Starfish International

Dear Starfish Friend and Supporter,
Starfish International is a non-profit organization devoted to providing a well-rounded, quality education to girls in The Gambia, West Africa.
The core of our organization is service to humanity, and so everything we do is reflected in this virtue because we believe that girls' education, in particular, is the key to mitigating or even remedying humanity's issues. We educate 100 girls (and 30 boys) each year, exposing them to numerous resources and opportunities that they can use to further themselves and their communities. Our students are self-assured individuals who need fellow workers in this endeavor. So we welcome all service-oriented individuals who believe in our work and are willing to support us where need be, as we learn and serve together. The Starfish mentors, who are alumni of the program, guide these students, and run all programs in Starfish. They are a support system to our students, working tirelessly day in and day out to completely give of themselves.
The Starfish mentors are remunerated through the money generated from our volunteer program, which they use for school fees. However, due to COVID-19, the volunteer program has been indefinitely postponed, putting the mentor funds (and practically their education) in dire circumstances. Our mentors are the backbone of the Starfish program, and it is our hope as an organization to afford them the opportunity to have their university/college tuition paid for by Starfish.
It is our policy at Starfish to do what we can right now, with what we have, and so we have organized our first virtual Starfish Festival to raise funds to sponsor the mentors' fees. As is characteristic of Starfish, this Festival is beyond just a fundraising event. It is an opportunity to invite our supporters, family, and friends to shine some light on the world in these trying times and facilitate multicultural exchange to celebrate unity and oneness. You will also get a chance to associate with those who have benefited from the program as we highlight our beautiful culture; they will tell you more about themselves and Starfish than this letter could.
Your steadfast belief and support of us are genuinely appreciated, and as you join us for the Festival, we also invite you to consider investing to support the financial needs of the mentor program as you would be investing in dynamic servant leaders who are already doing the work and changing lives.

***Please find a video presentation about our mission and supporting girls in The Gambia throughout COVID-19 here ***

Dear Starfish Friend and Supporter,

Starfish International is a non-profit organization devoted to providing a well-rounded, quality education to girls in The Gambia, West Africa.

 The core of our organization is service to humanity, and so everything we do is reflected in this virtue because we believe that girls' education, in particular, is the key to mitigating or even remedying humanity's issues. We educate many girls (and boys) each year, giving them access to numerous resources and opportunities they can use to further themselves and their communities.

 COVID-19 has fundamentally changed the way we are able to interact with and help our students and communities. Travel and service-learning opportunities have come to a halt due to the pandemic. Funding revenues (from volunteer programs) that we would normally use to invest in projects that move us closer towards our goals have been significantly reduced.

We had to shut down all in-person programs and move all activities online. Only 60% of our students are able to access smartphones and the internet to participate in these online sessions and most of them are located in urban Gambia. The remaining 40% of the students who do not have internet or smartphone access are mostly from our rural chapters.

Starfish International had been sending mentors to these rural chapters to lead skills training programs for these girls who have the longest path to walk in attaining a well-rounded development. However, due to COVID-19, no visits or in-person training has been conducted for these girls since March 2020.

 We are focused on expanding access to online programming for our students. Through this event, we are asking for your help to fund the purchase of smartphones and data plans for our rural chapters, as well as the learning materials needed for online classes and engagement opportunities. Together, we can uplift Gambian girls by providing them with access to advanced education and critical life skills.

Please find the video recording of our virtual fundraiser and overview of Starfish International and the impact of our online programming here .

You can also learn more about our organization and programming here .

This space is part of Starfish International, a school for girls in The Gambia, in west Africa, and it desperately needs a garden transformation. The school community is hoping to beautify this space to attract more students to the school and create an environment more conducive to learning. Want to join me in making that happen? Any donation will help make an impact. 



Mariama and the landscape plan she created during our garden workshop.

Siena and her Gambian besties.

Some of the beautiful souls who just graduated.

Class under the Mango tree.

The girls working in a small garden they do have now. They are weeding the sorrel patch which is used in many of their traditional dishes. 

Us with the woman who started it all, Yassin Sarr, and her husband David. Two hearts I am so thankful and honored to know.

Click here to learn more about this incredible school.