Kawelle

An Interview with Co-Founder and Director of Kawelle, Dan Corrigan. Kawelle serves children in Africa with school supplies and other needed resources.

Why Africa? What stirred your heart to start a non-profit supporting education overseas?

First, as a teacher by trade education is a passion of mine and I have become well aware of how a focus in education can change lives and make dreams of students come true. It wasn't until college that I realized how fortunate I was growing up to receive a free public education that would allow me to pursue any avenue I chose. It’s something most students here in the states take for granted by wanting days off, enjoying days where a substitute teacher may just show a video, or by putting forth limited effort to just get by. I was inspired through many texts which described the educational systems overseas and how they very much differed from what I was used to. My growing knowledge of various oversea educational systems grew further when I met my wife, Jaclyn, who spent many months volunteering in Liberia as a dental hygienist. She met numerous young people and become a part of the community while she was there. She told me stories and showed me pictures of the lives of the youth in Liberia and the in-adequate educational system where students have no supplies and resources to attend schools, and where in many rural areas there is no school to even attend. The need is much greater in the areas we serve and our passion for Africa stems from that.

The second area of focus, Kisumu Kenya, came through discussions with Future in Our Hands (FOH) which helps to support teachers at Kanyamedha Mixed Secondary school in Kisumu Kenya since the teachers there receive no salary; only that which the non-profit FOH donates. As we began planning the trip, FOH arranged for us to stay with a teacher they sponsor named Paul. We began speaking with Paul about what we could do at the school once we arrived. We never took the missions trip with FOH, because we soon realized that Paul and Kanyamedha Mixed Secondary school was in much need for something greater than just two people looking for a missions trip; they needed school supplies and professional development that could be investments for the   future of their students. We saw a community with leaders who would take hold of and pursue their missions to succeed, but they needed help.

     We decided that we needed to do something for these two communities and soon asked friends of ours, Courtney McCann and Yan Shmatnik, if they would volunteer in adopting a mission to help bring the dreams of these students to fruition, thus starting Kawelle. Both are extremely talented, humble, and passionate individuals. Yan does web and graphic design through his business, Klyk Studios and offered to create the web appeal of Kawelle. Courtney aids with her resilient attitude, willingness to make a difference, extremely creative ideas, and as Kawelle's sole grant writer.

Your working on sending your first container of supplies, what do you hope it accomplishes and where specifically is it going?

The supplies will be going to both the school in Bong County Liberia and the school in Kisumu Kenya. They will provide students the ability to receive a better, more profitable education. Their imaginations will be put to work through the novels they receive. The expansion of knowledge on topics they never heard of will be gained from the textbooks they receive. They will be able to study what they have learned due to being able to take books home with backpacks and the reviewing of notes they took using pencils and paper.

What else is on your heart to do through Kawelle?

Never will Kawelle be an organization that thinks we know what is best for the communities we serve. These communities already have the answers to their problems yet lack the resources to act. Kawelle's  mission is focused around empowering those communities, helping them to become self-sufficient, and aiding in getting the resources to them they need. Our mission is simply the dreams and aspirations that already exist within the students of these communities.

How can people get involved?

People can get involved through any number of ways:

1) Pray

2) Spread the word by educating others about the need that exists within these communities. Doing this first will then help people to want to get more involved with any of the suggestions below.

3) Hold a Kawelle fundraiser such as a gift basket auction, garage sale, office gathering, benefit dinner, etc.

4) Organize clubs in your school, child's school, or college that support Kawelle with educating, fundraising, and supply collecting. Service clubs can be a huge help.

5) Attend our events. We hold a few events a year that we hope are family fun and enjoyable for all who attend. Attendance at these events helps raise awareness and funds for Kawelle.

6) Donate any denomination to Kawelle through our website. We are 100% volunteer with no staff and all donations go strictly towards our cause.

Where do you see the organization in five years?

We hope to have regular donors and partnerships, sponsorships and scholarships for students, have the teachers receiving our professional development become the trainers themselves for newer teachers, and create a holistic school in each community by creating sports programs and youth development programs.!