Elias Fund, Inc.
The Elias Fund began with a simple purpose to help ONE man raise his children. Today we empower communities to build promising futures for their children through food aid, education and micro-grants.
Mission: To spread hope and opportunity in Zimbabwe with community empowerment throughout the world. We want to engage people everywhere, young and old, by encouraging them to act on behalf of social justice.
Model: As a grassroots organization, The Elias Fund focuses on empowerment to alleviate poverty from the bottom up. This happens via strategic partnerships with Zimbabwean community organizations around the globe. Currently EF's three partner organizations utilize education, food aid and micro-grants as poverty alleviating tools. Learn more about what EF's partners are doing.
History: Elias Sithole, a gardner in Zimbabwe, met a young American songwriter with whom he shared his dream of one day helping his three sons with a university education. This dream was put to song and became popular with the independent band Dispatch. After the band broke up in 2004, brothers Eric and Scott Byington were approached to fundraise for a small initiative to sponsor Elias' sons' education.
A successful fundraiser was hosted in the summer of 2005 and enough money was raised for all three of Elias' sons. Eric and Scott, along with a team of four others, took off for Zimbabwe to go find Elias. While they were gone, over 1200 young people signed up to do something more for Zimbabwe even though nothing more had been planned or publicized. It became apparent to Eric and Scott that what had started as a single fundraiser for one man's family could be turned into a full-time organization for Zimbabwe's development.
And so, with the fan-base of an indie band in support, Eric and Scott turned their relationship with Elias into the organization that The Elias Fund is today. EF is now operating in communities providing support to indigenous organizations focused on education, food aid and micro-grants. From one man's dream has sprung a movement spreading hope and opportunity, not only in Zimbabwe, but throughout the world. For more information: Elias Fund, Inc.