SUMMARY OF OUR WORK

In Zimbabwe, HopeFirst Foundation will focus on programs that advance the technological capabilites in the villages in which we work, provide counseling and tutoring, build wells and bore holes, and establish satellite musical centers in the villages.

In The Gambia HopeFirst Foundation is exploring rain water harvesting, reverse-engineered milling machines to ease some of the workload on girls and women, and educational projects to include distribution of teaching aids such as posters, microscopes, math and science tools.

In the United States, HopeFirst Foundation will establish HopeFirst Foundation Cultural Arts Center (HFCAC). HFCAC will offer instruction in marimba, mbira, song, and dance rooted in Zimbabwean musical styles, workshops on cultural topics, language classes, and more. Long term plans include establishing a sister center in Zimbabwe, where North Americans can experience the culture and music at its source.

HISTORY

HopeFirst Foundation began its nonprofit work in Zimbabwe. The story of HopeFirst Foundation is one in which each of us finally gets to answer to the unending pleas of our own souls to give back to our own communities here in the U.S. and to those in Zimbabwe that have irrevocably transformed our lives for the better.

How do we give back to Zimbabwe, a country that has so richly provided us with a source of constant joy and celebration because of its immense musical traditions, yet a country ravaged by social and economic distress, with millions of children orphaned by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and whole villages in which populations consist of elderly grandparents tending to their dying adult children while simultaneously looking after their orphaned or soon-to-be-orphaned grandchildren? And how do we give back to the people of the United States, a country of such material abundance and one that has afforded us the freedom to achieve our dreams regardless of sex, religious, social and economic background, and yet one in which sometimes in the relentless pursuit of individual success, we lose a natural curiosity for the world around us and forget to sing and dance?

HopeFirst Foundation is a culmination of the desire to see the cultures of the United States and Zimbabwe come to a mutually sustainable sharing of the best each culture has to offer. For Zimbabwe, it is the joy of singing, dancing and celebrating a rich, vibrant musical heritage despite social and economic hardship - always living life with the power of music to transform even the most difficult of circumstances into opportunities for social change. For the United States, it is the indefatigable pioneering spirit and drive, as well as the abundance of resources that lend us the opportunity to be the best we can be, regardless of the background into which we were born.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Kim Foley, President
Diana Chamrad, Treasurer, Secretary

ADVISORY BOARD
Molly Carney

FOUNDERS

Diana Chamrad, PhD
Child-Headed Household Program, Chair
Diana Chamrad currently works at US Agency for International Development (USAID), Office of HIV/AIDS, Orphans and other Vulnerable Children. She has worked as a clinical psychologist in a rural community on Whidbey Island, Washington, for over fifteen years. She is also Adjunct Faculty at Antioch University Seattle with particular interests in international public health, the psychological effects on children functioning as heads-of-household, and the role of psychologists in international settings. Diana has been interested in Zimbabwean music and culture since 2000 when she was introduced to marimba and mbira music.

Kimberly A. Foley, MSN, MSVS, RN
Cultural and Educational Program, Chair
Kim Foley has worked in educational technology for nearly twenty years and is a licensed registered nurse. She is a published author and educator, and her work has garnered accolades from organizations such as Scientific American, New Scientist, National Academy Press, National Science Teachers Association, AT&T Learning, and USA Today. She earned her Master of Science in Arts and Media Technology degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and has an advanced nursing degree with a specialization in public health. Her areas of interest are infectious disease (specifically tuberculosis) and providing health services in the U.S. and Africa to those who cannot afford care.

Paul Mataruse
Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Paul Mataruse currently lives in the U.S. Paul works in pharmaceutical sales and plays Zimbabwean marimba music. It's Paul's desire to see HopeFirst Foundation improve the lives of children orphaned by HIV/AIDS.

SITE CREDITS

Photos: Photos courtesy of Jan Christensen and other contributors. Many thanks.
Web design: Persistent VISION.