Adventure awaits you at the Wanderlust Gala!

We are excited for you to join our journey. Every stop along the way helps Foothold prevent gender-based violence and trafficking of young women.

Join us this year at the Chillicothe Country Club!

Twenty years ago, Cherie and I embarked on a journey to make a difference in Kenya. Despite challenges and through triumphs, we’ve remained steadfast in our mission of building a brighter future for the communities we serve. Now, we invite you to join us in celebrating this incredible milestone at the 2024 Foothold Wanderlust Gala.

This special evening promises to be more than just a gala--it's an opportunity for you to make a difference around in the world empowering rural communities in East Africa.

What to expect:

Live music provided by Ashley Henson & Seth Kellough
A delicious dinner as you connect with fellow supporters and listen to updates from the field.
Silent & Live Auctions: all proceeds support our initiatives in Kenya.
2 Raffles: A chance to win 2 tickets for OSU vs Michigan 2024 or A cruise package for 2!

To learn all the details on the Celebration Cruise Raffle, click here

To learn more about the OSU vs. Michigan Raffle, click here.

As we take a moment to reflect on our past, we also want to share our vision for the future and how significant of an impact you can make for young women in a small, rural community in Kenya.

We hope to see you! So, don your best semi-formal attire with a destination theme, and prepare for an evening that will inspire.

Let’s make this a night to remember for the benefit of those who need it most. Your presence will make the difference.

We are so thankful for our gala sponsors!

What we do:

Foothold works to support young women in rural East Africa to overcome the steep and often overwhelming obstacles in completing high school. Unfortunately, when young women in rural communities of Kenya drop out of school, they more likely to become victims of trafficking.

We've discovered in our work, is that most families want to see their daughters complete school, and they are proud to support them in their education when they have the means to.

How we do it:

So, we take a holistic approach to do this. We have found over the last 20 years: is that simply providing school fees for a young woman does not ensure that she finishes school. If she has her school fees paid for, but has no access to clean water, pads, soap, healthcare, or transportation, she may perform poorly or drop out altogether. Any missing link in her life could prove devastating. The good news is that we also find many of these small links are not so difficult or expensive to rectify.

Our holistic approach is ever-expanding as our relationship with local communities deepens and we continue to monitor our outcomes and engage community stakeholders. Some of our interventions include providing access to clean water, hygiene products, reproductive education, and violence prevention education.

There are countless reasons to care about young women finishing school. Globally, programs that target women yield the greatest return in community growth, well-being and economic development.

Why we do it:

What happens when a young woman finishes school?

She is more likely to having children into later adulthood when she is more financially stable.
She is less likely to be exploited or sexually abused.
She is less likely to die in childbirth.
Her children are more likely to be healthy and educated.
Each year of high school completion yields a 25% increase in a young woman’s future salary.

Why you should join us!

All of our projects focus on economic and environmental sustainability. We prioritize projects that are income-generating for at-risk families, empowering families to be the difference-makers in their communities, instead of relying on ongoing outside aid. Each of our projects utilizes locally sourced materials and labor to increase their impact.

Our geographic focus is rural East Africa because these areas are underrepresented in international aid projects. Our goal is to reach those who would not normally have access to scholarships or community resources.

Need more information?

If you would like to learn more about Foothold, visit footholdinternational.org or email bradcatron@footholdinternational.org

Consider joining us on October 5th at our annual Wanderlust Gala. You can purchase Gala tickets, register for our auction, and donate HERE.

2024 Wanderlust Gala

Celebrating 20 years!

Team Leaderboard

Team Members