At the end of Giving Season, I want to give you all an update on an organization that I helped found 11 years ago–what?!?! Zara Aina means “share life” in Malagasy, the language of Madagascar. Lucas Rooney and I founded Zara Aina in 2012 to help at-risk children in Madagascar harness the transformative power of theatrical storytelling and performance to expand their capacity for achievement, invest in their sense of possibility, and recognize their potential. Over the years I have stepped back into a Board/advisory/founder emeritus capacity, and others have stepped up to run things from the US side. The real success–and our goal from the beginning–is that our incredible Malagasy staff has taken full artistic, creative, and strategic control of the org over the years—they now run our rented ZA Center in the capital city year-round, serving our Malagasy Youth Company. To cap ZA’s EOY fundraising campaign this year, we have the most exciting news yet for sustainability of the organization—-3 days ago our Malagasy staff and students broke ground on a new permanent ZA Center. Our goal when ZA was founded 11 years ago was for the organization to become a permanent part of its Malagasy community, and be sustained by the Malagasy people. Now, with construction beginning on the first-ever permanent Zara Aina Center right in the neighborhood where our students live, this goal is finally on the verge of being achieved. Can you help me get this team over the finish line with a donation to finish off giving season? If you are new to @zaraainasharelife you’ll be amazed by how far your donation can go. $5 dollars can change a child’s week, $20 can change their month, $200 can change their year...whatever you can give will have an impact as we get this permanent center funded and built! Thank you- link in bio! www.zaraaina.org/donate