My Nonprofit Reviews

BEADS for Education is the "real deal". I went to Kenya in January 2012 with my sister to meet the student she sponsored five years ago and to see firsthand what BEADS was all about. What I found was a hard working group of people making a distinct and beneficial impact on the lives of Kenyan girls and their education.

The staff and volunteers work incredibly hard stretching every dollar to the utmost. All the money donated goes to pay student school fees for over 300 sponsored girls. Debby Rooney, the founder and director, does separate fund raising for her own salary and the building funds for the new high school.

The real stars of the trip were the Kenyan students. Investing in the education of young women is critical for the future of Kenya and Debby knows she is training the country's future leaders. When we met Debby in Nairobi, she was schlepping fifteen duffel bags filled with gifts from sponsors and hundreds of excellent books Debby's sister finds to stock the library at Top Ride Elementary School and Tembea Girls
High School (currently being built). This happens on every trip she makes to Kenya!

Debby makes contact with each and every student on at least one of her frequent trips to Kenya. My sister and I helped to organize the photos
for each student's yearly letter and update to their sponsor.

Additionally, my sister and I co-taught a creative writing course. What impressed me was the educational vision that Debby holds for her sponsored students. She understands the need--even the imperative-- for these girls to have strong critical thinking skills for the future challenges that await them.
That's the underlying impetus for Tembea High School. The rote learning procedures currently in place in Kenya won't cut it and Debby knows this and is working diligently to create a different learning path.

Rukia, BEADS in-country director and soon to be principal of Tembea High School, is young, energetic and extremely capable. She embodies what is possible when these girls are given an education. I was so moved by what I saw that I decided to sponsor a young girl named Alice. I can't wait to go back and see what Alice, Debby, Rukia and the rest of the BEADS volunteers have accomplished. Truly a well run and impressive organization making a significant impact.

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