Our names are Braden Tollar and Keshav Harpavat, and we are high school students in Houston, Texas. Motivated by our love for math and commitment to volunteer service, our goal is to raise funds to bring meaningful math education and connect with children in underserved communities in Makhanda, South Africa. We plan to accomplish this through weekly virtual lessons (Fall 2025 – Spring 2026), followed by an in-person visit in March 2026 that strengthens the program through face-to-face teaching and cultural exchange.

Our organization, Math Made Simple (https://mathmadesimple.vercel.app/), has partnered with Awarenet (Awarenet Website), a local educational organization with a focus on IT in South Africa, and have been working together toward a shared mission: to educate and empower the youth through mathematics, its real-world applications, and the development of strong problem-solving skills.

By tutoring these young students, we aim to support their academic growth and open doors for future success. In just a few months of teaching, we have already seen significant improvement in their confidence, critical thinking, and understanding of math. We have built an impressive relationship with these children and as teachers, we hope to connect and interact with these children in person. We look forward to continuing this work, and we hope to earn your support as we expand our impact and fundraise for our trip.