Just Give Them a Hug . . . and the Rest Will Be Easy

In 2009, Brett Weiss decides he wants to volunteer in Kenya. A teacher in high school economics, US history, and international relations, he has a particular interest in experiencing immersion in a community where he will learn firsthand about the difficulties of the aftermath of colonialism. Determined to ask questions and listen, he makes his first trip to Dago, a small village in Western Kenya. As a teacher, his curiosity is riveted on the children and the education system. What he learns in Dago shakes his world and opens his eyes to the void that is eroding the potential success of the next generation.Brett returns to the US quite moved by his experience in Kenya, realizing that many of the children he met would never be able to get an education and escape abject poverty. This is the impetus for him to start the Bernard and Elsie Weiss Dago Scholarship Fund, named after his parents. His goal is to sponsor as many young people as he can through high school, and he sets out with the passion and sincerity that have made his program so successful.Brett’s book implores readers to support this mission in whatever way possible. The need is enormous; the smallest token of interest or help can bring about the grandest results. He also encourages readers to take their own personal journey, asking: Is it your time to start this journey? For more information visit: www.hopefordago.org.As I started to leave the classroom, the teacher came up to me and thanked me for giving the student the pen. When I asked him why the student began crying when the pen ran out of ink, the teacher explained that it was hard for these children to get pens, and the boy was worried he might never get another one. He was wondering how he would be able to continue going to school.Quote from the book – Brett Weiss