LWR student helping children of Malawi

EAST MANATEE --
When Cassie Yoder got home from a mission trip to Malawi last summer, the Lakewood Ranch High senior told all of her friends about the country in southeastern Africa.

It wasn't long before some of them decided to join Cassie's return trip to Africa and Cassie got the idea for a new way to help. Taking Back Lives is a startup organization that will help girls in Malawi get the education they deserve. Cassie, 17, with help from her mom, Kay Yoder, is applying for nonprofit status and holding fundraisers, including a spring break camp for elementary students, a garage sale and a players' party for a local United States Tennis Association tournament.

One of Cassie's goals is to build schools for girls, who between health problems and lack of education don't have the opportunities boys do. She hopes to obtain grants for Taking Back Lives and start seeing results in the next couple of years.

During her month in Malawi last summer, Cassie spent time volunteering at the Dzanja La Chifundo orphanage and was able to tour the area as well. She learned there is one teacher for every 100 students and that the Malawian government only provides education through elementary school.

The country is one of the 10 poorest in the world, and families don't have the money to further their children's educations, Cassie said.

"It was really life-changing," she said. "It felt like such a culture shock in that there are so many things you have to learn by going over to a Third World country and experiencing it."

Cassie wants others to experience it, too.

At one point, eight friends wanted to travel to Africa with her, but the monthlong trip is so expensive - about $5,000 - that number has dwindled to two. Bethany Martin and Olivia Reibold, students at Braden River High School, will join Cassie in Africa for the month of July.

The three will fly into South Africa, where they hope to spend some time before continuing on to spend the majority of the month in Malawi.

For the most part, the trio will spend time checking out what organizations similar to Taking Back Lives do to get an idea of how to make the new nonprofit effective and efficient.

Cassie plans to minor in nonprofit organizations - and major in pre-med - when she goes to the University of Florida in the fall, Kay Yoder said.

"She's just that kind of girl. You can't hold her down, you can't hold her back," she said. "This is her passion and something she'll probably do for the rest of her life."

Yoder doesn't fear for her daughter's safety because Malawi isn't nearly as violent as some countries in Africa. In fact, she said, it's called "the heart of Africa" for that reason.

It's getting back there that's proving to be the challenging part.

A spring break camp will help Cassie and her friends raise money for the trip. The camp, to be held every morning from March 31 to April 4 at Summerfield Park, will be split into two sessions: one for kids in kindergarten through second grades and another for those in third through fifth grades.

Its theme will be "Africa," and activities will include games and crafts. The cost is $65 per child.

To register for the camp or for more information, call the Yoders at 351-7243. Tiffany St. Martin, Herald reporter, can be reached at 708-7918.

Lakewood Ranch High senior's mission trip to south African nation of Malawi spurs nonprofit startup - and another trip orphanage; now she's starting up a nonprofit to aid Malawian girls