Beneficiary highlight: The Tandana Foundation

The Tandana Foundation is our first quarter beneficiary in the category of Poverty and Health. They are currently supporting several projects, including a school for literacy among young mothers in Mali and environmental efforts to prevent deforestation in Ecuador. 

Representatives recently reached out to us to let us know they've started ten new literacy classes for new women students in several new villages. There are currently thirty women in each new class. These classes begin with the pretest to assess each woman's knowledge, and then they begin to study their first letters and numbers. 

The student mothers program supports girls from rural villages who are living in the town of Bandiagara so they can attend middle school. They have to find families to host them, and if they get pregnant, the families usually send them back to their villages and they have to drop out of school. This program provides training for the families to explain that they can still host the students even if they are young mothers.  It also provides food and basic medical supplies for the babies, so they are not an extra cost to the families. It helps girls stay in school despite the challenges of motherhood. 

"I can’t even name all the advantages of this support, because they are numerous and have helped me a lot. . . . Learning has become easier at school.  Thanks to this support, I haven’t been late or missed class because I had to nurse my baby.  The parents I live with take better care of my baby. Thanks to your support, I passed from 8^th grade into 9^th grade.”    

– Mariam Doumbo, student mother

We're so honored to support The Tandana Foundation in this vital work. To support our Humanist Grants program, click here.