Mid Year Review - September 2026

Hi everyone! 

2026 has been a whirlwind so far, and before the rest of the year gets away from us, I wanted to pause and share a mid-year review of everything we have accomplished so far, how we are delivering on our promises, and with great excitement, some of the changes we are incorporating as our nonprofit continues to grow. Let's get into it! 

📚 SCHOOL MATERIALS REVIEW, OUR 2026 GIVEAWAY - 4525 students in 2026 

As we do every year, our biggest mission centers on the beginning of the school year in the communities we serve. Our mission is to bring education and health to children living in remote locations, and we choose to show up at the start of every school year, precisely when many families are deciding whether their children can attend, and when children risk walking into classrooms empty-handed. 

We do this by providing primary grade students in these remote regions essential school materials: notebooks, pencils, rulers, erasers, sharpeners, geometry sets, crayons, Play-Doh, markers, colored pencils, and more. Our focus is directly influencing the learning of children in kindergarten and primary grades, because we firmly believe that the foundation of a lifelong education is built at the very doors of learning in the early mastery of reading, writing, and mathematics. 

Two facts guide our urgency: 

• A child who does not learn to read and write before third grade often spends much of their remaining education simply catching up. 

• Around this same age, children make a critical shift from learning to read, to reading to learn. 

This year, across February, March, and June, we reached 4,525 students across Central Uganda, Eastern Uganda, and Western Uganda; the region of Huanuco and the region of Cusco in the Andes of Peru; and the Río Negro region of North Central Guatemala. 

How easy was it? 

We would be doing a great disservice if we made it sound easy. Every single year, we go to battle with the realities of remote-region purchasing, transportation, storage, travel and last-mile distribution to every school we support. But 2026 so far has been a defining year, one in which we have tested our logistical capabilities, took risks we hadn't taken before, and deepened our partnerships by extending trust and responsibility to the incredible people on the ground. 

🇺🇬Uganda 

After purchasing all materials in November 2025, we completed our first giveaway in which we fully trusted our local partners to store until the school year began and then distribute everything just in time for the first day of school. The result? We were blown away by their willingness to participate, their attention to detail, and their deep commitment to being part of this global mission. (4036 Students served) 

🇵🇪Peru 

Materials were purchased in October 2025, separated and labeled by school and stored for the summer; and in March of 2026, our trusted partner and driver, Tito Ayra, delivered every item to the 10 schools we supported across the Andes of the region of Huánuco. In the region of Cusco, Maestra Carlotta personally delivered materials to the schools in her area, a collaboration that started in 2025 and included teacher Carlota, Dear Future and the local mayor. The dedication of these individuals is the heartbeat of what we do. (417 students served) 

🇬🇹Guatemala 

In partnership with Florece Esperanza, we purchased materials in December of 2025 and delivered them in February of 2026 accompanied by a Dear Future team member (Walter). This marked our very first school materials giveaway in Guatemala, and it was everything we hoped it would be; completing a cycle that started by visiting the village we would support, studying their needs and creating relationships with the local teachers. (72 students served) 

🌸 HER FULL ATTENDANCE REVIEW - 629 girls so far in 2026 

No girl should ever miss school because of something as natural as her period. 

That belief drives Dear Future’s Her Full Attendance program, and we are proud to say we are continuing to fundraise and commit funds to keep this initiative growing, supporting girls two years at a time. 

Since 2024, we have been providing girls in remote regions of Uganda with ®AFRIpads reusable hygienic pads that offer a minimum of 24 months of use when properly cared for, a commitment that started in 2022 with extremely difficult logistics delivering disposable pads every 2 months! 

Each giveaway is accompanied by education sessions to ensure girls understand how to care for their pads and feel confident doing so. Every girl receives the School Girl Pack, which includes 5 different pads, ensuring access to a clean, dry pad every day and with it, cleanliness, safety, and above all, confidence. 

We chose ®AFRIpads as our partner after carefully reviewing their mission, manufacturing standards, and quality systems. They share our commitment to doing this right. 

Most critical however, our partners and instructors understand that the topic of how to wash and dry pads isn’t the most important risk girls face in their young lives; so they 

take this opportunity to discuss other critical topics such as early pregnancy, hormone changes, body changes, relationships, disease and early marriage; the latter, a social issue that sadly is present in african girls sometimes as young as 12 years old. 

In 2026, we have already provided 629 girls with their own pack, and our program continues to fundraise to grow that number. 

🏁 LET'S FINISH 2026 STRONG! 

In the months ahead, our primary focus turns to fundraising, because every dollar we raise today becomes a school supply, a reusable pad, or a moment of dignity in 2027. Our schools in Uganda are growing, our partnerships are deepening, and we are committed to showing up for every child we serve. Every penny raised goes directly to the children we help. That is our promise. 

📚 SCHOOL MATERIALS — LOOKING AHEAD TO 2027 

🇺🇬Uganda 

We are thrilled to announce a milestone change in the way we operate. For the first time, Dear Future is proud to bring-on our very first part-time coordinator in Uganda! 

Ruth Mugenyi came to us through one of our trusted partners, though truth be told, we knew of Ruth long before we were officially introduced. Ruth is a seasoned nonprofit professional with years of experience working alongside U.S.-based organizations operating in Uganda, and she has been a force for change in her country for a long time. Beginning in 2026, Ruth will take the wheel on many of our Uganda operations from purchasing and storing materials to coordinating distribution ensuring every child starts the school year ready to learn. 

🇵🇪Huánuco, Peru 

Walter will be visiting this region in November to complete the purchases needed for our 2027 mission. We will apply the same trusted delivery strategy from last year, with the added benefit of lessons learned along the way. 

🇵🇪Cusco, Peru 

Materials for this region were already purchased by Ric in July 2026 and are staged with our partner teacher, who will transport and distribute them to schools at the start of the new year. This region is in great hands. 

🇬🇹Guatemala 

We are continuing to fundraise to provide the same level of support to the children of Chumila village for a second consecutive year and we are actively evaluating the exciting possibility of expanding to a second village that has reached out to our partner. Stay tuned! 

🇿🇼Zimbabwe - A New Chapter 

We are proud to share that Dear Future has established a new partnership with Future Wings Foundation in Zimbabwe! We are currently fundraising with a goal of $2,000 to reach approximately 100 students — including reusable hygienic pads for girls in this brand new region. Every dollar brings us closer to making this a reality. 

🌸 WHAT'S NEXT FOR HER FULL ATTENDANCE? 

Our commitment to keeping every girl in the classroom doesn't slow down. We are actively fundraising to purchase our next batch of 300 AFRIpads, for which we need approximately $2,000. If this program speaks to your heart, this is a wonderful place to make your gift count. 

🌍 MORE FROM DEAR FUTURE

 

✏️Annual Literary Tournament - Underway! 

Dear Future's Annual Literary Tournament is in full swing! Schools across Peru, Uganda, Guatemala, Jordan, and Zimbabwe have all been invited to participate. Two reminders have already gone out, and we are eagerly awaiting entries by September 15th. Winners will be announced and prizes delivered as promised. We cannot wait to celebrate the young voices of our global communities! 

💌 Pen Pal Program - Reimagined 

Many of you will remember our beloved Pen Pal program. While the original version has been sunsetted, something exciting is taking shape. Over the past few weeks, I have been collaborating with Terry Mayfield, Software Developer and founder of Daily Raiser, a fundraising and donations management platform, to explore bringing our postcard program into the digital world. We are not ready to unveil the details just yet, but we are very excited about where this could be heading. More to come! 

A Closing note 

When I look at everything we have accomplished in just the first half of 2026, I am reminded of why we started Dear Future in the first place, the strong belief that every child, no matter where they are born, deserves a fair shot at education. 

4,525 children. Three countries. One mission. 

What excites me most is not just where we have been, it is where we are going. We are building something that lasts. With Ruth joining us in Uganda, Brenda in Guatemala, with new partnerships taking root in Zimbabwe, and with a growing community of supporters who refuse to look away, Dear Future is stronger today than it has ever been. 

The road ahead is full of promise, and I believe our best chapters are still being written by us; but if you believe, in a future not far from now, many chapters are being written by the children whose lives we are helping to shape. 

Thank you for being part of this.

Let's finish 2026 strong, together. 

With purpose, 

Ric 

Executive Director, Dear Future