We are incredibly excited to announce the MSNF leaders of 2017! Some of these leaders are already part of our family, and some are new additions this year. We are honored to be able to support the vision each has for their community by funding the projects described below, and by supporting them in any other way we can. Stay tuned for more about these leaders in 2018, and until then, have a wonderful holiday season!
James Kofi Annan – Founder and President of Challenging Heights in Ghana
As a part of their 5-year plan to put an end to child trafficking in Ghana’s fishing industry, Challenging Heights is expanding the capacity of their shelter where rescued children receive counseling, medical care, and education until they can safely reenter their communities. Our support will help to launch phase one of this expansion project.
Paul Dean – Co-Founder and Executive Director of Jounce Partners in Philadelphia
In order to expand their coaching model to more of Philadelphia’s high-need schools, the Jounce team aims to hire an additional School Acceleration Partner in 2018. Our funding will cover the costs of hiring and training this new team member, who will then be able to coach at several new school sites and significantly expand Jounce’s impact on student outcomes across the city.
Bhanuja Sharan Lal – Director at MSEMVS in India
In 2016, we created a partnership with Bhanuja and his team at MSEMVS to expand the reach of their anti-slavery model to four new districts around the Varanasi area in Northern India. This expansion means that more than 200 new families will receive support to escape bonded labor, livelihood training, education, and guidance in establishing community vigilance committees.
Sam Singh – Founder of PPES in India
PPES has been incredibly successful in educating young women from K through 12th grade, and they hope to launch a new post-secondary support program to increase the likelihood that their graduates will go on to complete their higher education. Our grant will cover the costs of hiring a new program coordinator, creating a career counseling curriculum, and hiring several teachers in STEM fields who can better prepare students for college-level coursework.
Katie Meyler – Founder and CEO of More Than Me in Liberia
Given the success of their first school, the More Than Me Academy, Katie and her team were tapped by the Ministry of Education in Liberia to be a partner in their nation-wide effort to improve schools and thus improve outcomes for children. We are excited to be able to sponsor the launch of a new More Than Me school which will open its doors in 2018.
Umra Omar – Founder and Director of Safari Doctors in Kenya
We will be supporting Safari Doctors in their effort to provide medical care to the extremely remote communities of Lamu, Keyna by helping the team to hire two new staff members who are critical to the long-term success and sustainability of the organization. Our grant will also cover all the costs of the entire annual supply of medicines needed to treat their patients.
Julie-Anne Savarit Cosenza – Co-Founder and Executive Director of the African Education Program in Zambia
Julie-Anne and her team aim to expand the number of college scholarships they are able to provide promising students and create a new college prep program to ensure their success through their higher education. Our grant will help to provide 10 additional scholarships, and cover the costs of piloting the new prep program for all students approaching their college transition.
R. Evon Idahosa – Founder and Executive Director of Pathfinders Justice Initiative in Nigeria
With our support, Evon and her team will have the resources they need to scale up their services to women who have survived sex-trafficking and gender-based violence in Edo State, Nigeria. We are very excited to help them build out their leadership capacity building, including the hiring of a program manager, and increase the number of survivors they support in 2018.
Ngor Majak Anyieth – Founder and CEO of Education Bridge in South Sudan
Our grant will help Majak and his team to create a high-quality peacebuilding curriculum that will be taught to every student in the schools Education Bridge launches in South Sudan. We hope this curriculum will inspire students to become leaders who will advocate for peace throughout their nation.
Mouaz Moustafa – Founder and Executive Director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force in Syria
Mouaz and his team provide critical humanitarian support and civil training to the people of Syria as they attempt to rebuild their communities up from the rubble of conflict. Our grant will help Mouaz launch a new Women’s Center that will serve 100 women with counseling, wellness workshops and training for livelihood projects.