[vc_row iw_layout=”wide-bg” css=”.vc_custom_1451986343532{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;background-image: url(http://watotoread.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/map-world-aboutus.png?id=1062) !important;background-position: 0 0 !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;}” el_class=”intro-aboutus”][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_tta_tabs][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-check-square-o” add_icon=”true” title=”Our Mission” tab_id=”1490363064661-a5b86c3c-c789″][vc_column_text]

To resource and advocate for the education of children and young adults living in refugee camps in Sub Saharan Africa.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-eye” add_icon=”true” title=”Our Vision” tab_id=”1490363064693-1b2a5e97-d90d”][vc_column_text]

We envision healthy, hopeful, productive and self-sufficient people, resettling and rebuilding their communities despite having been in refugee camps.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-bullseye” add_icon=”true” title=”Our Goal” tab_id=”1490363147865-b0a70022-09fb”][vc_column_text]

We are working to raise funds in 2018 to build 10 more schools in refugee camps in Chad. This will provide learning facilities for 600 children.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][/vc_tta_tabs][inwave_heading title=”{|Watoto Read|} ” sub_title=”{About}” css=”.vc_custom_1472670296134{padding-top: 60px !important;padding-bottom: 45px !important;}”][/inwave_heading][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][inwave_info_item title=”Sub-Saharan Africa” icon=”fa fa-sun-o” icon_size=”40″ style=”style2″]Since the violence began in the Darfur region of Sudan in 2003, over a million people, including large numbers of women and children, became refugees in crowded camps in neighboring Chad. Though this protracted refugee situation does not get much media attention these days, the need of the children has not gone away.[/inwave_info_item][inwave_info_item title=”Primary Education” icon=”fa fa-book” icon_size=”40″ style=”style2″]When the children of Darfur and their families fled their villages for their lives to Chad, they lost not only their homes but also their schools. Without education, a whole generation of children will be lost to the future, with little hope of becoming self-sufficient.
 [/inwave_info_item][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][inwave_info_item title=”Safe and Accessible Schools” icon=”fa fa-shield” icon_size=”40″ style=”style2″]We are striving to address the most urgent obstacle to primary education in the refugee camps: school buildings. These safe structures will enable children to get out of the harsh elements to learn, close to where they live so that all children can walk to school. Parents are often reluctant to send their children to school if the conditions are unsafe and unsanitary.[/inwave_info_item][inwave_info_item title=”Our Partner” icon=”fa fa-link” icon_size=”40″ style=”style2″]Watoto Read is partnering with Jesuit Relief Service (JRS), a well-established humanitarian organization, to implement educational projects in refugee camps in Sub Sahara. JRS oversees a large number of refugee camps globally and has infrastructure in place to provide for education; however, it is grossly under-resourced.[/inwave_info_item][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″ el_class=”iw-right-img”][vc_single_image image=”1788″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1459960078970{margin-bottom: 0px !important;padding-top: 80px !important;}”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”64px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][inwave_info_list][inwave_info_item title=”Board of Directors”]Dr. Thomas Conrad, PhD
Rev. Thomas Hanover, Senior Pastor, Lewis Center UMC
Allan Leary, Energy Efficient Engineer, OSU (Co-Founder)
Carolyn Rothermel, CPA (retired)
Dr. Kerry Dixon, PhD
Dean Gibson
Scott Slutz, SPHR, Vice President, Human Resources, United Church Homes, Inc.
Rev. Casey Wilson, Senior Pastor, Centenary UMC (Co-founder)
Michael Rumbaugh[/inwave_info_item][/inwave_info_list][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][inwave_info_item title=”The Team”]Rev. Claudine Leary, Co-Founder and Executive Director
Chet Cox, Accountant
Patrick Dunkley, Co-Founder and Director of Media
Danielle Jones, Assistant Executive Director
Ernestine Krehbiel, Regional Director (Wichita, KS)
Terri Litchfield, Database Analyst
Michael Mattox, Co-Founder and Director of IT
Leonard Nsabimana, Photographer
Sharon Ryan, Co-Founder and Director of Marketing and Communications
Alice Slutz
Rev. Tracey Sumner[/inwave_info_item][/vc_column][/vc_row]