“Don’t give people fish. Teach them to fish instead!” This is the proverb I keep repeating to myself and to all those who come to Africa. People often mistakenly think that they can change the world overnight. I’ve been living in Africa for 24 years, and only now am I starting to see the real results of my work: the success of young people who were out...

Life has taught us that everything, literally everything, can and must be used here. Nothing is ever thrown away... nothing is surplus. We needed to cut down five eucalyptus trees on the grounds of our new school. They had grown too big and were threatening to fall down on nearby villagers’ houses. We organized a big work party...

In every African village, a school is much more than just a place for learning and acquiring new knowledge and necessary education. It is a place for hanging out, for getting together. And, first and foremost, it is a guarantee of a change for the better and a place where neglected and forgotten people can thrive. Our newly-built...