The Foundation For Tomorrow

by Margaret Wyatt

The foundation, known as the Foundation for Tomorrow, is a non-profit organization based in the United States and run in Arusha, Tanzania. Founded by Meghann Gunderman, the organization supports one preschool-aged orphanage, and one primary and secondary boarding school, by donating supplies, money, and scholarships to children. After seeing a slideshow of Meghann’s most recent trip to Africa, I immediately fell in love and knew I wanted to help. As freshman year came to a close, I began researching the organization. My family and I decided to support a student there by providing her with a scholarship until she graduates. At first, it didn’t feel as though I was involved, however, soon after we received our student’s report card, picture, and letter to us thanking us with immense gratitude. I was enthralled that the student we were supporting was “real” now, that we could actually keep in touch. I loved being able to connect with the exact girl we were supporting and have it not just be a meaningless donation. To know that I truly was helping another human being was an amazing feeling that sparked my interest in the entire foundation.

That summer, as I was preparing to change schools, I met with Meghann and a few other Myers Park High School students to write a constitution for the new Foundation For Tomorrow club we would be starting the following fall. I was head of the fundraising committee and consequently I helped to design t-shirts to sell in order to raise money. In the end, the shirts were a huge success and the club was able to sponsor our own child, and provide books for many others. In addition, we wrote pen pal letters to all of the children supported by TFFT and attending Arusha Academy (the boarding school supported by the foundation).

After being involved in the organization for two years, this summer when given the opportunity to visit and teach art at the schools, I jumped at the chance to go. While over in Tanzania, I would go to Matanyok, the preschool orphanage, and teach them art with the many supplies I brought along with me. Then later in the day I would visit the older children’s boarding school and do various activities with them, such as drawing and writing about keeping the environment clean. While at the schools, I photographed the children in order to be able to return to the US and spread more information and gain support for the organization. Overall, I hope that by publishing these pictures others will be able to see the great support the foundation gives to these children, and want to become involved as well.

Margaret Wyatt On behalf of Foundation for Tomorrow