in 2016… we grew
We formed new partnerships, reached new communities and we celebrated our 11th year of service. Our team grew stronger as we welcomed new ambassadors Kennedi Urruti, Isaiah Mosley and Sierra Romero, and Seth Henderson & Shelvee Casey joined Kelsy Dominick on the Youth Advisory Board. And we expanded our advisory boards – both east and west – to include Barbara Hawthorn, Jason Kampf, Sudhakar Shenoy, Sheryl Nields, Jonathan Lipking, Sara Qazi, Marilyn Hopkins, Tammy Warren, Michelle Vink & Andy Taylor.
33,437 miles + 1400 kids
Over the course of the year, our founder, Manuela Testolini, traveled 33,437.89 miles across 5 countries, visiting 1400 + kids benefitting from In a Perfect World’s support.
9 new schools in 6 countries
We funded 9 schools in 6 different countries, giving hundreds more children access to education & helping to break the cycle of poverty and illiteracy. Whether it’s building a school so that children wouldn’t have to walk 10km to the nearest school or replacing a broken down, unsuitable structure with a clean, safe and nurturing learning environment, everywhere an IAPW school was built, we made a difference in a community.
We honored Prince in Malawi…
Earlier this year, we tragically lost music legend Prince. To honor him and his commitment to service and education, our founder pledged to fund and dedicate a school to him. And we did.
In October, 282 children started classes at the new school in the village of Ng’ozo.
And his fans did, too.
The Prince community was inspired by IAPW’s pledge to build a school in Prince’s honor. Led by NPG UK and the Purple Army, they raised funds for seed money towards a second school in Malawi. The IAPW team worked hard, side by side with the community to break ground on the school and lay its foundation.
Check out the thank you video we put together for the Prince community:
We welcomed New partners
Thanks to a partnership with MPOWERD & DirectEnergy, we were also able to distribute more than 800 solar lights to communities without electricity. These lights lit the path to education for children who travel from long distances to attend IAPW-funded schools. It also means that children have a light to study by at night, and adults who are inspired to learn can do so as well.
We lent a hand…
We donated books, toys and 400lbs of food to high-poverty communities in the US where the average household income is under $10,000/year. Thanks to Panera, we also distributed bread directly to residents.
lucia did, too.
Our Junior Ambassador, Lucia Bella, rode her trike for sick kids, taught fellow pre-school kids about recycling on Earth Day, packed up backpacks full of school supplies for kids in need and donated her birthday to children in homeless shelters so they can have birthday parties, too. We think she’s pretty awesome.
we invested in the future
We expanded our Youth Ambassador program into the Washington, D.C. area., and they worked hard to bring educational community projects to life. Whether cleaning up a community for Earth Day or working on a farm to teach kids about sustainability & healthy eating, IAPW ambassadors made their mark & made a difference.
we empowered through art
Continuing our long-standing support of arts empowerment, IAPW supported mentoring programs that bring the healing powers of relationships and artistic expression homeless and runaway youth.
We supported women & girls
Two thirds of the world’s 785 million illiterate adults are female. This year we launched an International Women’s Day campaign in partnership with buildOn to support literacy for women in the developing world.
We also participated in our first all-women trek in Haiti. Led by a female construction team, we broke ground on IAPW’s 6th school in Haiti in the village of Baptiste…. our 28th school overall.
We made Lots of new friends…
And we had lots of fun. Playing under parachutes, doing the chicken dance, laying bricks and learning to carry water on our heads… it was all a beautiful adventure. Follow along with us on Instagram @perfectworldfn
Including one special girl
A little girl named Aava wrote to us, asking if she could donate her 5th birthday to children that don’t get to go to school. And she did… raising double her goal! Check out Aava’s campaign here or learn how to get involved here!
we gave 100
In a Perfect World always gives 100% of all public donations directly to the cause. We celebrated this by launching a special “Give100” social media campaign. Our supporters caught the Give100 bug and pitched in.
we celebrated
We had our first ever fundraiser, raising money for post-hurricane work in Haiti.
We also were awarded GuideStar Platinum status, GuideStar’s highest level attainable, for our ongoing commitment to transparency.
