WHO WE ARE
In 2009, after graduating from NYU, I ended up volunteering at By Grace Children’s Home in Nairobi, Kenya. As high-spirited and happy as all the children were that I encountered, I couldn’t get over the educational inequity that they faced and the horrible cycle of poverty that it creates.
With the intense level of poverty in the area, the main priorities for the children are food and water. Because these basic human needs are a constant struggle to provide, education is rarely treated as a primary concern—yet when I asked the kids what they needed most they all told me, “Books!”
My first trip to Kenya inspired me to form R.E.A.D. and thanks to the help from our generous donors and friends, we have made a real difference for these children (many of whom are now successful adults!). I am beyond proud of the students (turned friends, turned family members) I have had the honor of working with.
Every year I travel to Kenya, along with my husband, Niles, to visit with the kids. While we are there we purchase textbooks, allocate school supplies, and award students with R.E.A.D. scholarships for university.
Education is a basic human need that we should all have the right to. It is the tool that transforms societies and creates change.
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Kayli Stollak
Executive Director, Founder