Cultural Exchange
Over 10 years of face-to-face meetings have built lasting relationships. Exchange is essential to our success. By bringing people here and us going there, we are better able to understand their needs & help them achieve their dreams.
Relationships are at the heart of what we do
Our friendships built over the past decade drive our mission to help the people of Pomerini. When working on projects thousands of miles away, our mutual trust and respect allows us to work more effectively to provide help to their most critical needs. These continued friendships have changed lives on both sides of the world.
History of Face to Face Exchange and Friendship
making lasting change by one to one personal interactions
2019: Group of 11 Board members and supports travelled to Pomerini. While there, the group meets with local community leaders to learn more about the village and to check on the progress of our projects.
2018: Sponsored two teachers from the Pomerini Secondary School to visit the Boston area. Spora and Wingred toured many of the local high schools and colleges to get a better sense of Massachusett’s approach to education. As head of the curriculum, Spora brought back many new ideas.
2017: Shadrack Nyaulingo, headmaster of the Pomerini Secondary School, visited the United States to learn about our education system as well as help educate us about the needs of his schools. Without proper science labs, his students are forced to leave his schools in order to qualify to pursue a science major.
2015: Group of 13 travelers stayed at the Mission House. Several young adults were part of the crew. Opening their eyes to the beauty of the land, learning to value their culture and understanding the inherit inequities helps creates youth who are ready to help tackle these world problems.
2014: Barnabas Chavala and Engera Swai came to the Massachusetts to help promote the needs of their village and to describe the hardships of everyday life. They presented to many high school and middle school students on how the access to clean waters has impacted their lives.
2012: Castor Sanguya, manager of the well drilling operation in Tanzania, came to help educate us on the positive impact of the clean water wells in the community and the difficulties faced when trying to maintain the well. Castor spoke at many different venues to help people understand.
2008: Songs for Fresh Water Tour. To help raise awareness of the water insecurity in rural Tanzania, a group of 14 choir members came to spread their story through song. Performing over 30 concerts in a four week period, they were able to raise enough funds to complete 24 wells.
2007: Our first journey of 12 adult and youth travelers visited Pomerini to build relationships and learn more about our “adopted” village. We were eager to see the kindergarten that we helped fund and during this visit the group determined that access to clean water was the villagers’ most critical need.
Bob Ahearn started it all. Over 20 years ago, Bob Ahearn joined a trip to Pomerini organized by Global Volunteers. He instantly fell in love with the warm smiles and easy laughter of the people. Upon returning to the US, he convinced other to join his passion to help and thus planted the seeds of the Africa Exchange Project.