Simba Friends Foundation was established in 2003 under James Ofwona and Balazs Csepregi’s initiative with a view to help talented youth from indigent backgrounds. “We want to give them a chance because they deserve it”, the founders emphasize on working towards popularising the idea of equal chances in education and development.

"Friends who care!" – is Simba Friends Foundation’s slogan. And we really do care about improving skills of children and building opportunities for their further growth, motivating them to enrich their interests and hobbies, supporting equal chances to education and promoting multicultural education.

Among the first animators of the Foundation were Anna Chojnacka and Jolanta Tyburcy working in one of the Primary School in Warsaw. By that time all Simba Friends’ activities were focused on:

• educational and cultural meetings with pupils through "Workshops with Simba" and "Green Screen" programmes
• promotion of books for children through "Fairylike Evenings"
• propagation of tolerance rules through the "Friendship village" program
• assisting children with their school problems through the "Homework Emergency" program

Volunteers are always involved in the Foundation’s work. Their personal engagement and efforts proves that our actions are worthwhile. In the beginning, volunteers prepared and animated workshops for pupils. Today, thanks to their determination, Simba Friends implements development projects in Eastern Africa.

Workers of Simba Friends Foundation make a well-matched team. Patrycja Zandberg, Katarzyna Tadla i Katarzyna Wnuk met in 2007 during the implementation of The Sega Community Empowering project, Patrycja is the coordinator, and the two Kasias –volunteers.

Projects of Simba Friends Foundation are derived from the awareness of educational needs of young people from geographically and culturally distant parts of world. In the last 5 years of work, Simba Friends has implemented successfully 4 projects:

• Kogere – renovation and construction of school buildings (implemented in Kenya in 2006)
• Sega Community Empowering - IT education and eco-development (Kenya, 2007)
• Maji Moto - school compound construction and gender equality promotion in Masaai land (Kenya, 2008)
• Tehama - computer technologies as a key to the Kilimanjaro region development (Tanzania, 2008)

All the projects were co-financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs within a Polish Aid Programme.

There is also a Second Chance project implemented in Sega village, Kenya in 2008. It included building a police station by former polish prisoners. This was possible thanks our cooperation with another Polish based Foundation “Fundacja Sławek” who help freed prisoners cope with their family and financial difficulties. (http://fundacja-slawek.eu).

There are also a lot of activities run by Simba Friends in Poland. Workers and volunteers of Simba Friends Foundation build and promote equal chances for education and growth, through the following actions:

• summer in the city,
• Tractor for Kenya,
• Afroenthusiasts Festival,
• IT workshops for prisoners.