1992 was an auspicious year for Chachu Ganya and Chris Bunting. Chachu was stepping away from his home in Northern Kenya and embarking on an unlikely journey to the western world and higher education. Despite growing up in what is arguably the most remote and inhospitable region of Kenya, Chachu diligently worked his way through missionary schools and became a scholarship candidate at St. Lawrence University in the United States.

St. Lawrence University had been running an international program in Kenya since 1974, and since 1981 the school has generously provided two scholarships per year to Kenyan students. Chachu was awarded one of St. Lawrence's prestigious scholarships in 1991. Due to the fact that he grew up in such a remote region, the university required Chachu to travel and study with American students in Kenya for two semesters in order to lessen the culture shock that he would inevitably experience at St. Lawrence and in the United States.

Chris Bunting's story is less romantic than Chachu's but equally important. He did not grow up herding camels, nor did he have to walk miles to school on an empty stomach. He grew up with the western world's modern conveniences and a desire to better understand both the world and himself. This desire is what led Chris to the St. Lawrence Kenya Program, where he first met Chachu Ganya in a small compound just outside of Nairobi in January 1992. Chris and Chachu quickly formed a strong bond during their semester in Kenya and this bond has grown stronger over the years.

Chris returned to Kenya with Chachu in 1998 to visit Northern Kenya and the Gabbra people. Following their adventure, Chachu and Chris crafted a plan to give back to the Gabbra community. Chachu desired to provide children with an opportunity to pursue an education just as he had, and Chris was impassioned to give back to a culture that greatly enriched his life and perspective so deeply. Consequently, they formed the Wema (opportunity) Scholarship Fund, which began funding a few students in 1999.

After completing his graduate degree, Chachu turned down attractive job offers in the United States so that he could return home and work on his peoples' behalf. While running the NGO, Pastoralist Integrated Support Program, Chachu developed the infrastructure for the Wema Fund along with teachers and community elders. When Chris and his wife Rebekah returned to Northern Kenya in 2005, the Wema Fund was a household name. The fund had grown dramatically since its humble start in 1999. In order to address the growing demand and need, Chachu and Chris decided it was time to develop a US based nonprofit strictly dedicated to supporting the Wema Scholarship Fund. Over time they have dreams of building a school in Northern Kenya and developing an endowment that would provide girls with financial support for attending university.

None of what has been accomplished or what we dream of accomplishing would be possible without the generous support that family and friends have provided so far. Thank you for placing trust in us and our mission, and thank you for giving back to a community that enriches the world we live in.