End of Year Updates

Dear friends and supporters,

As the year comes to an end, we reflect with gratitude on the progress we've had over these past months. Since our last update in July, we’ve wrapped up the garden project and celebrated our very first harvest. We launched our website and social media, shared our 10-minute film about the school on tours through Chicago, California and London, and opened the doors to our Montessori School in August, welcoming 19 students for their first term. We’re also happy to announce the addition of new corporate sponsors, whose support strengthens our ability to serve our community.

Through each step, we’ve been deeply aware that none of this would be possible without the generosity, encouragement, and prayers of people like you. Your support means the world to us and fuels the efforts of everyone working hard at Casa Umar. Alhamdulillah, we are grateful beyond words for what this year has brought and look forward to continuing this journey together. 

End of Term Celebration

On December 16th, we came together to celebrate the end of the first term at our school. It was a joyful occasion, attended by over 80 members of the community, including both children and parents. The event featured certificate presentations, delicious meals, and, of course, piñatas! We were also honored by a visit from our adult learning sponsors, Helping Hands.

The day was a chance to reflect on the incredible accomplishments of our 19 students who have been with us since the school opened, as well as the 15 adults participating in our part-time courses in textiles and computing.

Providing this entirely free education to everyone involved is a cornerstone of our mission to uplift and empower the indigenous community. Watch our 10-minute film and see how our school to is already making an impact.



Casaumar.org & Sponsors

We’re delighted to announce the launch of our new website, CasaUmar.org and our Instagram page. Now through our Donorbox link, you can now make donations directly, helping us continue our mission to empower the indigenous community.

In addition, we would like to draw to your attention our Corporate Sponsorship Page, where we proudly showcase our current sponsors: Art and Wilderness Institute and Helping Hands. We’re deeply grateful for their support and are thrilled about the exciting partnerships we’ll be announcing in the coming year. Check out our page to see how your organization can help us make a differencetoday!

This month, we had had the privilege of presenting a talk to postgraduate students from Zaytuna College’s PDC course, focusing on the permaculture trail on site. The discussion featured reflections on the six transformative months spent working alongside the community to implement permaculture principles.

Join me as I recount my journey of community engagement, integration, and project development, sharing valuable lessons learned through the transformation of a neglected school garden—a story that illustrates how planting small seeds in a greenhouse can leave to a profound and lasting change.

LaunchGood

And finally, we’re excited to share our final update of the year: the launch of a new LaunchGood campaign to raise funds for a school bus and an environmental teacher. These additions are vital to advancing our efforts on-site and expanding the impact of our work within the community.

As highlighted in our film, providing free education and resources is transformative for the indigenous community we serve. With a fundraising goal of $50,000, we still have a long way to go—but with your generosity and support, we can make it happen.