In addition to proving himself as an outstanding educator during the past 11 years, this energetic AMIGOS alumnus has joined forces with two close friends to establish a school in Kenya scheduled to open in January 2009.

 

AMIGOS: How did your involvement in AMIGOS impact your life?

Dan: In every single way. I gained a lot of confidence from AMIGOS by learning to become part of a community I wasn’t familiar with. This influenced my decision to start working with inner-city kids. I taught fourth grade from 1997-1998 (at Malcolm X Elementary in Hunters Point, CA) and I used my AMIGOS experience on Project Staff to communicate with faculty and students. Now that I’m doing international development I find myself using my speaking skills and understanding of networks.

 

AMIGOS: What was your AMIGOS experience like, and what did you learn from your participation?

Dan: The foremost thing I learned from AMIGOS was the value of community. I also learned about addressing community needs and how to create authentic communication. As Americans, how can we listen to the people who need to be heard? I learned how to create trust and to establish rapport. You never want to talk down to people and you want to give everyone a sense that they’re part of the progress. I also use this notion in listening and reflecting as a teacher. I am very student-centered, an approach that I modeled after my AMIGOS experience.

 

AMIGOS: What is the history of the Daraja Academy?

Dan: Daraja means ‘bridge’ in Swahili. The school — then called the Baraka School — was first supported by the Abell Foundation, a Baltimore-based philanthropy. It gave inner-city kids from Baltimore the opportunity to attend school in Kenya. It gave them a chance to learn in an environment that wasn’t infested with drugs, alcohol and gangs. The people of Baltimore came together to create the school on 50 acres including sports courts and dormitory facilities, in addition to 60 acres that haven’t been developed. The school was shut down after the 2003 Al-Qaeda attack in Kenya.

 

AMIGOS: How did the Daraja Academy become part of your life?

Dan: The land and infrastructure were there and it’s a beautiful location. The first class of 25 Kenyan girls will start about a year from now, in January 2009, when the Kenyan school year begins. We plan to eventually make it co-educational. In the future, we will hold Camp Daraja in the summer, and 18-24 year olds from Stanford University will participate as counselors for the Kenyan students. The students will be mostly middle school age, and the idea will be to bring them out for the summer to get them ready to come to year-round school. It’s the perfect time to start some of the bonding activities.

 

AMIGOS: What is special about he Daraja Academy?

Dan: As many tribes as possible will be represented at the school, so my AMIGOS training will be on the forefront as we try to break down some of the tribalism issues. We are looking to create a new generation of Kenyans that can look past the heated tribal issues of the not-so-distant past.

 

AMIGOS: Will the Daraja Academy have ties to students in the United States?

Dan: Students at the Daraja Academy will have regular correspondence with San Francisco Bay area classrooms through cyber communication. Some of the issues we plan to talk about are water sanitation, the environment and technology. We are also expecting some U.S. students to come visit over spring break. Ideally, once the school is more fully endowed, we will have people sponsor U.S. kids from different backgrounds to attend the school.

 

AMIGOS: How did your background influence your interest in global issues?

Dan: I grew up in Arlington, VA, and Washington D.C. is a very international area. My dad worked at an international law firm and he’s really into traveling. My mom was a speechwriter for the Department of Agriculture and she encouraged me to do AMIGOS. That experience really helped me see the word from a different perspective.

 

AMIGOS: How will your involvement in the Daraja Academy change your life?

Dan: It’s already been transforming my life. I get calls from all over the country from my friends wanting to discuss African issues. A lot of former students have come out of the woodwork to help and people from all over who are interested in creating positive change for young people. It’s such a wonderful project.

 

AMIGOS: Recently, there have been many media reports of violence in Kenya. Has that news changed your plans?

Dan: There has been no violence around the school or in the town of Nanyuki nearby.  We at Daraja are even more motivated than ever to work with students of various tribes with hopes of bringing greater future peace through education. We are following the events very closely and hope that the peace process continues.