http://www.studentleadershipchallenge.com/Resource/resource-newsJan12-profile-AsanteAfrica.aspx

Participating teachers

As Tanzanian students move out of primary school and into secondary, the medium language of instruction changes from Kiswahili to English. Most students have neither the opportunity nor the means with which to experience and utilize English effectively to ensure their academic success in an all-English classroom.

In order to better facilitate this transition, Asante Africa Foundation has been collaborating with local school officials and Takako Mino, a former Debate Outreach Associate from Claremont McKenna College to implement a district wide English language debate competition for students at our partnering schools.

An ESL debate competition would provide opportunity for meaningful application of English for students and teachers alike, empowering and motivating participants. Asante Africa Foundation’s first step toward this endeavor is to provide debate training seminars for participating schools and their teachers. These seminars were recently completed and profiled on Discover Voice, as Takako Mino reflects on the experience.

Read more about it!!

Amid the cool November evening, Asante Africa supporters were unified for one purpose: to create change and opportunity for East African children through quality education.

Orion School Students

The evening included the presentation of the first “Power of WE” award to Orion Alternative School, located in Redwood City, CA. In April 2011, the students of Orion held a Walk-A-Thon to raise funds for desks at one of our partnering schools in Kenya. Students raised $3500 during their Walk-A-Thon, enough to provide approximately 100 desks for students at Montonyak Primary School!  For their commitment and the size of their hearts, Asante Africa Foundation was proud to honor Orion School!

An authentic family-style African dinner followed as CEO/Founder, Erna Grasz led us on a journey, profiling Asante Africa’s community, achievements and the anticipation of the road ahead.

Dancers and musicians from Cheza Nami Foundation delivered energetic and festive performances that engaged and entertained.

Escape to Zanzibar was a successful and memorable event for all in attendance and more importantly for the future of East African students!

If you weren’t able to ‘Escape with us to Zanzibar,’ you can still join us in creating quality education for East African children. Click here and learn how.

Watch the exclusive video that was presented at the event here.

Don’t miss out! View the event photos here.

Students in action!

As we prepare to celebrate and reflect on the commitment of our donors, the invested passion of our volunteers and the amazing community of our student scholars and their families, we recently received an email that put all of our hard work and YOUR dedication into perspective.

Madame Yohana Mcha, the director of one of our partnering schools wanted to update us on what it’s been like to have a science lab and its effect on her students’ outlook as they finish their Science practicals.

As many of her students enthusiastically put it, “Madam, science is so SIMPLE. You should FORCE everyone to take science subjects next year!”

The opportunity to utilize the proper equipment in science experiments and applications  has made a world of difference for these students.

“They had all of it,—the chemicals, the gas system, the water system, not to mention the right environment for proper science experiments. THANKS TO ASANTE AFRICA FOUNDATION!!!”   — Madame Mcha

 Thanks to YOU! Your support and dedication toward creating quality education for East African children is what makes this possible!

“We each bring talents and gifts to an organization. They come from our cultures, our formal training, our life’s learning and our values. We as a team are stronger when we acknowledge and appreciate those unique attributes and take advantage of each others’ strengths.” – Erna Grasz, CEO/Founder, Asante Africa Foundation

Check out the full range of photos on FLICKR site.

http://flickr.com/gp/doe_jgi/874Y6J/

IMAGINE what $63 a month can do for an East African Child this School Year and see how far your dollar will go.

This monthly amount puts a deserving child in school for one year.  More importantly, it provides a child the opportunity to achieve their dreams.

In 2010-2011 Asante Africa Foundation funded over 153 scholarships in Kenya and Tanzania. Asante Africa Foundation’s merit-based scholarships are awarded based on academic excellence as well as financial need. This means that the best and the brightest students who would otherwise miss the opportunity to nurture their dreams in the classroom, will be given the chance to realize their potential.

Of our existing student population, 60% of students are girls who need a chance at education, not an early marriage. At least 67% of our students are orphaned with teenage siblings or grandparents as their guardians. 100% of these children have brothers, sisters and other family members depending on them to succeed.

As we move into a new school year, we are asking for your support to provide a scholarship. A scholarship will guarantee that a deserving student begins the new school year in January 2012 with the support and resources they need to succeed.

The 2011-2012 cost of an annual scholarship is $750 ($63 a month):
A scholarship covers the expense of textbooks, exam fees, tuition, boarding with meals, and personal items such as uniforms, shoes, and study aids.

As Asante Africa Foundation continue to meet our goals and set the bar for growth, our student scholarships play a significant role in creating a positive avenue for change and opportunity.  That is why nearly half of our general donations go toward scholarship funding.

For $63 a month, YOU can help US give CHILDREN the opportunity to create a brighter future for themselves, their families and their communities. Fuel the potential that will resonate beyond the walls of the classroom.

DONATE TODAY!

Elizabeth Reese hosted two events at her lovely home complete with authentic African meals prepared by Sadia Nuhu, South African wine tasting courtesy of Eddie Buhidar and the guys at Liquid Town, African dancing, and a presentation by Erna that opened the hearts and minds of guests.

Erna also spoke to students’ at Corpus Christi Montessori and Windsor Park Elementary Schools and engaged the Northwest Rotary Club during their weekly meeting at The Chicken Shack.

In just two days Corpus Christi gave $8,600 going toward the construction of a girls’ dormitory at Nyahuru Primary School in Kenya, where nearly half of the student body is made up of children whose education was derailed when their families fled the political conflict and ethnic violence of December 2007.

Thank you to the life long family of friends and supporters we made in Corpus Christi, August 2011!  For more information on how your city can get involved in supporting QUALITY education for East African children through the Asante Africa Foundation, please contact us at info@asanteafrica.org, 925.292.0245.

Asante Sana Corpus Christi!

JULIUS - Grade 1, Tanzania

Julius is a 6 year old boy in Tanzania. Like most 6 old boys, he enjoys playing with his friends, playing soccer, and getting dirty as he build forts out of stones and sticks.

Julius has had his share of struggles in his short life thus far. We first met Julius as a 3 year old attending the nursery school we helped build in Tanzania. At the time he was a street child, with only a mentally ill mother who frequent abused him with hot sticks from the fire. That has all changed for the better.

Due to the proactive involvement of the Principal at the Nursery School, partnering with Asante Africa, he was placed into a full time boarding school that accepted boarders in grade 1 ( very unusual). As he entered Class 1, he faced a different challenge. He was one student amongst 147 students with a single teacher with minimal teaching aids and materials.

We were excited to check in with Julius this past week to see how he was adjusting to his new school and how he was faring in such a big class.  When he heard that Albert, Asante Africa’s scholarship coordinator, was at the school office he came running. He had news to share. He stood very tall and he announced that he had scored very high on all his tests and he was ranked #5 out of 147 students. When he was teased about how could this be true, he loudly responded, “Truly, it is all True” with highly  animated body language as well as confident voice. He, naturally has to do a few photo poses with Albert and take a few photos himself to celebrate.

Julius is excited to see Albert- to share his good news

And then, Julius, as a happy boy went back to playing soccer and getting dirty with his friends after school.

Because of well intentioned global minded citizens,teachers, advocates, and donors who sponsor children like Julius, all of these children have a better chance with a stronger start and potentially a better life longer term. Asante Sana ( Many thanks to all of you).

Julius looks at the photos he just took

Two young girls are very happy for their lunch time meal

We are all reading about the severe drought and food shortages  in Sub-Sahara Africa, but our team personally witnessed this horrible  struggle the local people are dealing with on a daily basis.

Hundreds of Children come for a meal

It is about  1pm in the afternoon and  hundreds of children are making their way  from the many distant hills, traveling up to 10km, moving toward the school grounds. It is school break and no classes are being taught, but that is irrelevant.  Every child was carrying some type of cup, bowl or container to hold a bit of food and many children were carrying another baby or smaller child on their backs.

The “Kenyans Help Kenya” program was providing food for all
the school age children during this time. An old classroom had been converted into a makeshift kitchen and the food that was being served consisted of a combination of maize, beans, and a bit of soy product. This will be the only meal for these children of the day. There was order amongst the chaos with all the children excitedly lined up in front of the makeshift kitchen for one of
the local mamas to spoon food into their containers.

Children are lined up holding bowls in hand

As each child received their  bowl full of food,  they quickly
began to group together to find a place to sit – the older girls together, the smaller toddlers, the  mid primary aged boys. They eagerly searched for stones to sit on, trees that might have a bit of
shade, or in one case even sitting under a tarp (in a  makeshift “fort” who only allowed certain friends into).

Not everyone is welcome "into the secret fort"

We- Asante Africa Foundation – happen to be at the school on  this particular day to celebrate with the parents ( mamas and babas and community leaders) as we signed a Memorandum of Understanding to begin building 4 new teachers houses in this tough, harsh teaching environment. (currently 4 men live in one small hut sharing the space- no families allowed because no private quarters).

As we mingled with the children before the meeting began, we realized how critical this “Kenyans help Kenya” program really is.  Several of these children were so emaciated and on the edge of survival. Without food in the stomachs, education cannot be realized.In spite of their hunger and their hardships, they behaved as all children do. They wanted to be photographed with their friends, they wanted to sing for us, and they teased  each other playfully. Children are children worldwide with the same hearts, with the same desires and same dreams, but these children just have the additional hardships of survival day to day.

All children have the same heart, smile and dreams

As you read this, pause and be grateful for all that you have in your life, and know that as long as each of us does the small bit that we can, we are “THE POWER OF WE” –  because everyone is working together and having a big impact together.