As the Vice-President of School Development at K12, helping students isn’t just part of Chuck Wolfe’s day-to-day job, it’s a passion that is an important part of his family’s lives—keeping them grounded, giving them perspective, and helping them live beyond themselves. As a company, K12 supports and encourages its employees to volunteer and find ways to make a difference. Chuck Wolfe, along with his wife, Debi, have taken this to heart.
For the past ten years, Chuck and Debi Wolfe, have been volunteering in the Pothawira Village in Malawi with the Global Orphan Project. Chichewa for “Safe Haven,” the Pothawira Village is a community in the East-Central part of Malawi, outside of Salima. With a life expectancy of less than 50 years-old, for most, education is the key to a better-quality life.
Malawi is a former British protectorate and models the British education system. The primary school in the Pothawira Village serves 250-300 students in grades K-8. Following the completion of eight grade, the students take an exam that determines if they qualify for high school. The challenge—there are not enough secondary schools in Malawi to educate all of the students who quality for high school. Last year, 24 students from the primary school in the Pothawira Village qualified to go to secondary school. There was only space to place four students, which means 20 students did not have a school option. So, Chuck and Debi decided to change that. They would help build a secondary school for the students in the Pothawira Village and surrounding villages—ensuring every student had an option.
Having raised nearly $50,000, Chuck and Debi are looking to raise an additional $100K to make this dream a reality. This year, with the help of the Global Orphan Project, they are organizing the Malawi 100—a 100K charity bike across Malawi to raise funds for students in Malawi. On July 5, Chuck and Debi, along with 11 additional riders from across the United States, will ride 100 kilometers, or 64 miles, from Lilongwe, the capital city in Malawi, to the Pothawira Village.
Those interested in supporting Malawi 100, can donate directly to the fundraising page for Chasing Hope, the name of Chuck and Debi’s biking team, at www.ridemalawi.org. One hundred percent of every dollar that is donated goes directly to the building the secondary school in Pothawira Village, Malawi. Learn more about the Pothawira Academy project and the Malawi 100 charity ride by visiting www.Malawi100.com. You can also learn more by visiting the project’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Pothawira.