Amy Stoehr, President and Founder
Hi, I'm Founder Amy Stoehr. I achieved my dream of summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro in September 2019. While I trained for the physical demand of the mountain, what I hadn't anticipated was the life-altering experience I would have in being exposed to some of the most servant-hearted, hardworking, selfless people I've ever known in the crew that accompanied me and my companions on that trip. During that climb, every challenge or hardship encountered was met and conquered with the love and support of the 34 crew members. Repeatedly, they went above and beyond, whether it was helping one of our climbers with altitude sickness to eat and drink when she arrived exhausted to the camp after summiting, or singing and dancing to lift our spirits when we returned to camp each night.
Having had my own trials coming off the Summit, I was moved time and again by the heartfelt assistance provided to me. I wanted to find a way to give back to the porters, and in asking lots of questions I identified one thing many of them desire most is to help their children break out of their family's cycle of labor and discover a new world of opportunity through better education. The resources needed to assist a child in Tanzania were shockingly low from my perspective, relative to my own understanding of costs in the U.S. My husband and I immediately made the decision that we would sponsor a child, which meant not only the initial year's sponsorship, but staying with her through graduating her secondary education. It would be unfair to the student and her family to send her to private school for only a year, and leave them without the resources to continue. So sponsoring meant committing, not once, but for years. We were prepared to do that.
And then the wheels started turning in my mind. There were likely others who would share this desire to help, and as I spoke the story to my friends and colleagues, offers to support started flowing in. Now, to discover exactly how all that might work! I have been blessed throughout my life with amazing connections and was able to call on the wisdom of many colleagues who had experience in areas I didn't.
Our initial goal was to get 16 children sponsored through the duration of their school by the end of 2020. But it's grown much bigger than that, and discussions have turned to building a school (or two)! So I will endeavor to keep my ear tuned to the plans God has for us.
Stephanie Fry Thai, Secretary
Hi y’all! I am Stephanie Fry Thai and am a proud member of the Board of Directors for Kilimanjaro Kidz Education Foundation and schooling sponsor for Sharon. As a former elementary school teacher and book lover, I am so excited to see how learning English and other private education opportunities will enhance the lives of these beautiful kiddos!
After summitting Mt. Kilimanjaro in September of 2019, I came back in awe of our accomplishments while on that majestic mountain. As we each had our own struggles up there (like my sinus infection and GI issues), no obstacle was encountered in which we did not have a 34-man army of people at our side to help us through. From our Leader Respicius’ ability to read us—our health, our pace, our bodies’ abilities and shortcomings, to Assistant Guide Jackson’s mountain goat-like help in scrambling across the rocks, and the “engineer’s” toilet expertise which we quickly loved immensely, each of those 34 men were there to help us however they could. They did so ALWAYS with a smile and often with an outreached hand.
Amy’s vision to somehow give back to our African angels on earth who did so much for us on that mountain has come to life through Kilimanjaro Kidz Education Foundation! I am honored to be invited on this next step of the journey as continued love and hard work blesses some of those who have blessed us so dearly.
JR Masteller, Treasurer
Hello! My name is JR Masteller. I am honored to be Treasurer and fellow Board Member with Kilimanjaro Kidz Education Foundation. I am also very proud of my wife, Dawna, who climbed to the peak of that majestic mountain with Amy Stoehr and Stephanie Fry Thai in September of 2019.
With a 16-year background in education as a middle school and high school teacher, sports coach, athletic director and vice principal, my heart has always been directly in tune with growing young people into responsible adults who will follow their dreams and be who God intended them to be.
As a sports pastor at my church for over 20 years, I strived for each person involved in our sports programs to take their next steps they are being called to take. To be part of a caring organization like KKEF is an honor, as we seek to care for and nurture deserving kids in Tanzania with an excellent education, giving them their best chance to become who their creator intended.
Dawna Masteller, Board Member
Hi, I'm Dawna Masteller, Manager at Longmont Florist. I'm the other one in the Big Three. I climbed to the peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro with Amy Stoehr and Stephanie Fry Thai in September of 2019. Truth be told, I'm the one who sauntered into the gym one day and told Amy I was going to do it, and asked if she'd go with me. (Of course she said yes; she rarely tells me no.)
The mountain brought me my own set of challenges, yet I was always surrounded by incredible support. All of us fell in love with the porters, and there was zero hesitation when Amy asked me to serve on the Board.
I'm excited by how much we've accomplished in such a short time, and know that God has big plans for us!
Respicius Baitwa, Board Member
Respicius Baitwa, an accomplished mountaineer and expert mountain guide with over 25 years working on Kilimanjaro, has passion for what he is doing and the people he serves! His own guide company, Seven Summits Kilimanjaro, or 7SK, features world-class service and the most positive, memorable experiences; the team at 7SK is intently focused on its clients’ successes on the mountain.
His unique and dedicated approach to summitting Kilimanjaro was instrumental in Amy, Dawna, and Stephanie’s success in 2019. That dedication, focus, and care extend to all of his pursuits, including his involvement in our Foundation! Respicius and his wife are raising three strong, capable, independent young women and we are grateful that he carves out time to assist us with the fulfillment of our mission onsite in Tanzania.
Respicius is a Seven Summiteer, seeking to join the ranks of others while being the first native African to summit all of the highest peaks on each of the seven continents. To date, he has climbed five of the seven: Mt. Aconcagua in Argentina; Mt. Elbrus in Russia; Mt. McKinley in Denali, Alaska; Mt. Kosciuszko in Australia; and other mountains in Switzerland. He has led thousands of people to the peak of Kilimanjaro since 1995.