The fellowship program is a partnership between the Brethren Community Foundation, Global Partners, and Whittier College, and represents a groundbreaking initiative in developing global leaders while delivering impactful outcomes to communities in need.
As preparation for their travels, Henry and McMurray attended a training session at the Global Partners for Development headquarters in Sonoma, California. This program is designed to be a transformational opportunity for Whittier students to engage in authentic grassroots community driven development in East Africa via the work of Global Partners and their partner communities.
Through the generous support of the Brethren Community Foundation, 100 percent of costs associated with the fellowship will be funded for Whittier students. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to use a meaningful budget to design and implement a project that will impact communities in Tanzania, and study the ongoing impact of this work.
The mission of the Brethren Community Foundation is to benefit youth and seniors through philanthropic grants to non-profit organizations and individuals of all backgrounds needing financial assistance due to family instability, poverty and/or challenges adapting to the community. Specifically, the Foundation financially supports youth education and literacy programs that focus on teaching in a multi-sensory approach, language for low-income youth. It assists youth who show potential through effort and academic success with scholarships. The Foundation supports seniors with housing needs by providing rent and care assistance which may include support in the areas of medical, food, and clothing.
Global Partners for Development was founded in 1978 as a membership organization called World Runners International Foundation. Its main objective was to focus attention on and generate support for ending hunger and starvation in the world. Over 15 years, World Runners raised $6.5 million for organizations working to end hunger and poverty. Its success was built on a network of personal relationships, established by members from every state in the U.S. and over 50 countries. In 1989, members of World Runners began to work directly with East African community leaders. The organization officially become Global Partners for Development in 1993 and works with community leaders in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda to identify and implement development projects in the areas of education and public health.
