My Nonprofit Reviews

Pagus Africa
Pagus Africa is small organization which is certainly dedicated and well managed without all of the bureaucracy. I was introduced to Pagus about 5-6 years ago at a point in time when I felt I had exhausted all possibilities of finding a home for donating 32 years of teaching materials and supplies and children’s books. It was a fluke- a student of a friend had done some work with Ellen Berenholz, the director of Pagus. From the first time I talked with her, I felt I had finally located a person who appreciated my desire to see these materials used to make a better world for those in need. Ellen worked so closely with me to help get all the boxes holding my life’s work to Africa. Because she lives this commitment to these children every day, she understood and respected my dream. We laughed together, commiserated over problems together and solved them together. It has been an additional blessing with this donation to have found a treasured friend in her and others involved in this organization.

I have so very much enjoyed the fact that I can personally work with Ellen and her volunteers in helping to plan lessons using the donated materials. My opinions have been respected and suggestions have been adapted for the cultural concerns of the schools Pagus works with in Africa. I love the fact that my involvement has been welcomed and yet my privacy or needs in retirement have been respected. If I didn’t need to take in the considerations of other family members, I’d absolutely leave tomorrow to happily support Pagus Africa with their hard work in Ghana for I have noted how carefully the volunteers are taken care of and respected in this host country by Pagus and the trusted Ghanaian people. I am envious of the Kodak moments they have every day in their successes as they struggle to help those in need.

All potential volunteers or donors need to know the very best parts of giving your time or donations to Pagus. Although I have in the past volunteered for and have supported much, much larger organizations and have been committed to these organizations, I find my relationship with Pagus to be just that- a grateful, wonderful, involved relationship. I feel the personal touch of it to be so much more gratifying. I am excited to watch and hopefully play a small part with this wonderful organization as Pagus Africa works to someday have their own school which will provide an even better environment for educating the beautiful, eager minds with whom Pagus is involved now.