by OBA | Nov 10, 2026 | Dignity Editions
The Summer 2026 edition of Dignity marks the beginning of a new chapter. On June 1, Operation Bootstrap Africa became Opportunity Builds Africa. While our name has changed, our mission remains the same: OBA partners with African communities to expand access to education and opportunity, especially for women, children, and marginalized communities.
In this issue: same list as before, with the first item reworded:
- From the Executive Director: Jason Bergmann reflects on six decades of schools, clinics, and lives transformed through education.
- A New Name for a Continuing Promise: the story behind our new name, and why our mission isn’t changing.
- Where Safety Meets Hope: The Work of Eripoto: how the Eripoto Safe House is helping girls find safety and return to school.
- A Community Rising: Moving Closer to No FGM: our partner PWDT, honored as a Champion of Change, and the 90 traditional cutters who have chosen to step away from the practice.
- A Letter from Maasae Girls Lutheran Secondary School: news from MGLSS, where the school improved its overall academic performance from Grade C to Grade B.
- Opening Doors to Opportunity at Njia Panda Primary School: a renovated library and a new 20-computer lab.
- When Stability Feels Fragile: reflections from a recent Discovery Tour during Tanzania’s elections.
- Madagascar Stable After Latest Military Coup d’état: an update on Madagascar and OBA’s continued work in the Deep South.
- Restoring Hope Through Education: meet the girls hoping for sponsorship at Moringe Sokoine Secondary School.
- Impact Report, Fiscal Year 2024–2025: where your support went, with $1,691,032 in grants and 84% of spending going to programs.
- Your Legacy, Their Future: ways to support OBA through your estate plan, stock gifts, and more.
Download the full Summer 2026 issue (PDF)
by OBA | Nov 10, 2026 | Dignity Articles
This past October, Madagascar joined the recent growing list of countries across the globe
that experienced political turmoil spearheaded by student and youth protests, known
colloquially as “Gen-Z Protests”. After successful youth-led government protests in
Bangladesh in 2024, young people erupted against corruption and inequality in Nepal, Sri Lanka,
Philippines, Indonesia, and other Asian nations. Similar initiatives organized by Generation Z
(ages 14 - 29) could be found in every continent, characterized by students using social media
to coordinate and spread information. By the end of 2025, Gen-Z protests had spread to Kenya,
Morocco, and Madagascar. In Madagascar, this led to another coup d’état its first since 2009.
by OBA | Nov 10, 2026 | Dignity Articles
When we talk about the work we do in Tanzania, we often focus on what is hopeful:
education, partnership, and opportunity.
And those things are real. We see them
every time we visit. There are also moments that
remind us how fragile that progress can be
by OBA | Nov 10, 2026 | Dignity Articles
Real change rarely happens all at once. More often, it begins quietly-in conversations, in
small acts of courage, in people choosing a different path forward. In northern Tanzania,
we are seeing that change take root in powerful ways.
A powerhouse for social welfare, Meshah Singolyo refuses to be deterred by the slow pace of
change, choosing instead to lead the charge. Through our partnership with her organization,
PWDT (Partnership for Women and Development for Tanzania), communities across the Arusha
Region are continuing the work of protecting girls and challenging harmful practices like female
genital mutilation (FGM). This year, that work was recognized in a meaningful way. During the
International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM, PWDT was honored as a Champion of Change—a
reflection of years of steady, committed effort to uplift women and safeguard the next generation.
by OBA | Nov 10, 2026 | Dignity Articles
When a girl’s life is interrupted by violence, by forced marriage, by circumstances beyond her control, everything is at risk. Not just her safety, but her
future. Her education. Her sense of possibility. That’s where Eripoto steps in.
At its heart, Eripoto is a place of refuge. In 2025 alone, their Safe House provided care for over 40 vulnerable children—girls, young mothers, and even boys who had been pushed to the margins. Here, they found more than shelter. They found meals, healthcare, counseling, mentorship, and, most importantly, the chance to begin again. Because survival is the first step. But it’s not the final goal. Education is
