History

In 1996, 11-year-old Ashley Shuyler journeyed to Tanzania and met countless children her age who did not have the opportunity to attend school. Realizing how privileged American children are to receive an education, Ashley became determined to find a way to support the children she met while there and provide young African girls with their own educational opportunities.

Initially, Ashley and her family began collecting school supplies and money to donate to schools in Tanzania. Over time, as she developed relationships with trusted partners, schools, and organizations in Tanzania, AfricAid began to form.

By 2001, AfricAid gained 501c3 non-profit status and formed a Board of Directors. Initially, Ashley and the Board set their sights on supporting 10 girls through secondary school.

With an outpouring of support, AfricAid quickly achieved its initial goal. The organization decided to expand its reach and provide scholarships, new classrooms, and school supplies at several partner schools across northern Tanzania.

Over the next few years, many members of the AfricAid team spent months at a time in Tanzania, listening to and learning from its partners – and better understanding the challenges that Tanzanian students face on a daily basis. They decided to focus AfricAid’s work on not only providing students with a basic opportunity for education – but ensuring that Tanzanian students had access to high-quality education as well. Since that time, AfricAid has launched innovative initiatives across Tanzania that are improving classroom learning and ensuring that young girls in Tanzania graduate school with the tools, resources, and networks of support they need to become the next generation of leaders across the country.

Since its inception in 2001, AfricAid has raised over $1,000,000 for education in Africa. With these funds, AfricAid has been able to both directly and indirectly reach over 40,000 students through its many programs. Thank you for making this important work possible! 

We at AfricAid cannot single-handedly eliminate poverty on the African continent, but we are making a big difference in the lives of many individuals in Tanzania; it is our hope that, with an education — and therefore a voice in their future — these young women can step forward and make the changes that they see fit for their own lives and for their own nation.