The latest installment in the Spotlight series features an insightful Q&A with Carol Wright, the wonderful ambassador behind one of our most popular projects — the Tenderfeet School in Kenya. For five years, she has thrown herself into this project to help children in Kenya — and the rewards have been both emotional and tremendous. Here’s Carol’s story…

Why did you apply to be part of the Collette Foundation?

My own inability to have children was the driving force for me to apply—I wanted to help other children since I could not have any… The Tenderfeet kids are “my kids.” I will do everything in my power to make their lives as great as possible, to give them more opportunities in life to excel — the way I would with my own kids.

 How did you find your project?  

After months of searching — Google became my new best friend — we had found a few that we could have helped, but we had a sense that they really did not need us, one of which had the backing of Hillary Clinton – even in their response time back to us was very poor.  So we wanted to keep looking for someone who Collette could make a big impact on… someone who needed us the way we needed them.  A few months later we found the Tenderfeet School. They were a perfect fit. I know we have made a big impact on them. But it’s nothing compared to the impact they have made on me. On all of us at Collette, really.

What is your project?  

Tenderfeet is a school for children who do not have the means to pay for school. They have lost one if not both parents to AIDS.  In Kenya, children have to pay to attend school, they also have to wear a uniform, and a special uniform for PE class. It all adds up and some kids simply cannot afford an education at all because of it.

What is the single most rewarding experience you’ve had as ambassador?

I’ve had three—I heard from our contact here in the US that our first group of travelers visited the school and loved it. I was sitting at my desk and when I saw that email and I cried it meant so much to me that our travelers had been able to visit (prior to that time there had been unrest in the area so this accomplishment took about a year to happen). To hear that they got there was music to my ears, and to hear they felt so strongly about their visit made me cry. These kids are so special. I really wanted the travelers to see that. And they absolutely did. Every group since then has also felt the same kind of powerful, emotional connection.

Another rewarding moment: The Collette Foundation funded the building of a school for the kids. Once the school was complete I received a photo, and I saw the blue roof with the quote “blue like the sky” from Mama Margaret. I was so proud! Margaret said she had wanted the roof to be blue just like the sky and I know it meant a lot to her. To see her excitement and to see that the plans were followed through with her goals in mind really meant a lot to me.

The last – possibly MOST rewarding experience for me… I was able to visit Tenderfeet for myself! I got to actually see the school meet Margaret and the kids. This experience meant more to me than I could ever put into words. My 16-year career at Collette has taken me around the world, to so many amazing countries and places. I’ve taken 11 trips and I’ve met wonderful people and built the best memories. This trip to Kenya, though, topped them all. It meant the world to me. In just about every way, this trip was the best one of my life — meeting my kids. I cannot wait to go back.

How often do you talk to the contacts at the school and get updates?

We receive a monthly newsletter, and we hear from our US contact.  We have had a few conference calls with Margaret who is in Kenya during the construction of the school. It’s not that easy to get her on the phone as the phone connection can be spotty in Kenya. The relationship is ongoing and strong. We work together toward one mission — to help these children.

What do passengers think of the school? 

The passengers who visited with me loved it. We did not want to leave.  We have heard from others who say it was the highlight of the tour!  Some have
felt so strongly they have come home and made very generous donations.

Have any of the children made an impact on your life? If so – who?

Honestly, they all have made an impact on me. If I’m having a bad day—or if something is not going my way—I look at a photo of them, and remember how happy they are—and my troubles don’t matter anymore. They put a smile back on my face!

Guest Blogger: Linda Sokoloski from Global Grannies

In 1997, the “Global Grannies” – a group of mature women who take opportunities to learn by traveling the world – had just 3 members with one thing in common – they wanted to travel. Word spread, trips were organized and now the organization has close to 300 members nationwide! For the past 14 years, I have enjoyed the wonderful privilege of organizing up to 12 trips each year for the inspiring “Grannies.”

In November of 2010, I escorted 22 members on a Collette Vacations Kenya safari which started a lifetime project of giving back. I am a very experienced traveler but this visit to Kenya took me by surprise. We knew the tour was stopping at the Tenderfeet School – a Collette Foundation project site. What we didn’t know was how deeply the people that occupied that school would touch us all.

The hope and happiness the children displayed pulled at our heartstrings; and the determination and commitment from the teachers blew us away. Mama Margaret, who runs the school, is a truly amazing woman that is making a difference in many young lives in Nairobi.  These children are the bright future of Kenya. Once we met them, we knew we wanted to be a part of the mission too.

After that trip, the ladies gave donations to the Tenderfeet School to help provide the students with uniforms. Receiving a photo of all the children holding a sign thanking us was a very humbling and proud moment. It reminded me how in need these students are, and made me want to do more.

On the anniversary of our trip, the ladies and I decided to do something really special. We collected enough donations to have a water tank built at the school and to send all of Tenderfeet’s students on an educational field trip to the Nairobi Zoo. It meant a lot to be able to provide the school with a physical necessity as well as an experience that we hope they will keep with them for the rest of their lives.

They say that the wildlife in Kenya is what draws people to visit the country, but the people are what make you want return.  This couldn’t be truer in my mind. The yearly connection our group has with the Tenderfeet School keeps the memory of our trip alive and reminds me just how good giving back feels.

“Asante Sana” is a phrase we learned on our trip. It means “many thanks.” The children at the school said it to us when we left as they waved goodbye. Now, the Global Grannies say “Asante Sana!” to the children and teachers at the remarkable Tenderfeet School.

Meet Gary – an Ambassador for the SuAnne Big Crow Boys and Girls Club at the Pine Ridge Reservation. In this one-on-one interview, Gary sits down with guest blogger, Meghan Kelly, and tells the story of how a little hope can go a long way… even in the face of tragedy.

So you’re a Collette Foundation Ambassador! Have you always wanted to do that?

I always kept it in the back of my mind that I’d like to get involved with a really worthwhile cause in a very hands-on way. In the past, I have made monetary donations to some great causes and have walked for Jimmy Fund… but I’ve never really rolled my sleeves up to help. I have been keeping an eye out for a project that would be a good fit.

How did you learn about the Pine Ridge Reservation?

A friend from the Collette Foundation mentioned the SuAnne Big Crow Boys and Girls Club on the Pine Ridge Reservation to me; I was instantly intrigued, but I always research a project before jumping in. What I discovered in my research astonished me. SuAnne Big Crow was a star athlete, standout student… and an inspiration to the youth of Pine Ridge. She always encouraged them and wanted the best for all of them. When an NBC broadcast negatively portrayed the youth from the Pine Ridge Reservation, SuAnne was infuriated. She told her family of her dream to someday have a building where children at Pine Ridge could be safe, learn and be encouraged to excel.

When SuAnne tragically perished in a car accident at just 17 years old, her mother Chick Big Crow, decided to fulfill her daughter’s dream in her honor. Chick – along with the help of the National Boys and Girls Club of America – created the first site for a Native American Boys and Girls Club. I learned the story and I knew that I had to help.

What was the site like upon your first visit?

When I arrived at the club, I saw a beautiful building that had been built 10 years ago. The outside filled me with a sense of hope. When I stepped inside, however, I saw that the building was in disrepair. Most of the lighting did not work, the facility was very dirty and the pool had no cycling water, which created a foul smell throughout the building. The facility didn’t have enough funds to open on a regular basis and there were only two employees, Chick and a single volunteer. 130 Native American children were signed up for the club, but there would be 20 kids at most on an average day. During that first visit, there were only three children there. It was sad and made me want to immediately get to work.

What kind of work have you done?

I’ve met with people who could potentially improve this club – from the Health Education and Promotion Council of South Dakota and the American Red Cross to Tribal leaders, Indian health services and executives from the Governor’s Office.

During my next four visits, I examined the club in detail, taking inventory of what was needed. I studied their accounting and attendance records while making sure the funds the Collette Foundation had donated were being spent properly. I got my hands dirty with fixing things and cleaning up the club making it a more appealing place for kids in hopes to boost attendance. I had also become a member of the Board of Directors for the club and was able to meet some of the other members to brainstorm plans for the club.

What has improved since your first visit?

The biggest improvement that I have seen at the club is its morale. There is hope now. While the club still cannot afford to hire employees, Chick has at her side enough volunteers to feed and work with the children. The club is now open three days a week and in the past twelve months there have been substantial improvements in the club’s equipment. All the lights have been fixed, their restaurant is working on a 5-day schedule, the pool is cleaned, there are fully functional pool tables. There is an art room and six working computers. Since getting involved, I am happy to note that the club has received more financial contributions and an increased amount of children attending on a daily basis.

So what’s next for you and the Club?

One of the main short-term goals is to have the club fully operating almost every day of the week. We want to make sure that the key programs of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America are re-instated into this club and children are participating in them on a regular basis. We are looking to build an endowment of $7 million within the next two years and are hoping to raise $350,000 in small grants and donations.

We hope to improve the restaurant as well – so the children can enjoy healthier food. We are hoping to build a wellness center for members and to create some work preparation programs for older members.

I imagine that Chick is pretty happy with the partnership…

She’s so grateful and happy to work with the Collette Foundation – just as we’re so elated to work with her in achieving SuAnne’s dreams. She’s come so far. From the seed of an idea planted after tragedy, she’s watched the club grow from a tiny building to where it is now. She’s watched that building flourish into the place it is today… and I think she has hope it can be all SuAnne wanted it to be. And more.

Any plans to return?

Of course! I actually just returned from a visit last week. The club celebrated its 20th anniversary… and 10th anniversary of the main building. What’s truly moving is that June 2nd has now been declared SuAnne Big Crow Day in South Dakota! It was a wonderful celebration with a lot of faces to show how much support it now has behind it. It was full of promise.

We have so many great plans ahead. Stay tuned!

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My Visit to the Tenderfeet School

By: Carol Sullivan from the White Mountain Hotel & Resort

I have wanted to visit the Tenderfeet school for a few years now, since the Collette Foundation first introduced this incredible project. Located on the outskirts of Nairobi, conditions here are bleak at best with an estimated 1 million people living in a 1 square mile radius. There is no running water, no electricity and no employment. Most families in Kibera live on $1 per day.

Prior to our visit, we asked Allison what would be best to bring to the school as a donation. Due to a luggage weight restriction on our flight from Kilimanjaro to Nairobi, we decided we couldn’t carry our donations over from the States. Upon arrival into Nairobi, we set off very early for downtown Nairobi to Rusky’s – the “Kenyan Wal-mart” – to purchase toothpaste, red pens, boys’ and girls’ underwear, socks, and soccer balls. We made all of our purchases and headed off the school with our tour guide and driver.

We were greeted immediately by all of the students upon arrival with beautiful songs, skits, poems and many, many smiles. There are currently 105 students in the school ranging in age from 3 to 11 years old.  The goal of the school is to provide a free education to less fortunate children, set the foundation of the importance of  English studies to prepare them for a solid middle and high school education.

Each classroom houses a different grade starting with the little ones in pre-kindergarten and all the way up to 6th grade. The children are preparing for the entrance into middle school and are reading and writing above grade level and doing complex math equations. The children are all served breakfast and a hot lunch every day. These are typically the only meals these children receive during the day. If the school didn’t exist, these children may not eat at all, or if they are lucky would receive one meal per day. The school recently acquired a small plot of land next to the classrooms and they have planted a field of corn, to help with the daily meals.

The school bus (purchased by the Collette Foundation and Hasbro) picks the children up between 6 and 7 am and some of the children don’t go home until 6 or 7pm. These long days are typically a result of the children not having anyone at home to go home to, and the teachers all wait until there is a parent or guardian at home.

As we were meeting all of the students and classrooms, we were introduced to one special boy, Benson Ngecho (pictured above), who is currently battling Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and has a large tumor in his neck. He attends school, even though he is not feeling well, as it is a better alternative than being at home. He does what he can at school and rests when he is not feeling well. There is currently a fundraising campaign at the School to raise money for Benson’s cancer treatments. The White Mountain Hotel & Resort hosted a Celebrity Wine Weekend this past April to help donate to Benson’s cancer treatments.

After our overwhelming greeting by the children with many, many welcome songs and poems, Mother Margaret Nyabuto, the founder of the school, brought us into her office to show us the books and uniforms; she purchases all the fabric and yarn for the uniforms and then has a local tailor make all the uniforms, as she could never afford buying them in a store.

We donated 100 pair of girls’ underwear and 100 pair of boys’ underwear, as well as 100 pair of blue and black uniform socks to the school. “Mama Margaret” distributes these later to the students as necessary. We also gave all of the younger students toothpaste (pictured below), and donated 15 soccer balls the school. The kids played a pick-up soccer game for us and had a blast. Mama Margaret is a mother of four children herself and has also taken four of these orphaned children into her own home as they had no surviving family or relative to care for them. Her daughter is a teacher at school as well.

When we gave her our personal check as a donation to the school she cried and hugged us both and said, “this donation has given me the strength to continue.” Single-handedly, this woman cares for the health, welfare, nutrition and education of 105 kids. She said that it is a hard job, but with the support of donations like ours and the support of the Collette Foundation, it motivates her to continue her very important work at the school. Our donation is being used to finish the new two new classrooms that she just built as well as Benson’s cancer treatments.

Our support of the Tenderfeet School started long before our departure to Africa. At Christmas I make donations to six charities, one for each of my husband Gary’s children, one for Gary and one for our granddaughter Julia. Tenderfeet has an annual Christmas Uniform Drive in December to raise money for the children’s school uniforms. Some of the sweaters the kids are wearing are several years old and are passed from student to student and are unraveled up to their elbows.

This past Christmas, I was in for a wonderful and moving surprise. My stepson, Ryan, was the one I chose to make my donation in honor of this year. Not only did I pick the Tenderfeet School as my charitable donation for Ryan, but Ryan, Vanessa, and Trevor all made a donation to the uniform drive in my honor. I started this tradition with the kids several years ago and we have shared some wonderfully meaningful stories about our charitable donation choices during the Christmas season. We truly enjoy making it a season of giving.

I was especially moved by that wonderful Christmas gesture after my visit. I can still picture the really little children at the school – ages 3 and 4; they were so truly thrilled to see us. The teacher kept telling the kids to sit in their seats, but as soon as I started taking pictures they swarmed me, and all wanted to see their picture on the digital camera. I have never in my life been so overwhelmed with joy in seeing such smiling faces.

All of these remarkable children come from poverty… a kind of poverty that most of us have never seen or experienced. Yet they are happy. They are productive. They want to learn and they are so eager to change the world.

All I can say is – they changed my world. I hope to return to the school at some time in the future, to see the progress of these students and to visit again with Mama Margaret. I am forever touched by the spirit, energy, smiles and laughter of all the children. I am forever changed by my visit to the Tenderfeet School.

I had the pleasure recently of sitting down with Jared Venetuolo, an Accounting Manager for Collette, to discuss his work as a mentor at the Pawtucket Boys and Girls Club. He shared it all with me — the ups, the downs — and the ultimate reward. Check out Jared’s Story:

Why did you choose to become a mentor?

I didn’t actually. I had been interested in it, gone to a seminar about it, even collected the paperwork. But I was hesitant. I was worried that I wouldn’t be exactly what the child I was matched with needed, that I wouldn’t accomplish the goals of a proper mentor. About a month after the seminar, Collette’s CEO came up to me and told me out of the blue that he thought I should be a mentor at the Club. He said I’d be a good fit. So I decided to give it a try. It was a great decision.

What is being a mentor like?

It’s been great. I’ve been involved since November 2011. I was paired with a 10-year-old boy named Nathan. We meet for one hour each week. Sometimes we work on his math or science homework. I taught him how to play Checkers because he loves to play games. We play a lot of basketball. We talk about school, his goals; it’s great getting to know him. The program took care of the matching and it worked out great.

What is Nathan like?

He is a smart kid. And driven! Even before we were paired as mentor/mentee, he would go to the club every day that it was open. I think he was looking for direction and help. He chose to be there. When he heard that there was an opportunity to have a mentor from Collette, he signed right up. He is only 10, but he has actively pursued any opportunity to better himself and get some guidance. He is a go-getter — and that’s been refreshing and motivating for me as well.

Just because I am his mentor does not mean that he can’t teach me a few things. He does. Weekly.

What has been the most rewarding experience in being a mentor?

When we first met, Nathan would get down easily, get sad or frustrated with little reason. He would say whatever he thought, without thought to the consequences. Jeffrey, the man at the club in charge of the mentoring program, recently told me that my influence on Nathan has been very positive. He told me that he used to be more defiant, talk back and sulk. He told me that he’s become much more positive and sensitive. He said that he talks about me all the time at the club and to his parents. That was such a huge compliment! Jeffrey told me that Nathan says that he can’t get in trouble on Wednesdays because it could cut into his time with me. That means a lot. We have a close bond and I am happy to know that our time has been rewarding for Nathan, too.