Friends of JAMS would like to thank founding president, Diana Swanson, for her 10 years of service. What started out as a faculty friendship through Northern Illinois University became a dedicated mission to provide girls in Kenya with a secondary education.
“Helping Jane Adeny Memorial School for Girls to grow from 12 students in 2011 to 194 students in 2024 is one of the happiest and most fulfilling experiences of my life. From helping the Board of Directors to build an effective support organization to volunteering at JAMS in Kenya twice to exchanging letters with my sponsored students over the years, this whole endeavor has changed my life for the better. I am so proud of what JAMS and Friends of JAMS have accomplished!” –Diana Swanson, founding president
Diana met Dr. Andrew Otieno in the early 2000’s through a faculty development workshop, and later was introduced to his wife Dr. Teresa Wasonga. In 2009, Teresa, a professor in the NIU Department of Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations, resolved to start a school for girls in western Kenya, where both she and her husband grew up. Just two years later, Teresa opened the doors to the Jane Adeny Memorial School for Girls (JAMS) in honor of her mother. Desperate for funding for one additional student, Teresa reached out for help and Diana, with the assistance of her congregation at Mayfield Congregational Church-UCC, raised enough money to complete the roster of 12 students that first year. As Teresa continued building the population of the school one grade level at a time, a group of friends came together and started what would become “Friends of Jane Adeny Memorial School for Girls.”
Since December 2013, Diana has led the Board of Directors for Friends of JAMS. With the help of the DeKalb County Community Foundation, Diana and her team learned how to become a sustainable not-for-profit organization that continues to adapt as the needs of Jane Adeny Memorial School for Girls evolve. Diana credits the “Give DeKalb County” program as a very important resource in growing their donor community. Not only did it help to raise awareness of the organization but also provided an effective method to do so.
After a decade-long partnership with Teresa and JAMS, Diana says the mission remains clear. It is to provide a high quality, empowering, gender-sensitive education for girls in Kenya who would not otherwise continue past eighth grade. She also hopes that in the next decade JAMS can serve as a model for effective, innovative secondary education for Kenya and East Africa that will better serve the area’s youth. Diana strongly believes that “if you want to improve the health and prosperity of human beings in the world, educate girls at a school that truly empowers them. And, that is JAMS.”
While Diana graciously helps in the transition of her many duties with Friends of JAMS, you can also find her working on the Mayfield Monarch Waystation in Sycamore (founded in 2014). As lead gardener, Diana has helped to build a sanctuary for native pollinators, as well as educate local communities and neighbors on the importance of this partnership.
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