Forging bonds and changing lives: one child, one school, one community at a time.
How We Started
A Desire for Connection
In 2006, George Hofbauer, the longtime Principal of St. Joseph Seattle, sat down with St. Joe's parent Steve Rothrock.
George and Steve agreed that they wanted to bring to life the Ignatian concept of women and men for and with others for the students and staff of St. Joe's. To not only send funds, or read about, or even visit another culture, but to establish an ongoing connection. In June 2006, George and Steve led a delegation of leaders from four Seattle archdiocese schools to Africa. The objective of the trip was to see the work of Catholic Relief Services in Kenya.
One of the leaders that the group met was Archbishop Lele, head of one of the poorest and least developed areas of Kenya, the archdiocese of Mombasa.
In April 2007, on the invitation of St. Joseph and Eastside Catholic, Archbishop Lele travelled to Seattle with the hope of forming an ongoing relationship between the two archdioceses.
A Commitment is Made
In November of 2008, a group from St. Joe's and Eastside Catholic travelled to Mombasa to seriously investigate the prospect of beginning Sister School relationships. St. Joe's Seattle was paired with St. Joseph Primary School of Kinango, and Eastside Catholic was paired with a secondary school in the village of Bamba.
That November, George told the school at Kinango that he would return; and in June 2009 he did, along with nearly 20 parents, teachers, and representatives from other Seattle schools!
A Deepening Relationship
One of those other Seattle schools was St. Francis School in Burien, and in 2010 they committed to a Sister School relationship with Ndavaya Primary School. In addition, Holy Names Academy in Seattle joined in relationship with St. Michael's, an all- girls high school in Giriama.
In August 2010. Friends of Seattle Mombasa Schools was incorporated as a Washington State non-profit with IRS 501(c)(3) status.
