One child. One education.
Infinite possibilities.
The So Others May Learn Model
A Genuine Partnership
We commit to providing scholarship students with tuition, room and board, and medical expenses. Our students commit to staying in the top 10% of their class and paying their education forward by mentoring or sponsoring future students upon their graduation.
What Makes Us Different
Investing in Communities
Unlike many scholarship organizations, So Others May Learn works closely not just with our students but with their families and communities. We know that learning doesn’t occur in a vacuum and believe that investment in education requires an understanding and commitment to all of the components of a student’s life that contribute to their success. We partner with 16 communities and work closely with their local village elders, councilpersons and primary schools to select scholarship students. We also build wells, provide solar electricity and help repair the infrastructure of primary schools in these areas. The mutual trust and respect we have built ensures that our student’s are genuinely supported by their villages and encouraged to continue in their in their academic endeavors
Transparency
Because of our unique model, we are able to connect your donation directly to a student in need. Our in-country staff are compensated through educational scholarships for themselves and their families, which means that 100% of your donation goes to educational scholarships, and student support. Our donors are kept up to date on their students’ progress and can always come to us with any questions.
Pay It Forward
We believe that the sustainability of education in the communities we work comes from within, and relies on the support and investment from our scholarship students. We therefore ask that each student, upon completion of their scholarship, commits to either sponsoring or mentoring a young, promising student in their community.
Going Where Others Do Not
The team at So Others May Learn has used its collective experience working in sub-Saharan Africa to choose communities that would most benefit from our scholarships. The countries we work in are politically and economically unstable, and we are extremely fortunate to have in-country coordinators who are from the communities in which we work, and who help us operate safely and effectively in those places.
What we promise our students
- Once selected, students are supported through their entire education – and encouraged to choose the path they are passionate about
- We support students academically and help them achieve their dreams through in-person support and wrap-around services
What our students promise their community
- Our students must remain in the top 10% of their class and act as leaders in their communities
- In exchange for sponsorship, students pledge to “pay it forward” by either sponsoring or mentoring another student in their community once they complete this program.
