She got to work and, shortly after, opened the first secondary school in Lashaine Village in the Arusha region. One school would simply not be enough to turn the tide, though. So, she founded the Red Sweater Project, a global organization that is dedicated to putting as many East African children in school as possible. And this, my friends, is where our story meets up with a pair of lifelong buddies, who one day discovered that both of their “bucket lists” included a safari in Africa. Bill Jones, who spent his career in finance in Paducah, and his friend Steve Castlen, who hails from a suburb of Atlanta, within minutes of the discovery, were busy at work planning their trip. Steve, who had spent some time in Africa during his time serving for the United States took the lead in planning. He knew that, in addition to seeing lions, elephants, and giraffes in their native habitats, the trip needed another component. “I work with a lot of people who are very connected with international missions and I know that there are so many needs, especially in rural Africa,” Steve says. “I talked to the folks on the African side of my planning and asked if they could recommend a school there that we could visit and support.” Our paths converge on this conversation. Because the school that Steve was connected with was none other than the Mungere School, the second of Ashley’s secondary schools funded by the Red Sweater Project. Ahead of their trip, Bill and Steve put out a call for donations that they could deliver during their visit. The haul they collected filled five suitcases full. The pair made their way, with suitcases of donations in tow, all the way to Africa and then into Northern Tanzania. “There was so much dust as we were going through the desert to the school, it was hard to see what was around us,” Bill recalls. But then, it was as if an oasis opened up before them. The Mungere School campus, where nearly 300 students come each year, is a full-scale learning experience for its students. Bill and Steve were able to see students, clad in the red sweater uniform, studying in both indoor and outdoor classrooms. In addition to offering a competitive curriculum, the Mungere School offers its students the ability to learn small business skills, sustainable agriculture practices, and leadership. Better yet, the school is truly open to all, as families pay only $15 a year to school their children there. “Students are accepted from all tribes and religions and no matter their gender,” Steve says. “They all speak Swahili but are also taught English.”
