EDUCATION IS POWER
The Sonder Project
EDUCATION IS POWER
STUDENT SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM
The Sonder Project’ s Education is Power program supports high-potential students from underserved rural communities with the resources to stay in school and pursue their dreams. Grounded in four pillars— Sponsorship, Mentorship, Academic Support, and Life Skills Enrichment— the program is designed to support the whole student, both in and out of the classroom.
During the 2023-24 school year, we supported 207 students— 151 in Malawi and 56 in Burkina Faso— and achieved a 71 % success rate. Although significantly higher than the average rural high school completion rate of our partner countries— just 8.5 %*— our goal is to reach a 90 % success rate. Here are some of this year’ s highlights:
Free Lunch Program( Burkina Faso): 100 % of Power students now receive a nutritious daily meal— keeping them in class, focused, and energized. Previously, many students missed lunch or went home— and often did not return for afternoon classes.
Tutoring( Burkina Faso): We launched our first tutoring initiative providing targeted support in key subjects through a dedicated teacher offering additional instruction outside of classroom hours.
Housing Stipends( Malawi): For the 46 % of Power students who self-board, we now provide housing stipends in addition to existing food support— enabling students to find safer housing options closer to school. We continue to cover boarding fees for the remainder of students living in dormitories.
* UNESCO Institute for Statistics, www. education-inequalities. org / indicators.
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