SISAL Foundation

Providing a hand up, not a hand out. Supporting indigenous sustainability in collaboration with the communities we serve.

[SISAL Foundation @SisalFoundation]

SISAL Foundation has 29 monthly sponsors. We call them our GEMS 💎—those who are Giving Every Month.

Three of our 29 monthly sponsors are fathers. None of them have ever met the girls they support, yet every month they quietly help pay for education, medical care, and programs that teach self-reliance.

This Father’s Day, I honor these fathers who exemplify the very best of what it means to be a dad: providing guidance, creating opportunity, and giving selflessly to the next generation👏

Thank you, Michael D, David G., and Henry D. Gene R. also deserves credit because he completely covers one of our Olga's Roses 🌹 tuition, not through monthly donations, but by paying yearly.

Happy Father's Day to all 4 of you‼️

[SISAL Foundation @SisalFoundation]

The following update comes from Winny Ene Sirikwa, a valued member of SISAL Foundation and our "boots on the ground" in Tanzania.

This is one of the things that makes SISAL different. We don't collect donations based on unverified photographs and your donations don't get eaten up by administrative costs/ salaries. Because SISAL is entirely volunteer run, 100% of donations go directly to programs that benefit the people we serve. We remain personally connected to the girls we support and maintain ongoing relationships with their families and schools. We take no salaries and have no administrative overhead.

This report from Winny reflects our commitment to following up with each of our Olga’s Roses scholars and strengthening the connection between home, school, and community. Lasting change comes not only from paying school fees, but also from ensuring that girls have the support, encouragement, and protection they need to succeed. -Claudia

From Winny:

Yesterday, I traveled with Nailejileji to her home in Simanjiro for a home visit. During the visit, I met with her caregiver and family to discuss the importance of education and the vital role it plays in helping girls build a brighter future. I encouraged Nailejileji to work hard in school, stay focused on her studies, and continue pursuing her dreams.

I also spoke with the family about child protection, emphasizing the importance of providing children with a safe, supportive, and caring environment, especially when they are at home after school. Together, we discussed ways to ensure that Nailejileji’s rights, well-being, and education remain a priority.

The family was grateful for the visit and sends their warm greetings. I would especially like to extend greetings from her grandmother, little brothers, and other family members. They deeply appreciate your support and the difference you are making in Nailejileji’s life.

Thank you for investing in her future. Your sponsorship is helping her move closer to achieving her goals and creating a better life for herself and her community.

May God bless you for your kindness and generosity. -Winny

[SISAL Foundation @SisalFoundation]

At SISAL Foundation we empower girls to receive an education instead of a marriage bed. #stopchildmarriage #stopsextrafficking

[SISAL Foundation @SisalFoundation]

Sponsored girls in our Olga's Roses 🌹 program learn how to contribute to community care. #olgasroses #sisalfoundation #stopchildmarriage #educatethegirls

[SISAL Foundation @SisalFoundation]

SISAL Foundation is honored to highlight @jen_loescher as one of our GEMS (Giving Every Month).

"I support SISAL because they honor the wisdom of local communities and invest every dollar directly into sustainable projects. Their Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency shows their commitment to using donations wisely and with integrity." #sisalfoundation #GEMs #sponsors #sponsorship

[SISAL Foundation @SisalFoundation]

On Mother’s Day, I’ve been thinking about Maasai women.

Women who raise children, build homes, carry water, feed their families, care for elders, preserve traditions, and keep daily life moving no matter how hard the conditions are.

A lot of the work they do is unseen by the outside world, but it holds entire families and communities together.

Motherhood may look different across cultures, but strength is strength, sacrifice is sacrifice, and love is love. Happy Mother's Day to the remarkable women I know in Tanzania 🇹🇿 #mothersday #maasai #sisalfoundation

[SISAL Foundation @SisalFoundation]

@frankmugisha 💯

[SISAL Foundation @SisalFoundation]

Earlier this year, our girls in the Olga's Roses Program received tutoring to ensure that they are on track academically. We don't just throw money at a problem, SISAL is invested. #doingnonprofitdifferently #sisalfoundation #olgasroses #educatethegirlchild #stopchildmarriage

[SISAL Foundation @SisalFoundation]

At SISAL Foundation, we help girls become all they can be! #olgasroses #sisalfoundation

[SISAL Foundation @SisalFoundation]

Instead of having to walk for miles to fetch water for their families, these girls can now just walk over to the desalinization unit provided by our sponsors. #maasai #sisalfoundation #desalinization

[SISAL Foundation @SisalFoundation]

Meet one of our GEM's 💎 (Giving Every Month)!

Gabrielle says, "I support SISAL Foundation because I believe they’re making a difference in Tanzania's peoples’ lives through agricultural developments, opportunities for education of young women, and access to healthcare for those who need it most in the communities they serve."

Join our small but mighty group of GEMs who are the backbone of the work we do. Being able to count on consistent support allows us to forecast and plan.

Join us at https://t.co/ln9Q4eQ18o

[SISAL Foundation @SisalFoundation]

Today we celebrate the anniversary of SISAL Foundation and the incredible community that made it possible.

More than two dozen girls rescued from child marriage.
A school kept open for 18 months during Covid.
Clean water, food security, medical care, and opportunity for an entire community.
Goats and chickens bought for sustainable resources. Homes built.

All of this began seven years ago with a simple GoFundMe and one question:
Could we help the students at Eretore School?

Today, that small beginning has grown into the SISAL Foundation.

Together we have:

• Kept Eretore School open for 18 months during Covid, paying teachers and feeding students when many schools were forced to close.
• Rescued more than two dozen girls from child marriage—girls who would otherwise have been pulled out of school and into adult lives far too soon.
• Provided medical care for people with no access to treatment.
• Dug a community well.
• Planted a community garden to improve food security.
• Installed a desalination unit so women and children no longer have to walk hours for drinking water.
• Secured solar panels and water storage tanks.
• Sponsored funerals for families in need.
• Provided food and emergency support to the community.

None of this would have been possible without the dedication of our Board of Directors—and especially Julius Mollel. Julius is not only our partner on the ground in Tanzania, he is the steady force behind every project we implement.

Another person worthy of recognition is Winny Ene Sirikwa. She provides motherly oversight of our girls in the Monduli region. She cares deeply about the welfare of our Olga's Roses and we depend on her.

And to our sponsors: you are the fuel behind everything we do. Your generosity turns compassion into action.

When I started SISAL, my goal was simple: to do nonprofit work differently, to operate with transparency, and to provide a hand up, not a handout.

Nearly seven years ago I first stepped foot in Tanzania, and Julius asked if we could find a way to help the students at Eretore School. What began as a small fundraiser has grown into a fully established 501(c)(3).

One of the greatest honors of my life has been that friends, family, and even people I’ve never met in person trusted me to carry this mission forward. I do not take that trust lightly.

None of this would have happened without you.

Thank you for believing in this work.

If you’ve ever wondered whether small groups of committed people can change lives, this work is proof that they can. Join us at https://t.co/ln9Q4eQ18o

[SISAL Foundation @SisalFoundation]

And that’s a wrap on the donations from our Giving Tuesday 2025 project!

Because of our incredible sponsors, this community doesn’t just have water for livestock, farming, washing, and cooking, they now have something even more life-changing.

Our sponsors didn’t stop at a well. They funded and completed the build of a desalination unit, bringing clean, drinkable water directly to the village.

That means women and children no longer have to walk two hours just to access safe drinking water.

This is what real impact looks like.
This is what committed sponsors make possible.

Grateful. Proud. And deeply inspired by what we can accomplish together. #sisalfoundation

[SISAL Foundation @SisalFoundation]

Coming close to completion of our desalination project! #sponsors #givingtuesday #sisalfoundation #maasai

[Claudia Kuzniak @ClaudiaKuzniak]

Science belongs to everyone.

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson has made complex science accessible to millions. From space exploration to climate science, he translates data into understanding.

Knowledge shared widely is power shared widely. #BlackHistoryMonth

[SISAL Foundation @SisalFoundation]

We provide evidence of our sponsor's support in action! #desalination #sisalfoundation #transparency #accountability

[SISAL Foundation @SisalFoundation]

SISAL invests in systems, not snapshots.
Desalination materials arriving on site as part of a long-term clean water solution. #sisalfoundation #maasai #desalination

[BBC News Africa @BBCAfrica]

#BBCAfricaEye investigates the wave of enforced disappearances surrounding Tanzania’s 2025 presidential election – with claims of attempted silencing of government critics, powerful testimony of severe maltreatment...and the high-ranking official whose name kept coming up.

[Lubasha Jr @MarekaMalili]

Some people think they can walk away from this as if nothing happened. Absolutely not, Hell No.