The Tandana Foundation Blog

Thankful and proud: A displaced student aces the spelling bee

This year, The Tandana Foundation is supporting 175 students of displaced families to restart their education, and fourteen of their parents to launch income-generating activities, after they arrived in Bandiagara from other parts of Mali that are under ongoing threat from jihadist attacks. Since Tandana’s displaced students program began in 2022, the organization has now supported hundreds of students and their families with school supplies, food, and help acclimating into their new city.

Up close: In Kansongo and Dani, it’s much more than just a school

Once only the communities’ dreams, the new schools in Kansongo and Dani have created a positive and welcoming environment for hundreds of students since they opened in recent years. Built by local villages in partnership with The Tandana Foundation, the schools are receiving high praise from local leaders, residents, and the children who attend class there each day.

No worries: The women’s associations’ income-generating activities are thriving

Finding employment opportunities is not easy in rural Mali, and many residents have created their own businesses to provide for themselves and their families while also filling the needs of their communities. Some of the women entrepreneurs have joined together in associations and have requested support from The Tandana Foundation to start or expand their businesses. Tandana has now supported 53 women’s associations with training, tools, and a revolving fund to expand the income-generating possibilities of their work.

A new chapter: Women are empowering themselves by learning to read and write

After thousands of women have successfully learned to read and write, word continues to spread about The Tandana Foundation’s Literacy, Leadership, and Enterprise program – and more villages in rural Mali are requesting literacy centers of their own. The program teaches women to read and write letters and numbers in the region’s native language of Tommoso, allowing them to gain new confidence and the ability to overcome traditional gender barriers.

Scholar stories: Hear from two beneficiaries of the Dr. Ash B. Varma M.D. Scholarship Program

Each year, The Tandana Foundation supports students in rural Mali to learn professions that are in great demand in the rural communities, such as health professions and tailoring through the organization’s Dr. Ash B. Varma M.D. Scholarship Program. Not only do these students obtain needed skills in their villages, the recipients also engage in community service to share their new knowledge and gain practical experience in exchange for the scholarships.

Rising higher: Women are speaking up and stepping up after being trained in leadership

Women continue to face gender barriers in many parts of Mali, but in rural villages those perceptions are changing with the help of Tandana’s Literacy, Leadership, and Enterprise program. Through the program, women are learning how to speak in front of groups among other skills that are supporting them in becoming leaders in their communities and taking a larger role in local decision-making.

Hard work and cooperation make us all winners: Lessons learned from teaching theatre in Otavalo

The Tandana Foundation has been great for me and great for the citizens and students of Otavalo Ecuador, too. This nonprofit organization is all about communication and service to others. This summer will be my eleventh trip to Otavalo, where I teach theater to indigenous rural junior high and high school students for four weeks. The goal is to give these students the skills and confidence to continue their education through high school and college.

With continued success, the Olouguelemo Association demonstrates the value of reforestation and caring for trees

Fruits not seen nor tasted in a long time. Trees that produce enough to feed families and generate additional income. New perspectives on traditional gender roles. These are just a few of the benefits that dozens of villages in rural Mali are experiencing thanks to the reforestation and assisted natural regeneration efforts by the Olouguelemo Association, in partnership with The Tandana Foundation.

A ‘Force for Nature’ in Ohio, Ecuador, Mali, and beyond

The Garden Club of America has named Hope Taft, President Emerita of The Tandana Foundation, as the recipient of its 2026 Achievement Medal, which is given in recognition of outstanding achievement and creative vision in interpreting and furthering the club’s goals. Taft attended a pre-celebration in Dayton, Ohio, in March, and she will receive the award during a ceremony in New York City later this month.

My super week introducing community members in Ecuador to rug hooking

In February, I had a fabulous week in Otavalo, Ecuador, where I went to teach the basics of rug hooking to 12 highly motivated local participants – while learning all about The Tandana Foundation.

Q&A: Tandana’s Founding Director talks with principal of school for displaced students

An increasing number of families are seeking refuge in Bandiagara from ongoing insecurity and violence in other parts of the country. Through its displaced students program, The Tandana Foundation is supporting 175 of the displaced families with food, supplies, and remedial classes so the children can attend school and they can settle into their new city. However, more assistance is needed to ensure the well-being and academic success of the growing population of displaced students.

With a thriving new literacy center, more women are gaining skills and confidence

Last year, more than 330 women participated in literacy classes in 10 centers in Mali to learn to read and write numbers and letters in their indigenous language of Tommoso. After seeing their peers obtain new abilities, many more women are requesting to participate in the classes, which are supported through The Tandana Foundation’s Literacy, Leadership and Enterprise program in partnership with the local communities.

Empowered by a scholarship, committed to transforming lives

The following blog shares a letter written by Mikey Salvador Panamá Perugachi, who received a scholarship from The Tandana Foundation and recently graduated from his dentistry program from the Universidad San Francisco de Quito. Read on to learn how Mikey is putting his education into practice through rural dental care, community health education, and a deep commitment to serving others.

Travel with intention to Ecuador: What you may not know until you go

My husband and I set off on our first travel experience with The Tandana Foundation on Valentine’s Day in 2026. This was an adventure that we will never forget! We came to serve, but what we received in return was both unexpected and far greater than what we gave. Our hearts were expanded, and we learned and grew in so many ways.

Tandana’s Ecuador Scholarship Coordinator shares updates on the program’s start to the year

It was a very busy January for Verónica Pazmiño, who coordinates The Tandana Foundation’s scholarship program in Ecuador. The program, which provides scholarships to around 100 high school students and dozens of university students each year, supported a number of activities throughout the month, including exchanges that connected students across continents and cultures, a celebration of an inspiring graduate, and a unique form of student support.

Feeling at home on my gardening volunteer trip to Ecuador

Eleven people from the Ohio State University Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Program boarded various planes on January 31, 2026, with one shared mission: to experience, learn, and cultivate. After long hours of travel and building anticipation for the week ahead, everyone finally smelled the fresh and damp air of Otavalo, Ecuador. We were greeted with the ornate, charming, and brick-built building of our home for the week, along with our first introductions to the beautiful hospitality of the Ecuadorian people.

When erosion is no longer inevitable: The Olouguelemo Environmental Association is offering the solutions

Around the world, many communities are facing environmental challenges on an unprecedented scale. Faced with the forces of a changing climate, it has become the norm in places like Mali to feel disempowered and think of land degradation as an unavoidable consequence. For a long time, this deterioration seemed uncontrollable, leaving families uncertain about the future of their fields.

A song of appreciation: ‘Tandana, where our hearts come together’

My name is Boubacar Minta, the cousin of a Tandana Foundation scholarship student, who was one of the first health technician students at the Bouctou school in Bandiagara supported by Tandana.

With their community and international volunteers, women’s group in Ecuador realizes their dream

In the community of Yambiro, Ecuador, a group of women started to dream of a better future. Little by little, their ideas materialized until they succeeded in organizing themselves to establish the Yambiro Fish Farming and Irrigation Group (CPRY).

Whitman workshop engages students in how to effectively start and operate a global NGO

At Whitman College, the Transnational NGOs workshop brought students together to explore how NGOs work across cultures and borders. The workshop featured three guest speakers who are actively working in the NGO sector to share real-world experiences alongside case studies and discussion. Topics examined ethical partnership, inclusion, and sustainable impact while building a clearer picture of what it means to engage in nonprofit and development work.

When health becomes a shared hope: The results of the Sal Community Health Center

For a long time, in many rural areas of Mali, access to healthcare remained limited. Distance, lack of infrastructure and absence of local services shaped families’ daily lives, influencing the way they dealt with illness, pregnancy, and medical emergencies.

Water that unites: When a community contributes to its well-being

The community of Cuaraburo, located in the parish of Eugenio Espejo, is about 20 minutes from the center of Otavalo. The local community is mainly engaged in the sale of chochos (lupin beans), bread making, and production and sale of handicrafts. In addition, many men work as masons or in the construction sector, while many women and families are dedicated to crafting totora (reed) handicrafts.

Hear the latest on Tandana’s displaced families program

As more families seek refuge in Bandiagara, Mali as a result of ongoing insecurity and violence in other parts of the country, The Tandana Foundation continues to expand its support through its displaced students’ program. Recently, Tandana representatives provided an initial distribution of food to 175 students while continuing to follow up on the support it has provided previously for their parents to start income-generating activities.

A dream come true: The Eagle and the Condor exchange

On the 10th anniversary of The Tandana Foundation, the dream of an exchange program from Ecuador to the United States was born. A group of university students at that time requested the opportunity to participate in a cultural exchange and share their culture.

A panel that ignited my desire to make a positive impact on communities

Even though a month has passed since the panel at Whitman College, I still find myself thinking about the moment I first saw Anna Taft, Madjalia Seynou, and Khai Zar Oo walk into the room. Their calm, unhurried presence left me with a quiet, settled feeling—the kind that comes after listening to people who don’t just talk about justice, but live it: steady, honest, and, in its own way, gently demanding.

A journey that transformed my life: Cultural exchange in the U.S.

I want to focus this blog on telling one of the most important experiences of my life, something that marked my heart forever: my participation in the first cultural exchange between Ecuadorian students to the United States, which was organized by The Tandana Foundation.

Continue reading “A journey that transformed my life: Cultural exchange in the U.S.”

A connection that sparked hope

A year ago, life gave me an unforgettable experience: I was able to visit the United States and visit Miami University. From the first moment, everything was wonderful. I felt so fortunate to be there, in such a prestigious place, hosted with such warmth… It was a dream come true.

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What I learned during my trip to the U.S. through the Eagle and Condor program

This trip to the United States was much more than a simple academic or cultural experience: it was an adventure of the soul. During my stay, I had the opportunity to live moments that deeply sparked my emotions, learning and encounters that took my heart to different corners of that country. I want to share the most significant and emotional moments of this intercultural experience. These are moments that inspired me, made me reflect, and reminded me who I am and where I come from.

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Hundreds of local residents celebrate the opening of the new Kansongo school

In late September, around 800 residents of nearby villages attended the inauguration ceremony of the new elementary school in Kansongo, Mali, which three villages built in partnership with The Tandana Foundation.

My journey through culture: a journey between traditions and discoveries

My name is Joselyn Perugachi. I am a Kichwa woman from Otavalo and I live in the community of Cachicullá, which is part of the beautiful canton of Otavalo. I study agricultural engineering and I am one of the scholarship recipients of The Tandana Foundation.

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Tandana’s Founding Director receives World of Difference Award for advancing women’s economic empowerment

The International Alliance for Women – a global charitable foundation dedicated to the economic empowerment and advancement of women all over the globe – has selected Anna Taft, Founding Director of The Tandana Foundation, as a 2025 World of Difference Awardee. The TIAW World of Difference Award recognizes extraordinary women, and men, whose efforts have advanced the economic empowerment of women locally, regionally or globally.

From Ecuador to the U.S.: My journey with Tandana, an exchange that changed my outlook on life

Hello, my name is Fredy Xavier Panama, and I am 22 years old. I belong to the community of Padre Chupa, and I live in Quichinche. I study agricultural engineering at the Technical University of Cotopaxi. I am a scholarship recipient of The Tandana Foundation. Thanks to this scholarship, I had the opportunity to experience something I will never forget: traveling to the United States to participate in a cultural exchange that allowed me to learn, share, and grow in many ways.

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My first trip to the U.S.: A cultural exchange experience

Traveling to the United States was a dream come true. This trip was not only my first trip abroad – it was also an unforgettable experience thanks to the cultural exchange organized by The Tandana Foundation. I went on this unforgettable adventure with a group of colleagues who belong to this prestigious foundation. During the trip, we visited places steeped in history, culture, and unique landscapes: Durango, Mancos, Zuni, and Arizona. Each place left me with profound lessons and memories that I will treasure forever.

7 years later, I’m still witnessing the impact of my volunteer trip to Ecuador

My name is Vanessa Escobar, and I participated in a volunteer trip to Ecuador in 2018 which was organized by The Tandana Foundation. While on the trip, I worked alongside a group of my peers and two professors from Colgate University, as well as the Tandana staff and community members we met onsite.

Showcasing the indigenous Kichwa Otavalo culture at immersive event in Colorado

Last month at the Sunflower Theatre in Cortez, Colorado, The Tandana Foundation hosted an exciting event – The Eagle and the Condor Flying Together – that immersed attendees in the indigenous Kichwa Otavalo culture of Ecuador. The Kichwa Otavalo are one of Ecuador’s indigenous groups most successful at maintaining their cultural identity and traditions.