One of my favorite references when considering the PoP approach to development is a simple fact: The United States wasn’t created through NGO support.

What does this imply? It acknowledges that it takes self-initiated action to create a profound change in one’s quality of life. Giving single-sided handouts to poor populations only perpetuates a cycle of poverty and neediness. There are situations (i.e. natural disasters, refugee situations, emergency relief, etc.) where true aid is needed, but this is not the sphere Pencils of Promise plays within.

We ask local populations not to put a hand up, but to put a hand out that we can meet halfway.

Our model affirms this approach by requiring that:

1. Every single on-the-ground PoP Coordinator is a young woman of the local population.

2. The Education Ministry must agree to assign a local teacher once a school is completed.

3. We only work with local building companies using locally-produced but sustainable materials.

4. Each village must make up at least 10% of school funding. Since they rarely have this in cash, they make this up in raw materials and physical labor. The community itself ends up building and then maintaining their own school.

5. We coordinate, oversee and train key individuals at each step of the process from our staff to the builders, community and teachers. We want to help those we support to help themselves.

This entire process starts with a village visit to create a community profile. Sitting at the table is usually the village chief, elders, teachers, Education Ministry officials, local builders, our local coordinators and myself or Country Director Leslie Engle.

One of the first questions we ask is what they want most for their community. We won’t be giving it to them; we’ll be helping them to create it for themselves.

Photo credit: Bryce Eriksen

Adam, with Country Director Leslie Engle, in a planning meeting with the educators and elders of Xienglohm Village.

By Adam Braun

Founder, Executive Director

5 years ago I started backpacking across the globe, and the seeds for what would one day become Pencils of Promise were sown. They came in the form of questions, most specifically What do you want most? I’ve asked this question to hundreds of local people across six continents, and by far the most consistent answer has always been, Education for our children.

In the poorest of villages, this came with an additional caveat- Do not help us by giving money to the government. There is too much corruption, too many problems. Work with us directly in our community, we will make sure the support goes to our children.

This was a key principle in founding Pencils of Promise: We work at the local level, forming relationships with community leaders and Education Ministry officials that are directly tied to the well-being of the children their positions are intended to serve. They will be held accountable to us and, most importantly, to each other. There is no hiding behind bureaucratic titles for those tied closest to each village. These are the people we choose to work alongside.

PoP is not driven to achieve recognition of any kind in countries of impact. We don’t care about framed pictures hanging on the walls of government offices or ribbon-cutting ceremonies. We care about results, about providing children with opportunities to pursue a strong education and helping them flourish. Contrary to popular opinion, we believe that this starts not from the top-down, but from the bottom-up.

As we continue to grow our footprint, this just means that there will be more treks to meet with phenomenal local leaders who are deeply committed to empowering their local communities.

Give me a motorbike and a meeting with a village chief, that sounds like the start of something special.

Below is the third update from the field from Adam Braun, who is currently visiting Haiti with Project Medishare, a non-profit partner that is providing medical relief in Port au Prince. Adam will be updating us on his experiences in Haiti with the Project Medishare team over the next few days.

It took three hours of driving across rickety roads to get to the Central Plateau, where 200,000 people live in rural poverty. They farm for basic sustenance, selling what little surplus they have at local markets. We spent three days crossing dirt roads across the beautiful countryside, surveying schools and students.

New school structures are desperately needed, but four walls are useless without healthy students. We are going to work with Project Medishare to provide the necessary health vaccinations, education and care so that thousands of students can stay in school… and we’re going to do it with your support.

The name Pencils of Promise originates from my habit of carrying and handing out pencils to kids while backpacking. This trip was no exception. In one afternoon we visited four dilapidated wooden school structures, one of which somehow accommodated over 300 students. Each one received a new yellow pencil, which they instantly held up towards the sun for a smiling examination.

To me the pencil is so much more than a piece of wood and graphite.

It’s a symbol of opportunity.

An instrument of creativity.

A tool of self-expression.

An article of empowerment for social and economic freedom.

A key to the unlocked potential in each child.

And on one afternoon in the Haitian countryside, 500 pencils of promise were placed into tiny hands with gleaming eyes of possibility. We’re just getting started.

Pencils of Promise is committed to supporting the children of Haiti in the time of their greatest need by providing healthcare (vaccinations, vitamins, checkups, de-worming, health education, etc) for students so they can stay in school. Roughly $100K is needed to provide this for 13,000 students.

Please click here to donate and include “HELP HAITI” in the designation field.

As we approached I heard two American accents, which led to a casual conversation with two fellow travelers who told me they worked in advertising. The conversation went like this:

New friend Teresa: “So there’s a bunch of people working on this nonprofit?”
Me: “Yea we’re all volunteers finding a way to dedicate our time, skills and abilities towards something we deeply believe in. There are even some great advertising people involved from top firms like BBH, McGarry, and..”
New friend Teresa: “No way! I work at McGarry. Who is it?”
Me: “Well Eugene Chung is our head of social media.”
New friend Teresa: “What?! Eugene sits 15 feet from me… Oh my god, he was collecting Crayola crayons from all of us last week to send to a school in Laos… I know of you guys! I know Pencils of Promise! This is so crazy, I want to get involved. How can I help?”
Me: “Well there are a lot of ways, but you could start by attending our Masquerade Ball on December 18th. We’re going to raise the funds to build our next 2-3 schools that night.”
New friend Teresa: “Absolutely. I’m there… and I’m bringing friends.”

And therein lies the perfect example of how this organization has rapidly expanded its footprint for good through the innovative contributions of great people. Thank you Eugene, for collecting 1,024 crayons and countless new supporters through your simple act of dedication.

-AB