ABOUT US

"Literacy arouses hopes, not only in society as a whole but also the individual who is striving for fulfillment, happiness and personal benefit by learning how to read and write. Literacy…means far more than learning how to read and write ... The aim is to transmit...knowledge and promote social participation."
– UNESCO Institute for Education, Hamburg, Germany

Starfish One by One is a  501C3 non-profit created by the original co-founders of Friendship Bridge, Ted and Connie Ning, and Mimi Schlumberger. Together they have nearly 60 years of field experience, working in Viet Nam and Guatemala.

Starfish One by One is dedicated to serving as a catalyst for the education of rural Mayan girls in Guatemala. We hope to enhance the educational opportunities as well as the spiritual and emotional well-being of children and their families, one by one. Parents, mentors, and other organizations are our partners in creating support groups for our scholarship students. These children will become the agents of change for their families and their communities.

We invest in the education of rural Mayan adolescent girls who otherwise would have no education beyond 6th grade. Studies show that the educated girl transforms herself, her family, her community, and her world.

Our target population is rural Mayan adolescent girls in the Lake Atitlan region of Guatemala.

Our purpose is to identify and nurture community leaders through mentorship and education of these young women.

Our programs use children's education, mentorship, leadership training and community development to work toward the long-term goal of breaking the generational cycle of poverty.

More resources about the importance of Girls' Education:
For more information on the Starfish One by One program, please download the organizational overview (pdf) and 2010 annual report (pdf).