing team, and I have participated to various events held in the Bay Area in support of house insecure families’ youths.
Being part of KSP has been transformative for me: the team is lively and welcoming of diversity and new ideas, and the mission and vision are incredibly relevant and motivating for me.
Evelyne, the founder, is the soul of this small but extremely impactful grassroots non-profit. Her short, medium and long term vision for breaking the cycle of poverty through education both in the Bay Area and Ivory Coast are full of creativity, locally grounded and culturally relevant ideas and programs, spanning from seminar cycles to empower and educate youth, school programming for children in Ivory Coast, women-supportive programs for period equity and reproductive rights education as well as digital literacy.
Despite the small size, the organization and professionalism of the KSP mission and team are stunning and I’m grateful for all the experiences and learning I have had the chance to go through with them.
The Karat School Project is a truly grassroots organization. Every member of the team gives of their time energy and resources because we all believe in the value of education and of lifting women and children out of poverty for a better future. Each time I gather with the board of the KSP I am inspired by the leadership of our founder Evelyne. She is our inspiration and reminder that without access to education, many little girls and boys would still be working on the streets instead of in schools getting an education. Every small step we take as an organization makes a giant impact on the lives of the children we serve. This is what keeps me coming back to serve in my role as a volunteer and board member.