"We are very impressed with the work being done by Grand Circle Foundation! Our Trip Leader was very proud of the difference the school has made for the whole community. The principal was very impressive, and children in his class came on a Sunday to meet us, perform, and thank us for our help. These efforts made us very proud to be GCF supporters!"

Janice & Edwin Stoorza— Stuart, Florida

Ngamo School
Ziga School

Since 2004, the Foundation has been supporting the Ngamo school, funding much-needed improvements that include five new classrooms and cement floors, fruit trees for orchards, painting and fencing the entire school, window installation, athletic equipment, books, desks, school supplies, art materials, and instructional materials for teachers.

While Ngamo shows travelers a Foundation success story, the Ziga Primary School, which we just began funding in 2010, shows why our support is so crucial. When we first discovered the school, some of the classrooms had been condemned, and students were studying in buildings without roofs. So far, we have built two new classrooms, a storage facility, and new lavatories. We've also drilled a borehole to provide the school and village with fresh water.

The Ziga Primary School's "wish list" is a long one. Desks, chairs, benches, and lap desks for children to use when sitting on the floor are also on the list, as are such basic school supplies as textbooks, pencils and pencil sharpeners, erasers, pens, crayons, glue, and markers.

School in session:

Late January through early December; with holidays early April through early May, and late August through early September

Gifts to bring if you're visiting:

• Deflated soccer balls
• Reading books for younger children, especially geography-related
• Secondhand clothing, shoes
• T-shirts from home state
• Solar-powered calculators
• Books about sports, especially soccer
• Toothbrushes and toileteries
• Any reading material about the U.S., such as how the government works, country demographics, etc.
• Old laptop computers