Dear West End School community,
Right before the pandemic began, I was introduced to the young students at West End School, and my first impression convinced me to continue working for them for years to come. After spending some time with all of the supporters to the school and understanding the intricacies of how this organization works, I was reminded of an African proverb, “It takes a village.”
After doing some research, I found the origin of this phrase can be found across the history of the continent.
In Lunyoro (Bunyoro) there is a proverb that says “Omwana takulila nju emoi,” whose literal translation is “A child does not grow up only in a single home.”
In Kihaya (Bahaya) there is a saying, “Omwana taba womoi,” which translates as “A child belongs not to one parent or home.”
In Swahili, the proverb “Asiye funzwa na mamae hufunzwa na ulimwengu” means roughly the same: “Whomsoever is not taught by the mother will be taught with the world.”
This school of boys and young men thrive on the support from its community/village. We grow as the village grows, and in a year when this community and many others have been tested, we have certainly risen to the occasion.
As we begin a new school year, we want to make sure you know three things.
- Every gift makes a difference in the lives of these young men.
- We smile on all gifts, and understand every gift is critical to our goals.
- We will never stop striving to create as many opportunities as possible for our students to succeed.
Regardless of how you support our school, we are so thankful to be part of your life and looking forward to growing with you next year. Happy New School Year from our family to yours.
Sincerely,
Andrew Gillette
Director of Development for West End School
