This past week before Christmas we completed the first week of our Winter 2018 program. If you remember, last December we graduated our first class of students who went through ten cycles of the program. In June, we started with a new class of students, and those same...

Things have been a bit busy this year, and our updates have not come as often as they have in the past, but know that we are working diligently on planning another exciting Ota program for this December. I will send an update on our programming soon, but today I am wri...

Thank you to everyone who donated to our fundraising campaign! With your help we met our fundraising goal and are ready for another exciting summer program.

This summer program though marks a bittersweet moment for The Ota Initiative. Over the past nine programs, we hav...

Welcome back for another season of Ota activities! Head Teacher Pontian and I are gearing up for our next exciting summer of arts-and-science-based learning activities for the students of Kayanga, Tanzania. But first, let’s take a look back at our Winter 2017 program.

F...

​​We are excited to announce that we have reached our fundraising goal for this winter – thank you everyone who donated! We raised $840 just this past weekend alone at our annual Christmas in Karagwe fundraiser. Our supporters once again turned up and turned out their...

Head Teacher Pontian and I had a great planning session this past weekend, and the curriculum for our upcoming program is almost complete. As usual, our curriculum is planned around three major subject areas: science, English, and leadership. During this upcoming progr...

Dear Friends of Ota,

Yes, we are still here! I know you have not heard news from us for quite some time, but rest assured that all is well with Ota. Last spring, I had some life issues that prevented me from helping to prepare for Ota’s eighth program, but luckily Hea...

‘Tis the Friday before Christmas, and while employees across the U.S.  have already abandoned their cubicles for Christmas cookies and eggnog at home, our team in Kayanga has been hard at work finishing up the first week of our winter program.   This week’s lessons pul...

Three of Ota's group leaders plan out a dual-language story in English and Swahili that they will write and then read to students during the upcoming December program.

Today is an exciting day – it’s the first day of our seventh program! Our team has been working hard t...

Head Teacher Pontian demonstrates that there is air inside an empty cup by showing students the air bubbles that come out when the cup is put in a bucket of water. Students will continue exploring the qualities of air and water in our next two programs. 

Welcome ba...