Our History:

The spark that ignited our desire to “do good” on behalf of orphans and widows affected by HIV/AIDS, was our visit to Meru Peak School (MPS) in Tanzania in 2007. This was, initially, a simple inquiry into a possible part-time volunteer teaching position for my wife, Duane Ann Decker. She wanted to not only teach in a classroom setting, but also to conduct HIV/AIDS prevention courses. We saw the need that Meru Peak had for my wife's talents and desires, but we saw something else. We saw the need to help this small, struggling rural school. And so our goal became so much more.
In our desire to do this, we raised nearly $20,000 in our attempt to help MPS become a self-sustaining, viable place of education. Our donors have played a great role in that objective. We have also had the privilege of meeting an enthusiastic young lady, Marissa Lipovsky, who wanted to serve there as a volunteer teacher and business manager. She arrived with great enthusiasm for her duties, not least of which was to ascertain the financial “big picture” of the way the school conducts its business, and to modify their system to ensure success. During her break at the holiday seaso, she completed and submitted a report to our Board of Directors. It was a blunt and honest assessment of the school’s current condition. There were many flaws and challenges found. This did not deter any of us from trying to implement the needed changes. The report also held out the hope for a well run, fiscally stable learning institution. 
Upon her return in January, Marissa learned of some unauthorized use of the school’s general fund. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that there had been more than one such violation of the financial controls that we thought were in place and that were well understood by their management and staff. We had several conversations with the school's management and founders, trying to ascertain why these violations occured and how to prevent them from recurring. But we finally concluded that our concerns were falling on deaf ears. At that point it had become apparent that we are no longer able to ensure that these financial controls would be honored. It was with great sadness that we at ABCs for Africa made the decision to discontinue our support of Meru Peak School. This decision did not come without a great deal of thought, and, quite honestly, a good amount of hand-wringing on our part. We felt that we no longer had the cooperation of the individuals who control the school’s finances. Nor were we able to get the necessary restructuring of the financial “chain of command.”  We had made our position clear to the management of Meru Peak School, but to no avail.
On a brighter note, we knew that there were many more schools in the area that need our help. And now we believe we have found a worthy school, and worthy students as well. We are proceeding in our stated mission; “To help small private African schools not only survive, but thrive.”  It is my hope that you will continue to support us in our work, and that you realize this earlier setback in no way diminishes our desire to “do good.” 
Lastly, please know that we not only have a strong desire to make sure that your donations are used wisely, but also to always be candid and honest with all of our supporters. Thank you again for your support and understanding
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"We realize that for an individual to become self-supporting and successful, education is a proven way out of poverty."