The Community

Jackson Kaguri

Chyah Weitzman

In the past four years we have seen an increase in interest with both the staff at St. Hilary School as well as the administration, in Pencils for Africa (PFA).

I am inspired to write on some of roots that stabilizes PFA.

Along with global history, arts and culture and public speaking is the underlying teaching of empathy, altruism and compassion which are essential for teaching the well rounded and whole student. We started four years ago with six students and are now up to 40 students on a regular basis that come, eat together at the art studio tables, and listen to new information on Africa and the world.  They leave feeling more empathtic towards not only each other, but the world.

I feel our interest is to awaken the students to Africa and to the world.

PFA is a solution based as well as an action based education. The cumulative effect of an exposure to the world coupled with encouragement to engage in efforts to make a difference will have an impact on the PFA student’s thinking and behavior as they mature into adulthood.

With increasing interest and enthusiasm in education is a set of personal qualities—often referred to as noncognitive skills, or character strengths—that include resilience, conscientiousness, optimism, empathy and compassion. These capacities generally aren’t captured by our ubiquitous standardized tests, but they make a big difference in the academic success of children.

Karim and I, as the fellow PFA teachers and mentors, are very fond of the book by David Brooks, “The Road to Character,” which emphasizes the importance of the character of a person.

Working on a strong empathetic character, is one of our central goals in PFA.

PFA strengthens the community at St. Hilary’s School by creating a circle of concern, globally and locally. We want to culture curiosity about the world and to challenge the prejudices and to find commonality, as in the Akili Dada writing project with Kenya, where the students have written and learned about each other through their commonalities and the surprise interest in their differences.

Many teachers sense that students are more emotionally vulnerable today.

Social policy has to find a hundred ways to nurture loving relationships. Today, we have to fortify the heart and the character of the student if we are going to educate the mind.

The deep roots of the PFA program are empathy, understanding and character building.

— Chyah Weitzman, PFA Teacher and Mentor

Elizabeth Hachman

Sometimes I don’t recognize the words I hear coming from my eighth grade daughter’s mouth.

Charlotte recently spoke at an Admissions evening hosted by Saint Hilary School for prospective Kindergarten parents. Charlotte stood confidently with Ms. Weitzman, wrapped in one of their beautiful, handmade quilts, for the Grandmother’s Project. Charlotte spoke eloquently and easily about her work with PFA and Ms. Weitzman. I believe her words came easily to her because she believes in the work she is doing and the lessons she is learning.

Charlotte has had the opportunity to truly study the challenges, needs, culture and problems faced by African people. She has found a safe, nurturing environment to find her voice and speak her opinions. She has also found mentors and friends in Mr. Ajania and Ms. Weitzman. As a parent, I am very proud of Charlotte and so grateful for this opportunity at Saint Hilary School.

— Elizabeth Hachman, PFA Executive Board

Molly Burke

Challenging underlying assumptions, stereotypes and narratives about Africa is at the core of what the Pencils for Africa (PFA) community does. The PFA network is continuously learning more about communities in Africa and understanding the complexities of life on the African continent.

These PFA student questions and actions demonstrate the group is challenging assumptions:

PFA students themselves candidly point out that this is part of their personal growth, which has improved since their time with PFA. What’s more is that the PFA community strives to jump past a one-way engagement with their network and rather ensure that peer organizations are able to connect and communicate between themselves. This creates a thriving Ubuntu community.

What they’ve done is to create a bridge within an industry where too often streams push through new boundaries, but connections across them never get built. We build nonprofits, but not the right mechanisms for them to interact with each other efficiently. The PFA community strives to ensure that organizations in similar regions are able to connect, network, and learn from one another.

To say I’ve been impressed with the PFA student CEO’s I’ve interacted with is an understatement.

Blown away. Baffled.

I might say ’embarrassed’ – their writing is stronger than mine throughout my first year of college!

Their analysis is deep, style professional, and their tone always resonates with dignity for others.

I am grateful to be a part of this giving community; grateful that I can be inspired by passionate students; grateful I have the opportunity to engage with others with the same passion filled space.

— Molly Burke, PFA Advisory Board Member

Fiona Britten

I believe asking tough questions opens dialogue for change. The PFA meetings I have attended have always impressed me because the children are provided with a completely safe place to ask the tough questions about African Development where there is neither judgment nor ridicule.

Their minds are allowed to expand without fear of recrimination. How wonderful that these children are going out into the world confident of their own intelligence and knowledge? I am confident they will have the skills to not only fight for their own truths and rights but those of others.

PFA should be a blueprint for all our children if we want a more peaceful and empathetic world.

There is an Ethiopian proverb – “he who learns, teaches”.

Karim and Chyah are continually learning and passing on their unique knowledge and personal insight on to our children, who will hopefully do the same. As Peter Mernigolo says (kindly see the “CEO Parents” section on this website), “empathy is a lifelong journey”. But it is a worthwhile one.

These 7 CEO’s featured on this website, and everyone associated with the PFA community are on that journey and are already making their world and their neighbors’ a better place to live in.

— Fiona Britten, Chair of the PFA Executive Board

Colin Yoon

Although my sister joined Pencils for Africa well before I did, PFA has been a huge part of my life.

When we all met in the art room on Thursdays, I allowed myself to stop thinking about the school day or whatever work had to be done and solely focus on helping others.

Guest speakers and lessons from Ms. Weitzman and Mr. Ajania helped to broaden my perspective of the world and allowed me to develop empathy for people that I otherwise would never have known existed. After seeing all the new programs, I was struck by how much PFA has grown from just raising money to buy pencils. Through trials and error, we (mostly Mr. Ajania and Ms. Weitzman) were able to craft a working program that exists both for the benefit of the students involved and others around the globe.

We have met with The Google Foundation, held a film festival, and worked with organizations based in African nations, and I believe we will go much farther. There is so much work that needs to be done in the world and so few people that are willing to do it.

On a more sober note, there is still work that needs to be done with the relationship between Africa and Europe. The colonization and exploitation of African land left deep scars with many people and very little has been done to grow a healthy bond. Hopefully, the solution for global peace comes from the next generation. Unscramble for Africa will work to create a deep connection between schoolchildren in European countries and the countries they colonized.

These connections can come in the form of economic help, but more importantly we hope to create programs, which go past a simple handout and foster empathy within the students involved.

— Colin Yoon, CEO of the Unscramble for Africa program

Paola (middle), Shannon (left) CEO, Girl Smart Africa, Purity (right) Director, Akili Dada

Paola Gianturco

From the start, Pencils for Africa has been full of creativity, compassion—and passion.

It is a pleasure to participate in this community that now reaches around the world.

For Pencils for Africa’s participants, collaboration and learning are inseparable.

I am honored to learn with and from them as they do world-changing work together.

— Paola Gianturco, PFA Executive Board Member