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DREAM was founded in 1995 by Michel Zaleski, chairman, president and largest donor, who wanted to help improve the future for the children of the Dominican Republic. He decided to focus on education after visiting public schools in Cabarete with overcrowded understaffed classrooms and dilapidated facilities with no running water or electricity. Michel began by bringing down Dartmouth College students to supplement the teaching at two Cabarete public schools. He and other donors then began paying for the construction of additional classrooms, libraries and sanitary facilities at these and other schools. Realizing that a lot more could be done by having its own facilities and organizing as a registered non-profit, DREAM was formally established in 2002 in both the US and Dominican Republic.Since then, DREAM has grown from one location to now helping more than 8,000 children, youth and young adults receive a better education through its 14 programs in 28 different communities. DREAM’s programs focus on early childhood education, high quality primary education, and holistic youth development. These programs consist of neo-natal education, preschools, after school supplemental and remedial education, at-risk youth programs, summer schools and camps, fixed and mobile libraries, computer labs, age-appropriate free books for thousands of children, vocational training and much more.We work closely with community members and public school staff to assess local needs, establish quality education programs that address those needs, and provide continuous support to schools, teachers and community members to ensure success over the long-term. This is what sets us apart from other organizations.DREAM is one of the largest employers in the communities in which it works, supporting close to 80 staff and their families. DREAM’s volunteer program is a key factor in its success. Each year, hundreds of international and local volunteers work on specific DREAM projects and programs. Some reside in our communities for a year or longer.From Pulitzer Prize winner Junot Díaz, to the first Dominican-born member of Congress, Adriano Espaillat, to Grammy nominee Leslie Grace, our board consists of artists, athletes, educators and philanthropists leading the charge to educate all Dominican youth.OfficersWayne Silver –?PresidentAudra Zimmermann –?Vice PresidentJoanne Todd –?TreasurerDirectors:Peter SepeCarolyn SepeRussell NiederwerferRochelle KanellSara KeaneyKathy ChartierTim EversMary HoganColleen CollinsAdvisory committee:Deb NayborJean PennySusan YannelloMaureen RustJohn DonnellyBarbara SahaghanBethe DufresneMarcel DufresneElly GoldmanKaryl MeisterShannon DeaconDeb BurnsideDoris PhillipsSteven ButzelJane SmithKenya Coordinator:Jimmy NdirituThe Impact of American Friends of KenyaEDUCATION:AFK helps more than 300 poor, struggling village schools by sending books, promoting parent involvement, encouraging professional development, and creating networks to foster communication. The impact is amazing. AFK Network schools are making progress on national exam scores and the numbers of children advancing to the next level of education far beyond similar schools.Two shining examples:Rurama Primay School?(Meru Country) a poor village school, had national exam scores that placed them number 38 in a 40-school district, when the school joining the AFK Network in 2009. By 2012, Rurama Primary School had risen to number 20.Igamba Primary School?a struggling rural school in Central Province, had 2008 national exam scores that placed them in the lowest tier of a 56-school district. Their 2012 scores elevated them all the way to 3rd in the district. There were several factors responsible for this unprecedented accomplishment, but by all accounts, AFK’s intervention was a critical ingredient in their success.During this same 4-5 year period, Kenyan schools as a whole did not make similar strides with exam scores. Even more impressive is the fact that hundreds of AFK Network schools have made and continue to make significant progress without large annual infusions of foreign money. The Networks draw and build on the strengths within Kenya itself.LIBRARIES:AFK has been a major force in library development in Kenya. We support both individual libraries and libraries of all types within institutions (from pre-school to university) with donations of materials, training and education.AFK has shipped more than 300,000 books to our Kenyan partnersAFK volunteers from Florida raised most of the funds to construct and furnish a large community library in Thika.AFK librarians invested time and personal resources to create catalog, label and physically organize collections for two, very successful,? girls’ schools in Nairobi. One had the resources to receive and support an online database while the other currently utilizes a complete catalog card set. Today, these libraries are fully-functional due to the dedication of the librarians who maintain the collections on a daily basis and continue to remain in close contact with AFK.One of AFK partner organizations, Meru Blind and Associates (MEBA), has started one of the first community resource centers / libraries in Kenya for people with disabilities of all kinds. AFK has shipped audiobooks and braille materials as well as associated assistive devices to help them fulfill their vision.AFK partners with branch libraries of the Kenya National Library Service to ship all types of equipment, including books, processing materials,? and card catalog drawers. KNLS libraries also host many of AFK’s annual library training workshops.A remote, rural AFK Network community library in Siaya (Western Province), received a national honor (3rd in the country) two years after they opened their doors to the public.?MEDICAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION:AFK plays a significant role in strenghthening village and community health in Kenya. .AFK has shipped hundreds of crutches, wheelchairs, mobility carts, exam tables and other life-saving and diagnostic devices to our partner organizations.AFK has sent thousands of midwife kits (to ensure safe/sanitary delivery of newborns).AFK has provided over a thousand pairs of non-prescription reading glasses for both children and adults.AFK medical teams have worked in tandem with and provided on-site professional development for dozens of Kenyan nurses, community health workers and birth attendants. ................
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