Anisa Salat
I am a Global Education Fund (GEF) Kenya alum who is now attending Bryn Mawr College in the U.S. on a full scholarship. I support GEF because I know from experience that my financial contribution will benefit students with similar backgrounds to mine. GEF Kenya works in the slums of Nairobi Eastlands where most children cannot afford to go to secondary school. By taking the burden of fees off of students, GEF gives them the opportunity to become educated. I give because I know that the message embedded in giving makes scholars feel loved and hopeful. Scholars in turn maximize their potential and excel in their studies. GEF offers leadership and mentorship workshops to its scholars. This is vital to students’ growth as it is inspiring to hear from leaders and interact with mentors. I give because the GEF mentorship component was very helpful to me as a first generation student and I want GEF to continue to provide this to students.I give because I know GEF builds students’ skills and experiences outside the classroom. Because GEF partners with local organizations, scholars get to attend seminars. For instance, I participated in a training program in Project Management and Community Development offered by Bold Leaders. GEF Kenya’s Young Leaders Program also organizes retreats for students, which teach them leadership and team building and helps them explore their surroundings and understand the world outside of their neighborhoods. GEF provides personalized attention to its scholars and actively seeks advice from local leaders and student representatives. I served as a student representative in strategic planning meetings and was impressed by the amount of thought and planning GEF puts into its practices. This thoughtfulness was also reflected in the proximity of GEF’s office to scholars. The office was always a welcoming space for scholars and was staffed with competent and passionate community leaders. I give because I look up to GEF leaders at large. GEF played a big role in my journey to Bryn Mawr College as it follows up with scholars after they graduate from secondary school. GEF helped me to navigate the college application process and stood by me throughout the journey. I am learning a lot in college, and thank GEF for helping me to build my foundation. I appreciate that GEF helped to widen my horizons. I give because I know scholars will find my contribution inspiring and they too will want to lend a hand to younger scholars. The more of us who give, the more GEF Kenya’s alumni network will grow and the nearer we will get to a self-sustaining GEF Kenya, one scholar at a time.
Bill Campbell
Global Education Fund (GEF) is a catalyst for educational access that otherwise would not exist for many of the people it serves: this is why I give. Few organizations seek to offer this access in the way GEF does; they do it in a humble manner, honoring local populations and involving local leaders, asking them how GEF can help rather than bringing preconceived plans to the table: this is why I give. GEF seeks new ways to innovate, to leverage new technologies and new ideas, moving beyond traditional models of education whenever new approaches are needed: this is why I give. As a father, as an educator, as a PhD candidate, and as a citizen of the world, I have a passion for education, and realize its power to change lives for the better. I believe access to a relevant and worthwhile education should be considered a human right, and so does GEF. If we can help more people gain access to the world of education, the future of our world will be much brighter: this is why I give. Meeting with the Project Vision team, I was impressed with their model of globally and technologically connected, relevant, and accessible education. GEF is helping them make their innovative model a reality: this is why I give. The UN reports that 115 million children have no access to a primary education. Think about those 115 million children, and I’m sure you will give too.
Myriam Augustin
As a Haitian-American educator with many years of experience working with immigrant and poor populations in the New York City public school system, across thirteen countries in Africa, and in Haiti, I was happy to learn about Global Education Fund (GEF). GEF follows an approach based on respect for human dignity with a clear understanding that local people in the various countries around the world, no matter how poor they may be, are the primary experts of their own reality. The people know best how to come up with solutions to resolve local situations. This philosophy really speaks to me. When I had the opportunity to meet the GEF team members, I felt a sense of genuine passion and humility in their attitudes — a way of being. I felt that I was among like-minded people who worked hard and truly cared about doing something to improve the lives of children living in poverty. The level of concern and passion among the organization’s members is palpable. That is a rare quality to find among NGOs. GEF impressed me with the amount of support provided to the funded organizations and the accountability level that those organizations are then held to. I, like the members of GEF, truly believe that education is one of the cornerstones of freedom and democracy, as well as a human right. When provided with quality, relevance, care, critical thinking, and creativity, education can support the transformation of people who then transform their lives, and the lives of others around them. I support GEF because it supports a dignified transformative process.
Jane McConnell
I give to Global Education Fund because I believe education is the only way to reverse the cycle of poverty. If we can reach the most vulnerable kids—especially girls—in places like the slums of Kenya and India, and give them an opportunity, they can change the world, one community at a time. Global Education Fund has been led by a number of wonderful and committed people in both the U.S. and abroad. I am always impressed by their dedication in forging connections with education leaders on the ground. Since my introduction to GEF, through my friend (and former Executive Director) Liz Berry, I’ve seen the organization build on the success of its programs in Kenya and expand its reach to help even more students around the world. While my four children often take their schooling for granted, I’m amazed at how GEF’s students hunger for an education, often walking many miles to school and sharing desks or not even having a desk in crowded classrooms. I’m humbled to be able to play a small part in helping the organization reach its goals.
