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American Friends of Gatoto (AFG) is a U.S.-based 501(c)3 established to raise funds to support the Gatoto Primary School and its community in the Mukuru kwa Reuben slum located on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya. Largely run by volunteers, the board covers our minimal overhead so that 100% of contributions raised can go directly to support the school. The Gatoto Primary School is a pre-K thru 8 community school located in an "informal settlement" in an industrial area of Nairobi. As such, it receives no funding from the government and offers education to a community of kids who would otherwise not receive one. In the miles of urban sprawl consisting of wall-to-wall tin shacks, Gatoto is an oasis that gives kids space to run, play, and be safe. It provides access to food and sanitation, as well as a life-changing education. Founded 25 years ago by community leaders, it provides a non-religiously affiliated education to more than 1,000 children equally divided between boys and girls. In addition, students receive two hot meals a day. This is often their only food and a strong reason for parents to keep their kids in school, resulting in an impressive 98% student retention rate. AFG's support helps fill the gap between the $12 annual tuition charged to parents and the $300 actual cost per student. AFG also supports the surrounding community through Gatoto School's umbrella organization, the Gatoto Integrated Development Program (GIDP), a registered Kenyan charity. The school employs a social worker who supports families struggling with malnutrition, low wages, many health issues including HIV/AIDS, and other family problems. For high-achieving students whose test scores allow them to continue their education, GIDP offers financial grants to give access to secondary, college and even graduate-level education; a pathway otherwise almost impossible for a Mukuru child to achieve. It also offers alumni mentorship, and many alums return to the school to help teach while saving for future studies. In addition, AFG specifically supports other programs, capital projects, and emergency response funding in this high-performing, community-directed primary school.

Defy’s mission is to change mindsets to give people with criminal histories their best shot at a second chance. Defy’s vision is to reduce recidivism by 50% by leveraging entrepreneurship as a tool to increase economic opportunity and transform lives. They work to transform the skillsets and mindsets of currently and formerly incarcerated adults as well as the hearts and minds of the business community in support of a common thesis that people with a criminal history deserve a fair chance to reenter society and fulfill their potential.

Mission: To promote human advancement by engaging the poor in rural Guatemala through health and community development to effect long-term change in families and their communities Our goal is to break the vicious cycle of poverty by working hand-in-hand with the indigenous Mayans in rural mountain communities in San Martin, Jilotepeque. We engage the people to participate in projects to improve their health and overall well-being. At the same time they learn skills and strategies to promote sustainable development in their communities.