How We Met
In 1999 Jane Newman was traveling from Nairobi, Kenya to Addis Abba, Ethiopia. Near the village of Sereolipi, the Landrover Jane was in broke down. The Samburu people generously took her in, hosting her with a great deal of kindness over the next few days.
While the car was being fixed she got to know the Samburu people and learned about their history, current hardships, and hopes for the future. Jane discovered that the Samburu had a very simple dream: they wanted more of their children to go to school.
The Samburu knew education would be their key to survival in the twenty-first century, and a chance to attend school would create lasting change in the lives of their children. Jane also learned that this dream was quite unattainable at that time. The Samburu were too poor.
The following year, Jane retired from advertising and in 2001 returned to Sereolipi to stay for a month. If money was the only obstacle to a basic education, Jane knew she had power to find like-minded supporters to raise funds in the U.S. and Europe to help the Samburu. In 2002, Jane helped establish the Sereolipi Nomadic Education Trust.
Today, Jane works closely with the Samburu to make sure the project is well-managed and that each initiative has clear objectives. Every initiative is fully evaluated on an annual basis. Jane and other volunteers travel to Samburu and visit the primary schools and pre-schools at least four times a year.