Invest In Children Africa operates under our parent organization, Invest In Children Foundation, Inc. For that reason, we would like to give you a little more information about the history and structure of our organization as a whole.
Invest In Children Foundation was originally founded by our President, Sandy Diner in September of 2000. At that time Ms. Diner wanted to establish a non-operating foundation that provided funding for other organizations that worked with traumatized youth.
On the anniversary of 9/11 in 2002, Ms. Diner worked with and helped sponsor NYU Child Study Center's “The Day Our World Changed: Children's Art of 9/11” project. This was significant in forming the understanding of how artist expression could be used to treat and heal the damaging, long-term effects of trauma. This, in turn, highilghted the need for organizations that would develop and implament this approach.
Inspired by the need to fill this void, Invest In Children's organizational status was changed from “non-operating foundation” to “operating foundation.” This meant that they would no longer provide funding for other organizations but would have to raise funds to do the work themselves. This arm of our organization is now known as Invest In Children & Youth (IICY).
In 2003, IICY kicked off by establishing a home office in Charleston, SC where they continued to develop and implement vibrant, successful programs with at-risk and traumatized youth. This expanded the reach of their programs to local, national and international levels, including working with adolescents on Native American Reservations in the USA and with orphanages in Russia.
As time progressed and needs and opportunities changed, IICY was able to hone in on these specific needs and tailor their programs to fill the gaps. One of the highlighted changes was the inclusion of training programs on trauma for volunteers, teachers, organizations and their staff. This continues to be an integral aspect of thier programs today.
At the end of 2006, the doors opened to explore the opportunity of doing work in Africa. At that time, Sandy went on several long-term fact-finding trips. While there, she was able to make connections with various individuals and organizations and learned how wide-spread traumatization and post-traumtic stress was among African youth. The need was great and opportunities abounded, so the decision was made... We were going to Africa!
By 2008 IICY had hosted a camp in Nairobi, Kenya and a trauma training event for staff and volunteers in Gulu, Uganda. These programs were so successful, the momentum for further work in Africa grew rapidly. This inspired our President and the Board of Directors to divide the organization into two arms and allow the programs in Africa to continue to develop and grow without interfering with local and national program development.
By spring of 2009, Invest In Children Africa (IICA) had been established as it's own entity and arm of the Invest In Children Foundation and began to oversee and manage all operations and programs in Africa. Looking forward into 2010, IICA wlil be opening a home office in the city of Nashville, TN this summer. This will become our permanent location and base for all future work in Africa.
Building off of years of IICY's previous success in running local, national and international programs, the future of IICA is bright. We are excited about the opportunities ahead because we have seen how much these programs help bring healing and hope to adolescents that have felt crippled by the tragic effects of traumatization and post-traumatic stress.
Our President continues to provide strong leadership, vision and support. As always, Ms. Diner has not and never will receive any form of compensation from the organization. She continues to donate all of her time, energy, leadership and resources, expecting nothing in return. She is a true inspiration to the rest of us at Invest In Children.