Partners
Hope Through Education wouldn't be where it is today without its incredible partnerships.
Educate Tomorrow and the Devon Esrick Educational Center
Kabey Fo, Niger is a small village located southeast of Niamey . It has a population of about 200 -- roughly 35 men, 55 women and 110 children. 77 of those children attend the Primary School that is supported by Educate Tomorrow.
In 2001, Co-Founder and Director of Educate Tomorrow, Virginia Emmons, while serving as a Peace Corps volunteer, sought the support of her family in the United States to help her village of Kabey Fo establish a primary school. Educate Tomorrow was founded in part as the means to continue to expand the educational opportunities in the area. This year, some of the first students graduated from the Kabey Fo School of Betterment.
Educate Tomorrow believes that the best long-term solution to ending poverty is education. We are committed to helping the region become self-sufficient by helping the local population to solve current and future problems that will improve their quality of life. Severely limited access to education is an enormous current problem, along with a lack of proper nutrition and meager health care. Additionally, the school schedule often conflicts with the children’s need to gather or work for the food necessary for survival. Educate Tomorrow is committed to meeting these challenges and to working with the local community and government to develop programs to provide nutritious meals and proper health care to every child attending school. These efforts not only improve the children’s potential for success but also reduce the burden on their families, so that their parents can allow and even encourage their children to obtain the education they so richly deserve.
Special thanks goes out to Devon Esrick and her father Steven Esrick, co-founders of Hope Through Education. With a donation of $21,000 the village of Kabey Fo was able to construct what is now a 4 classroom education centers, with latrines. The education quarters has been renamed, the Devon Esrick Education Center in honor of Devon, the 16 year old young woman who had the courage and determination to start a non profit. Devon was also the recipient of Educate Tomorrow's 2008 Inspiration in Service Award. The school is host to 6 grade levels, adult literacy classes and is used for village forums.
Build African Schools and the Devon Esrick Secondary School
Commissioned by Hope Through Education. The high school was just two class rooms with 80 students...we added six classrooms and now there are over 350 students.
This year was the first full year of the new school and they have applications from students from all over Kenya and a waiting list of thousands.
Teachers from all over are also applying to teach at the school and it is now one of the top ten schools that student teachers now apply on graduating.
The recent national exam results have shown that the school is in the top 5% academically in all of Kenya.... hence the rush to get accepted into the school by students and teachers.
The school has 10 HP laptops, a printer, and two digital cameras. The internet problems are about to be resolved. HP has now found a way to connect them up and hopefully this will be done early in the new year.The printer is now a source of income for the school as they print stuff for local businesses and the money earned is going towards converting one class room into a science lab.
The school board committee is one of the most structured that I have ever seen... anywhere! They take their responsibilities very seriously and are so proud that they are respected as one of the most efficient school boards in the area. The school area is planted with flowers and up kept by the students. There is a rotational "work detail" of students that work on the grounds every week.
There is not a week goes by that the school does not have visitors from all over, business people, other teachers, department of education people, etc.
And last the parents are so committed and really appreciate that their children have opportunities that most children in Africa do not have. Their children are now equal to most of their student peers throughout the world. That has got to be the greatest feeling in the world!
Remote Africa Safaris
Remote Africa Safaries Tafika Fund made a big leap forward in 2007 with 28 sponsored high school students and the skills students including 3 teachers at training college, a Hotel and Catering student, 2 accounts students and our medical officer, now in his final year. With the help of Cherri Briggs of Explore Inc. Hope Through Education donated 60 desks, 1,200 textbooks for all grades, teachers tables, chairs and cupboards for each classrooms at the Mkasanga School. In providing the additional desks to the Mkasanga school, we were able to get the children off the floor and onto desks throughout the school.