· A potential new partner school in the neighboring commune of Ndiedieng, next to Keur Soce.
40 gardens, 14 health posts, 65 classrooms, 45 latrines, and over 2,000 microloans to date. These numbers are impressive but what is the real limit of what we can do together? How many more people can we reach? How can we grow without losing the personal touch and care that has made Andando so uniquely successful? What is next for Andando? These are questions that I ask myself constantly and with the completion of our 40th garden this feels like an important moment to step back, take stock, and share our vision for the future.
Some of the amazing Podor team standing in front of our newly completed tree nursery, which will drastically increase the rate at which we can build new gardens.
It is nothing short of miraculous what Andando has been able to achieve over the past 15 years, but there is still so much more work to do. We’ve been in the incubator together, so to speak, building a community of supporters and developing our methods and partnerships. What we do works, and we have a moral imperative now to reach as many communities in need as we can.
The incredible Keur Soce team after a strategic planning training this past August.
To this end we are investing in our local staff, who have always been key to our success, building their capacity and giving them the tools and training to tackle larger projects in the future. We are working with regional government leaders to assess our current impacts and develop long-term plans to address the remaining needs in Keur Soce and Podor. And we are looking for Andando’s next region, or regions, to expand into, where our unique and dedicated approach can impact even more remote and neglected communities.
Podor Tree Program Manager Alassane Ba (Gorgui), taking our new office computer for a test drive.
We are poised and ready to expand and there has never been a better, or a more needed time to support Andando. Whether through the auction, monthly contributions, volunteering, or spreading the word, your support is not just another drop in the bucket, it directly impacts what we do every day and how big our vision for the future can be.
“Jéréjëf!” – Thank You!
- Garrison Harward, Executive Director