Everyone deserves an Education
Can you help me get mine?
Hi, we are a small charity organisation
who believes in improving the lives of children
and their families through education and bridging the gap between the
privileged and the ones who live without.
Our mission is to find sponsors
who can not only financially support a child
but who are also interested in being part of the child’s life,
to help the child feel a part of the global community.
Our Vision and Mission
Our Mission is to empower families living in poverty through education, upskilling and human kindness
Our Vision is to create a more socially just and emotionally healthy world through fostering authentic relationships across culture, race and economic status
How it all began
This charity has its beginnings in 2012 when Kasia traveled to Rwanda on a volunteer trip. While there she was approached by a local woman, Christina, who asked if she would support her son Jonas’ education, since her husband had died and she couldn’t afford to care for her four children.
Even though Kasia had no secure income at that moment (she was a backpacker traveling the world), something in her said “yes.” That was the beginning of what Jonas often calls their ‘love story’.
Through the ups and downs of navigating this new terrain they both learned to trust each other, let go of many stories of separation, and create a beautiful and authentic relationship, that started inspiring others. After a while people began asking how to support other children in the same way: no middle man, direct contact and communication.
Hence a word-of-mouth movement was born.
In 2022 Jonas and a group of the international sponsors decided to work together to form a more legal, and therefore trustworthy, entity in order to honour the natural progression of the sponsorship movement and help more children get in touch with their supporters.
Did you know?
If all students in low-income countries gained basic reading skills, 171 million people could escape poverty.
Over 265 million children are currently out of school, 22% of them are of primary school age.
Of the nearly 2 billion youth in the world, one-third are not employed, not in school, and not in formal training for work.
You Can Choose How you Want to Help
Become a sponsor and friend
By becoming a sponsor you commit to pay for a child’s education for at least a year. You also get a chance to become directly involved in their lives.
Give a one time Donation
Any donation you give, goes into the group savings account to cover emergency situations, (like a child’s sponsor dropping out) ensuring the child can keep attending school while we look for a new sponsor.
Become a monthly supporter
All monthly donations go into the group savings account to help cover emergency situations, extra school supplies, and other necessary costs of keeping a child in school.
Become an Investor and Mentor
We have many visions and ideas for this project and for that we need funding and would also appreciate any guidance and mentoring in the process.
How we are different
There are many amazing organizations doing beautiful and important work out there. How do you choose where to help?
Here are some ways in which we are different and making a difference:
1. We are still a very small group of humans trying to make a change. This ensures that there is personal contact and direct communication between us, you, and your sponsored child and their family.
2. Because we are a fully connected team, there is full transparency all along the way.
3. The story of how we came into existence is inspiring to many as it emphasizes the importance of relationship and not ‘just’ giving financial support.
4. We encourage each sponsor to build a direct relationship with their sponsoree so that the child receives more than just an education, but also respect, kindness and the knowledge that they matter beyond any cultural and economic divides. We have found that that is the biggest contributor to the child’s confidence and self-worth. Read more
5. We believe in self-agency and self-responsibility. We have dreams and visions and at the same time welcome the natural unfolding of where life wants to take us. Which means: your ideas, contributions and involvement are more than welcome. We see ourselves as the spark that brought something to life, but anyone who feels touched by this, are part of the co-creative journey.
Kasia cooking Rwandan Spinach with Jonas’ mother Christina in 2017
Our Success Stories
Meet some of the children whose lives have been transformed
Jonas (26 years old)
As the original sponsored child that kickstarted all of this, Jonas is proof of a successful transformative journey. Kasia sponsored his education for 8 years under the condition that, once he was in the position to do so, he would pay it forward and support another person in return. With the optimism and confidence of a young man, he promised not to support just one person, but as many people as possible. Thanks to the universe this organization has been born and his dream is being manifested.
Teta and Judine
While going to Primary School their father suffered a brain dysfunction and pneumonia, drastically changing their home life. Without a family member to earn an income they lacked food and other basics – their education became just a dream which they didn’t believe they deserved. When Tomoko visited Rwanda all the way from Japan, she was shocked and saddened by their living conditions and she decided to help. Teta and Judine’s hopes and dreams have returned and now they are happy to be supported going to High School.
Hadija
Born in a poor family of two children, Hadija's studies ended when her parents were separated. She grew up with her mother who after finding it impossible to take care of her children took them to their grandmother’s house who was also poor. It was not possible for Hadija and her brother to have an education. Fortunately, she found the support to go to secondary school and despite her delay, she believes to complete her full education. Her dream is to become a water engineer.
Chance and her children
Chance is a single mum whose husband left her with four small children. Due to being born in a poor family she couldn’t complete her education and got married early instead as a way to find refuge. Without education however it’s very difficult to find a job to take care of her children. Sending all four kids to school as well as taking care of the basic needs of her family was impossible. She was totally hopeless and stuck in life. Thanks to international sponsors, all of her kids are being supported to go to school and she herself is being sponsored to go to university. Now they are grateful and believe in a better future.
Divine and Bridget
They are sisters among six siblings. Due to their father’s accident and their uneducated mother’s very low income they were unable to attend school. As young girls they were exposed to many challenges and hardships without a possibility for a brighter future. They were hopeless and intimidated seeing other children younger than them going to school yet they couldn’t. Now that both are having support to attend secondary school, they are so happy.
Bruce
This family is raised by a single mother who has no education to give her a job. As the eldest boy of three siblings, Bruce believed he had to be a capable man and remove all the hunger and poverty in his family. They were living in an abandoned house which threatened to collapse and he dreamt of building them a nice villa. The only way to achieve this was to go to school but without money this was hopeless. When we found a sponsor for Bruce to send him to boarding school, he vowed to study hard and succeed to pursue his dream of being an industrial tech.
We are currently supporting 24 children and families
Join us!
Meet the children that are in the most vulnerable position at this moment
and need urgent support
Uwimana Joy (19 years old)
JOY is 19 years old and goes to High School. Her mother was a housewife when she got her. The father left as soon as she realised that she was pregnant. Joy doesn’t know her father and her mum struggles to make little amounts of money for food and rent but can’t afford the education as well. She was sad and hopeless until Jonas guaranteed her the support which worked for few years. Now, she is unable to continue her High School because the sponsor who was helping her out is not providing anymore. Her dream is to be an accountant.
Daniel (14 years old)
DANIEL is 14 years old and has been going to High School. In their house there used to be ethnic conflicts between their parents until one day his father stabbed his pregnant mother in the heart. Now orphans, him and his sibling were taken to their grandmother’s who eventually got tired of being responsible for them. They live alone now and his older sister is trying to take care of them. For this young man, going to school is the only possibility to end this vicious cycle of poverty and trauma.
Angel (7 years old)
Angel is Daniel’s younger sister. She should now be starting Primary School but because her older sister is the only one able and willing to provide for them, she struggles to take care of these basic needs. If a young girl doesn’t go to school she is easier prey for people to take advantage of her. That’s why many girls end up married and/or pregnant too young. Going to school will allow Angel to not only get educated but have a chance to heal from the family trauma she experienced.
Kelia (15 years old)
Kelia lives with her mother and her insane(mental disability) brother who got the disability after graduating in secondary schools. Currently they struggle with his regular medication while her mother’s work is to wonder buying and reselling old clothes in the village which makes really no income. Sometimes Kelia goes alongside her mother to see if they can maximise but it still makes no big difference. She is supposed to be in secondary 1 but she can’t afford to.
What Our Sponsors Have to Say About Their Experience
Kasia Patzelt Embodiment Coach, the Netherlands
I could have never imagined what supporting another human in this way would give me personally. It has been and continues to be a truly humbling and enriching experience. It brings me back to what really matters over and over again. And the gratitude and mutual appreciation is a constant source of joy that I feel so blessed in receiving!
Tomoko Kim, Fashion Designer, Japan
The children of today our the future and there are so many who can’t go to school. It’s a waste of so much potential. Especially when I see what a change education has made in Jonas and all the other kids, that are getting a chance to work towards their dreams and ambitions. I’m so proud of them. I truly hope we can support many children!
David Locke and Leandra Fallis, BC, Canada
“Education is something that simply opens doors. In a country like Rwanda, it can be the difference between success and struggle. It can mean both food on the table and dreams for the future. Perhaps the greatest gift of this program is to communicate directly with the young people we are helping. It really is amazing to see the impact of our actions directly benefitting an individual, a family, a community, and being able to celebrate their successes with them along the way.”
Nina Claassen, Berlin
Being able to join Kasia´s and Jona´s movement by supporting and connecting with young students of Rwanda is a deeply touching journey for me. Wanting to help is often not the question. But how to do this and not feel aloof or impersonal and somehow false by doing so has always been my question. With TransformAlife there is so much joy and heartfelt communication, so much bridging the gap and meeting in between. And the journey continues!
Give Today
As we are currently still waiting for the registration of our charity to be accepted, the below buttons will take you to Kasia’s (Katharina’s) PayPal fundraiser.
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