At the end of last year, Marlyne and Kelvin, two of the first children adopted into Action Two Africa’s Child Sponsorship Program, were proudly awarded their secondary school diplomas. After years of hard work and determination, they finally graduated!
We here at Action Two Africa celebrated when this happened. Marlyne and Kelvin’s achievements embody what we are all about. Their accomplishments are exactly why we started Action Two.
“Our mission is to inspire and transform men, women, and children in impoverished areas throughout East Africa through empowerment and education initiatives.”
Marylne and Kelvin have great futures ahead of them. Their graduations make them more likely to contribute to the economy, lead healthy and productive lives, and be able to provide for themselves and their families.
But when Marlyne and Kelvin graduated, we also had to ask ourselves, “What’s next for them?” We realized there wasn’t a plan in place for keeping them engaged in the Action Two Community. While Marlyne and Kelvin go about their post-secondary school lives, we are actively trying to find ways for them to stay involved in the lives of the other children who are still in the program, as well as continue to progress in their own lives.
After discussing this opportunity with them, Marlyne and Kelvin have agreed to volunteer in the offices of Action Two, where there are incredible opportunities for mentorship, communication, and confidence-building among their younger peers.
We hope that graduates from the program will be able to reflect on their experiences and help Action Two continue to make improvements for the future. We are currently working on putting a strategy together to help keep the kids who graduate engaged and continuing to succeed and contribute. We are looking for ways to help find them scholarships for college, employment opportunities, or other avenues for continued success in their communities.
If you have any additional ideas about ways we can successfully do this, we’d love to hear them! Send us an email at info@action2africa.org.
