After Building New School In Africa, Central Regional Teacher Sets Sights On New Project

BERKELEY, NJ — What was once a dream for Dan Torsiello has become a reality.

The world history and African studies teacher at Central Regional High School decided after a 2021 visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo that he would build a school. Read More: Central Regional Teacher Building A School In Africa

Torsiello visited the new school in October, located in the rural farming village of Mushaki. Mushaki, he said, is right on the edge of where rebel groups are in the country.

In May, there were 150 kids. Now, Torsiello told Patch that there are 260 kids heading to school on a daily basis. He actually had to build additional desks because of all the students.

"It was a cool challenge to have, because it meant more kids were coming," he said.

During his visit, Torsiello said he was able to provide a water collection and storage system so they could have fresh water, two years worth of consumable supplies (like pencils and papers) as well as two laptops and a printer.

Also, important to him as a basketball coach - he got a basketball court built.

Now that Torsiello's idea to build a school has grown into the Kivu Project, a full-fledged 501(c)(3) non-profit he co-founded with his girlfriend Jackie Jaramillo, he said he's got bigger ideas.

Next on the agenda? An orphanage.

Torsiello was able to provide 35 boxes of clothing, bedding, school supplies and hygiene supplies to the school and two local orphanages in DRC.

But he said one local orphanage is run on a small parcel of land where the owners cannot afford to have a building.

Torsiello said that each day, 108 kids come to the orphanage, are fed, tended to by a volunteer doctor, then at night head back to the village where generous families do what they can to help in the poor village.

His goal now is to build a full orphanage with a small medical center.

Any child under the age of 18 can attend the school (primary students attend during the day, then secondary school occurs at night) and get basic medical care.

But the ultimate goal, Torsiello said, is to provide the locals with skills to succeed in life.

He wants to construct a trade center at the school where they can learn skills like sewing, furniture making and even IT skills to increase their opportunities.

To build will cost in the six figure range, Torsiello said. But with the Kivu Project's nonprofit status, he hopes to fundraise more, with something like a dinner and silent auction in the spring.

He knows exactly what needs to be done. It just comes down to securing the money, he said.

In the best case scenario, Torsiello said he hopes to begin work on the orphanage within the next nine to 12 months.

But just the fact that he went from a small GoFundMe for a school to a fully licensed business building an orphanage has "been amazing," Torsiello said.

"There's all these incredible stories," he said. "And it doesn't take a lot of money to change lives."

For more information, visit the Kivu Project's official website.