Photos and Impact
The photos and quotes below come from some of our grantees over the past few years.
Bangkok, Thailand
A $4000 grant in 2023 helped a recipient ramp up a bicycle collection and repair drive, and allowed him to share his bike-repair skills with the students who would be riding them.
See his video here.
photo by Silvia Dona
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
This 2021 grant for $1500 helped volunteers working with WEEDO provide literacy and vocational skills, such as sewing.
“Today WEEDO (Women Empowering and Entrepreneurial Development Organization) girls are very happy to be part of The J.Kirby Simon Foreign Service Trust .
English is one of the official languages in Tanzania, at work place or at any official place. English plays a major role in creating opportunities for most of the people in Tanzania , getting a job , business , and marketing , this is the lesson why WEEDO provides English class for the girls .
Now we have enough English materials where every girl can have her own book, rather than how they were sharing before, we believe through this great support girls will be more motivated , and easily fight to the success.
24 English books brought yesterday”
Dakar, Senegal
2021 grant for $3200.
A team of three pediatricians, two generalists, four dentists, two dental hygienists, two nurses and 10 volunteer members of Janghi contributed to the success of the medical and dental consultation day at Ker Janghi on Sunday, November 14, 2021.
A total of 130 children were seen by the doctors, and 100 were able to consult with the dentist for on-site intervention for non-serious cases, while waiting for the transfer of serious cases to the hospital.
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Two grants in 2006 and 2007 allowed a foreign service family to support children who would otherwise would not have a chance to attend school.
"Youra Moeun made a journey as a 9 year old from the banks of the Mekong River in Cambodia to securing a PHD in Biomolecular Chemistry in the U.S. She was a serious student and did very well. Her most important request at the time was a Cambodian chemistry book. In 2013 our son was working with an NGO in Cambodia and hired Youra for a few weeks as an assistant in Phnom Penh to help with their program. Later he started the process of getting Youra accepted to Montana State University in Bozeman. With his help along with other friends at the University, Youra graduated with highest honors in Chemical Engineering and won a full scholarship to the University of Nebraska where she was awarded a PHD in December 2023."
Read the full story here.
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
A 2023 grant of $3000 supported a cat-neutering campaign
"Our project accomplished far more than we had hoped, thanks in large part to fantastic local partners. Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University’s Veterinary faculty made our joint project their priority, working all-out to meet the high local demand for spay and neuter services. Two surgeons and over 20 upper-class students in the department carried out the operations, providing these students with valuable experience ahead of their graduations. The students also enthusiastically threw themselves into winter home construction, taking additional time to paint decorations on each shelter.
Our other indispensable partner was the “Friendship Fund,” a recently-established grassroots animal welfare group. Their leader put the word out to their network, and street cats flooded in, far exceeding even our stretch goal of 150. She worked closely with the vet faculty to coordinate and schedule operations, building a close relationship that both sides are determined to carry forward in animal health programs and policy advocacy."
