our schools
San Jose School, Antigua, Guatemala
San Jose School offers an education to Guatemalan children who might not otherwise get one. The dedicated staff worked 5 years without a salary! Scholarships make it possible for many children to go to the school. Attendance is often dependent on providing eco filters to avoid illness from contaminated drinking water.
Jofi School, Gambia, West Africa
Founded by Joseph and Fiona Kajue in October 2009, Jofi School offers schooling for children from poor backgrounds. The school strives to give children the best opportunities possible. Through education, children from the Jofi School will have equal opportunities, the ability to take on top jobs, and become self-sufficient.
The History of the San jose school, Antigua, guatemala
Students who can afford it attend private schools.
If you don’t start school at age 5, you
do not get an education at all. 4 of 10 Children attend school.
The school started in 1999 When Alvaro got permission to run a school for orphans out of the Janitor's closet after the regular school was dismissed from 1:30pm to 5:30pm
Typical 2nd grade class. All ages. Students start at their skill level. The tall girl is pregnant.
Typical 3rd grade class. Carlos Manuel, ( Back row left) is the teacher, and his catering business provides the school lunch.
Schools don't typically provide lunch. Our cost was about 8 cents a kid.
Students show their appreciation by cleaning the classrooms at the end of the day.
My first visit was 2006, teachers shake hands with all 200 students as they arrive, and are dismissed.
Typical Scholarship student. David Mynor makes tortillas for a restaurant in the morning, and rides his bike 6 miles to school in the afternoon.
Each day starts with the pledge.
Parents sign for all services the non-profit provides. Those who cannot write use thumbprints.
Many students live in extreme poverty, and attendance suffers at times due to illness caused by a lack of clean water to drink
We had to build a Junior High school for our graduates to attend.
We shopped for supplies in Guatemala City.
Supplies for every student!
We even bought plants for the new school.
2 rooms, one 7th Grade, one 8th Grade, 3 Restrooms, an office and a water fountain.
Complete with a security system! (200 students on the waiting list to attend)
John Mitchel the Founder of the Non-Profit at the new school.
We named the Junior High School "Jose Gutierrez Junior High."
Jose graduated from the San Jose School and made his way to LA. He joined the Marines after High School as a pathway to legal citizenship.
He was featured in the 9-11 issue of Time Magazine as the first person to die in the Iraq War. He received citizenship posthumously.
Barrack Obama mentioned him by name when he closed the last base in Iraq.
We had to close the Junior High School because we were unable to build a High School for our graduates to attend.
Alvaro Aurinegro, 26 years running an alternative Elementary School from a Janitor's closet. Dedication?
My last visit was in November 2025
The last night of every visit Carlos Manuel treats us all to dinner in the garage of his catering business.
Same garage, 25 years later!
jofi school, gambia, west africa-HOW IT ALL STARTED
We arrived after dark during a common electrical outage and with no phone service, nervously asked
I had the Princess Suite.
The Maitre D Mr. Tameron (Mr. T) encouraged me to visit his home town in Kartong.
My driver Soulay had this as his WhatsApp Profile picture. A taxi driver safe enough to trust with a White girl.
The local children were friendly and wanted a tip for posing for the photo.
The tourist attractions blew my mind! A fishing "village" with huge canoes as far as I could see in both directions.
Monkey park, surrounded by hungry monkeys.
Beach camel ride was flooded.
Had to settle for the crocodile park.
Mind blowing!
On the walk to the store I stumbled onto a naming ceremony.
The Serekunda market shuts down completely for Muslim prayer.
The Gambia is 90% Muslim.
When I arrived at Mr. T's village I needed permission from the village elder to enter.
He had to go to the sacred crocodile pond.
To collect crocodile water that I partially bathed in, and refused to drink. I made a monetary donation to appease him.
My Guide Ediwara (red hat) had his brother drive us. His brother used to drive for the President of The Gambia.
The owner of the village hotel, Mr. Dodou went to school with Mr. T. Small world!
One goal of the visit was to find a school I could support. Ediwara Took me to Jofi.
The school was built when Joseph and Fiona orchestrated building the school as an alternative for children to collecting scraps in the local landfill.
Joseph, center, Fiona Left. AKA. JOFI !
The security system was donated by a local Pizza parlor. Allows administration to enforce a policy of no corporal punishment.
One main copy machine for the K-6 School.
School Garden.
School lunch is partially cooked outside.
Lunch delivery!
Joseph and Fiona lived in one of the classrooms during my first visits.
JOFI goes the extra mile for it's students.
Scholarship students receive all necessary support, including shoes.
Lively classes, and singing to accelerate second language acquisition.
Murals are part of Modern teaching methods to accelerate secondary language acquisition.
The library.
I visited a Muslim School to complete the experience.
No vacation for me is complete without fishing!
My happy place!
Barracuda broke the line every time.
Rock fish provided entertainment.
Next part of the vacation involved finding a bank to get cash to buy tickets to Senegal to see the doorway of no return.
The African Renaissance Monument was on the way.
Arriving at the Isle de Gouree. (Dakar)
Girls holding area.
Children.
One of many "Doorways of No Return" on the coast of West Africa.