Neighbor News
Armonk Teen’s Effort Raises Over $15K to Feed 600 Tanzanian Children
Tyler Bond's Armonk to Africa and Food For Thought programs are connecting children across oceans while providing free lunch every day.
A local student’s Food For Thought initiative raised more than $15,000 in private donations this past year to provide over 600 students at the Esilalei Primary School in Tanzania with one year of lunch and basic supplies.
Tyler Bond, a Byram Hills senior, is no stranger to the Tanzanian school. Last year, he started a foundation called Armonk to Africa (A2A) - a cultural exchange and traditional letter-writing program connecting the Wampus Elementary School in his hometown and the Esilalei Primary School located in Monduli, an impoverished region of Tanzania. “I lead Wampus fifth-graders through monthly activities,” says Tyler, “to create meaningful connections with their new African friends and to expand their appreciation of the world.”
Tyler was inspired by his aunt, Monica Bond, a wildlife biologist and activist who has worked in Tanzania for many years educating people about ways to protect wildlife. “Tyler always expressed a keen interest in our environmental education work here in Tanzania,” said Monica. “After Tyler created and successfully implemented A2A, he asked what resources the school might need. Our coordinator suggested food because most of the kids do not eat anything all day, making it difficult to pay attention and learn.”
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Tyler also discovered that students often miss school because of the significant distances they must walk to get there and back. “It became clear to me that if food were made available at the school, parents would be much more eager to send their children,” said Tyler. “I created Food For Thought because no child should have to go hungry but also as an incentive for these children to consistently attend school and get an education.”
“We never imagined that the Armonk community, plus their families and friends, would raise enough funds for all 600 children to receive a daily free lunch of corn and beans for an entire school year,” said Monica. “The teachers are already reporting much higher attendance since the lunches were introduced.”
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Tyler traveled to Tanzania in July and spent a day at the Esilalei school. When they brought out the lunches, and he announced that the children would be receiving lunch every day, he could hardly hear himself over the cheers. “That,” according to Tyler, “was an incredible experience I will never forget.”
Tyler also organized a fundraiser with the Wampus fifth grade called Hoops for Hunger to raise money for Food For Thought. This year, he plans to continue holding fundraising events while also seeking corporate sponsors. Word is getting around as well, as his high school soccer team just made a donation, and a student from a neighboring district has inquired about launching a Food For Thought club at his school.
Food For Thought and A2A are sponsored by The Wild Nature Institute, a non-profit corporation and a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. The institute, located in Tanzania, manages and coordinates the programs locally, ensuring that the food is delivered to the school and administered appropriately.
Donations to Food For Thought may be made here.
