In 2013, we formed a partnership with an organization in Kenya called Digital Divide Data (DDD).  DDD is an organization in the business of converting hand-written records into digital form.   They also have a social mission – to provide impoverished high school graduates who achieve a C+ or higher the opportunity to get a university education. Marline was our first placement.

Marline – our first placement

In 2013, DDD admitted Marline to their program on a probationary basis for 12 months. After three months, Marline has received a strong performance review and she is now in the final nine months of her probation.

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Mason City Globe Gazette, May 6, 2012, Paula Meyer could have written a check and called it a day. It would have been easier. But Meyer, of rural St. Ansgar, opted to not take the easy route, and today the lives of more than 300 African children have improved as a result. Meyer was the keynote speaker at the annual Star Class event Sunday at North Iowa Area Community College. Read more: http://globegazette.com/news/local/star-class-africa-orphan-benefactor-said-yes-to-making-a/article_8c6166c6-97fb-11e1-8092-0019bb2963f4.html#ixzz1uxa9dVAq

 

Mitchell County Press News, April 12, 2011, From Mitchell County to Kenya For Mitchell County resident Paula Meyer, it all started during a family trip to Kenya in 2005. On this visit, Meyer met a gentleman by the name of Peter Ndungu of Nairobi, Kenya. She stated when she first met Peter he shared his sadness about the children in Nairobi, especially the children living along Ngong Road.  CLICK HERE TO  READ FULL STORY.

The Story, Luther Seminary Press, Fall 2010.  “Familiar Road, Luther Grad’s Organization Leads to Life-changing Futures for Kenyan Children”.  It is a road that Peter Ndungu has been down before.  Orphaned and left to fend for himself in Nairobi’s largest slum when he was 11, he was all too familiar with the path of countless children who have no hope of a better future.

St. Paul Pioneer Press, October 31, 2010 The knock on the hotel room door in Kenya that would significantly change Paula Meyer’s life came as the then-Twin Cities corporate executive and family members rushed to pack and catch a plane back home from a safari vacation.  View Full Story Luther News, March 6, 2009, The history of the founding of Friends of Ngong Road and the participation of Luther grads Paula Meyer, Sue Tjornehoj, and Keith Kale. Coast Magazine, December 11, 2008, Vacationing in Generosity. Philanthropic travelers can have it all – opulent surroundings, stunning sites and a chance to make a difference.