A Global Education Community
Mona Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit with a mission is to alleviate poverty and achieve sustained community transformation by improving education and establishing gender equality. To accomplish these goals over the past 20 years, they work with and through local grassroots organizations in other countries. Mona Foundation is supported by thousands of individual donors, Foundations, businesses and corporations such as Microsoft, Intel, Amazon and Alaska Airlines. MONA gives 96% of all funds raised to the cause.
In 2018 alone, Mona Foundation was able to make incredible strides by supporting the education and empowerment of 411,324 students in 16 projects in 10 countries including the U.S., Haiti, Panama, Brazil, India, Vietnam, China, Mongolia, Gambia, and Sierra Leone, where they are building a middle school for 200 students that is partially funded by a San Diego philanthropist. Last year’s funding was used for several schools in Lucknow, India. The empowerment program is designed to promote the right to education for girls as well as prevent early child marriage and domestic violence.
Every day, the organization’s initiatives change lives. One example is the success of the Badi School in Panama which started as an after school tutoring program and has grown to 400 students. The Mona Foundation helped build classrooms, a library, common room and technology and science labs. They also provided support for music, arts, and character development programs. Badi School is now completely self-sufficient, and is widely acknowledged as one of the best schools in South and Central America. Additionally, its service to the community has transformed it into a thriving neighborhood.
Recently, the San Diego Chapter visited the Badi School to see how all the funding raised had made an impact. Nessa Samimi, daughter of one of the members, raised funds in lieu of gifts for her birthday and funded the schooling of 5 children for the year.
Another Mona Foundation success story is that of Kali who attended the Barli Institute for Development of Rural Women in Indore, India. A poor girl, disabled by polio, Kali faced insurmountable odds. After their training program, she now supports herself with her own tailoring business and pays for the education of all the children in her family.
You can join this movement and support education by attending their 20thAnniversary Celebration on September 6 at La Valencia Hotel. The evening will feature music, comedy and stories of lives changed. The featured speaker will be Dr. Urvashi Sahni from India who will is a leading expert on girls’ education and the use of technology in education.
