The Year Ahead - 2018

While 2017 saw some of the biggest developments to date- including a complete rebrand of our organization and expansion to a second campus, we are extremely excited about what lies ahead this year.

As we enter our 13th year in operation, we have some big plans on the horizon. Not only are we continuing to develop our second campus in Kahunda, where we anticipate accepting our first residential girls and developing our Early Childhood Center this year, but in many of our programs, we are excited to partner with both private organizations and the Tanzanian government to use our model to effect larger-scale change. 

Mainsprings' second campus in Kahunda

Toward the end of 2017, three of our staff members became certified in Permaculture Design in Kenya, which will allow us to have more professional and certificate-bearing permaculture seminars on both of our campuses this year. This ultimately helps subsistence farmers better utilize their own land to feed their families, turn a profit, and restore the environment to a more natural landscape. As our own permaculture farm grows on both campuses, we also anticipate having record-breaking harvests and profits from the farm in 2018!

This past year we also partnered with several governmental and private schools to expand our adolescent reproductive health curriculum, ultimately allowing youth, especially girls, to understand their rights and roles in society and how to live a healthy life. We plan to continue to partner with the same (and more schools) in 2018, which will enable us to implement this curriculum and relay this valuable education to thousands of underprivileged youth in the region.

And, we would be remiss to not celebrate the yearly turnover that is happening in our residential

program. Every December, more girls graduate from our secondary school, realizing their dreams of higher education and the ability to live a prosperous life. While it is always sad to see them leave our house, we know that they will always be a part of the Mainsprings family and that it means we are able to accept more vulnerable girls into our family. With four graduates ‘leaving the nest’ in 2017, this means 4 new girls will be able to call Mainsprings home in 2018.

While we could write pages and pages about other exciting plans we have this year, these are just a few of the many exciting things we anticipate for 2018 and we would not be able to do it without your support! It is amazing what YOU have accomplished over these past 12 years and all of us- from the tiniest preschoolers to our entire board and staff- are extremely grateful that you continue to help us grow and work to end poverty- one child, one community at a time!

Guest Blogger Chris Gates is Mainsprings' Founder & CEO.