Agent of Impact, Nancy Bartosz has partnered with a diverse range of individuals and organizations throughout her Hope Travels journey. These Hope Travels partners continue to work to support mental health and self-expression initiatives, even after Nancy has traveled on to the next country. Here is a full list of our incredible Hope Travels Partners in Africa and the Middle East. We look forward to updating this list as Nancy continues to form new partnerships.

Ghana

• Global Mamas: Organization that aids female Ghanaian artisans sell their crafts.

• Autism Compassion Africa: School that educates children with autism and helps them become self-sustaining through evidence-based Applied Behavior Analysis therapy.

• PsychAidLove: Non-profit that promotes mental health awareness and works to eliminate the associated stigmas. Holds free monthly breakfasts where people can talk to each and local mental health professionals about wellness and community resources.

• Accra Psychiatric Hospital: Houses psychiatric patients who have been abandoned by friends and family due to stigma surrounding mental illness.

• Pastor Isaac Owusu: Hosted a Hope Travels event at his church including having a commissioning a local artist to have create the first of many Hope murals  painted.

• Apene: Ghanaian who guided Nancy and spread the Hope Travels message.

Senegal

• Adama Diop and family: Generously hosted Nancy and taught her about Teranga and the importance of family in Senegal.

• “Happiness Team” Breakfast crew: Volunteers who go to the Children’s Cancer Center in Dakar to bring joy and distraction to the children and their parents.

Uganda

• REHORE - Restoration and Hope for Refugees: Organization that promotes the well-being of refugees and host communities in the country of asylum. The REHORE staff supported Nancy in hosting a kite event and creation of a mural in Kiryandongo, Uganda.

• Creative Arts Uganda: Creative Arts is a group of artists who use different talents as tools to share love and give hope. They travel to impoverished areas to host large-scale events that inspire hope for children. Nancy participated in a Creative Arts 256 event while in Uganda.

• Paper for Water: Paper for Water empowers youth through the sale of origami creations that raise money for water wells in developing countries.Paper for Water supplied origami paper that has been used in a variety of workshops and for distributing origami hearts while traveling.

• Uganda Skateboarding Union: The first skateboard park in East Africa which was the venue at the center of the Kigali neighborhood that hosted the Afri-Cans event.

• Afri-cans Street Art Festival: Festival where 40 artists from around the world gather to collaborate and create murals to transform Kitintale neighborhood in Kampala.

Rwanda

• Good Change Rwanda: An organization dedicated to socio-economic empowerment and environmental protection for Rwanda. Good Change Rwanda leaders facilitated many partnerships for Nancy and helped her to share gifts of  free healthcare to individuals and families that could not otherwise afford it.

• Kiseki Japanese Restaurant: Restaurant in Kigali that donated a wall to be painted with a Hope Travels mural by Sparrow from Uganda. Kiseki also partnered with Nancy to host a Halloween cultural festival for local single mothers and their children.

• Les Enfants de Dieu: Children’s school transforms the lives of Rwandan street children by meeting their basic and psychosocial needs, providing them with education and skills, and reintegrating them to become valuable members of society. The school partnered with Nancy to  host a kite event.

• Truth Prevails: Group seeking reconciliation through projects and conversations  between Genocide victims and perpetrators during who aims to build forgiveness while also preserving the truth so nothing like it happens again.

• The Rescuers: People who stepped in the face of the genocide’s injustice to save the lives of strangers despite the intense physical danger. Highlighted by Humans of New York last summer.

• Nate Sherwood/Eduskate Skateboard Shop: Cedar Rapids, Iowa skateboard shop that worked with a variety of donors to provide skateboards donated to support  skating event in Kigali Children’s village.

• Kurema, Kureba, Kigali: Rwanda’s preeminent public-arts social enterprise and customer art services provider in Kigali, Rwanda. The organization coordinated a collective of Ugandan and Rwandan artists to transform the skateboarding park at SOS Children’s Village.

• Skateaid: Nonprofit that brings support through skateboarding that hosted a skateboarding  in Kigali Children’s village.

• Kites in the Sky: A kite distributor that partnered with Jason Everett to provide discounted kites for people to donate to children Uganda and Rwanda.

Ethiopia 

• Queen of Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant: Hosted Nancy with quality food and conversation. Owner Queen suggested several locations for Nancy to visit and accompanied her to St. George’s.

• St. George’s Cathedral Outreach Group: Supports 160+ women with critical medical and financial aid.

Zambia 

• Black Pith Poetry: Group that uses performance and education for community support. Hosts events centered on the intersection of art, community and mental health. Designed a collaborative poetry workshop with Chicago poetry, Adam Gottlieb. Black Pith hosted Nancy for a weekend of outreach and educational events. A video of their Poetry workshop is available here.

• Circus Zambia: A social circus company that equips young people from vulnerable backgrounds with circus and life skills while providing educational and employment opportunities. The Circus Zambia team hosted Nancy and provided an opportunity to meet their youth leaders.

• Clothed in Hope - an organization that empowers young women in Zambia through education and economic opportunities. The group partnered with Nancy to host a mental health workshop for the leadership team.

Israel/Palestine

• House of Bread Church in Bethlehem hosted Nancy’s Christmas visit and partnered in providing a holiday celebration of hope for their youth group.

• Yemin Orde Village: Village that hosts and educates at-risk children from Israel and surrounding countries to provide them with protection and a promising future. Yemin Orde provided a tour for Nancy and was the beneficiary of supplies donated by students at Westmont Junior High School.

Kurdistan/Iraq

• More Friends Than the Mountains: A project partnership organized by American Jason Everett to connect US and Kurdish communities through art initiatives for refugees living in Kurdistan.

• Barzani Charity Foundation: Runs a number of refugee camps for people from Iraq and surrounding countries that have been displaced due to conflict. Oversaw projects in Kurdistan that included hosting visits to five refugee camps and several community kite events.

• Mohammed “Mo” Hawar: Senior Education Officer for the Barzani Charity Foundation, friend and guide during Nancy’s travels through Kurdistan. Watch his  TEDx talk here.

• Halabja Glory Organization: Dedicated to preserving the memory of the tragic chemical attacks against the Kurdish people in Halabja during the Iran/Iraq war. Hosted a kite event and developed artist partnership to complete a hope mural in Halabja.

• The Kindness Rocks Project: Movement dedicated to spreading simple messages of kindness and happiness by painting them on rocks. The CEO and Founder Megan Murphy provided supplies and support for the completion of painting projects in Kurdistan and Jordan.

• Jason Everett: American who travelled to several countries with Nancy including Kurdistan/Iraq where he ran the “More Friends Than Mountains” campaign.

• Aamr Ali - Mentor for the Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program (IYLEP) that looks to develop a generation of talented young leaders in Iraq while also developing a strong relationship with the U.S. He currently works in the Kurdish Regional Government and helped Nancy connect with other non-profits in Kurdistan.

Artist Collaborations:

• Sparrow: Ugandan painter, leader of Afri-Cans Instagram: sparrow_uganda Mural locations: Kitintale, Uganda, Kiryandongo Village, Uganda, Les Enfants de Dieu School, Kigali, Rwanda, Kiseki Japanese Restaurant, Kigali, Rwanda, SOS Skateboard Village, Kigali, Rwanda.

• Rach: Ugandan painter Instagram: @Rachkara_rach Mural locations: Kitintale, Uganda, Kiryandongo Village, Uganda, Les Enfants de Dieu School, Kigali, Rwanda, Kiseki Japanese Restaurant, Kigali, Rwanda, SOS Skateboard Village, Kigali, Rwanda.

• Zebia Nangoma: Ugandan painter who worked with Nancy during Afri-Cans and is currently creating a Kindness Rocks Garden in Uganda.

• Grace Bany: Ugandan dancer Instagram @bany_grace

• Dwain Whitaker: Zambia artist Instagram @take.graff Mural location: Chibolya, Zambia

• Adam Gottlieb: Chicago poet who collaborated with Black Pith to plan hope writing workshops that were taught in both the USA and Zambia. Instagram: @Adampgottlieb

• Mira Graff: Kurdish painter Mural location: Halabja, Kurdistan Instagram @mira_works

• Melissa Marie Collins: American artist who contributed to “More Friends Than The Mountains” hope  mural Instagram @melissamariecollins

• Mike Stenerson : American artist who contributed to “More Friends Than The Mountains” hope mural Instagram @wolf1200

• Awa F Bakr: Kurdish artist who contributed to “More Friends Than The Mountains Hope  mural Mural Location: Hassan Sham IDP Camps- Instagram: @Awa_fazil

• Vanila Van: Kurdish artist who contributed to “More Friends Than The Mountains h mural Instagram: @Laawenn

• Abeer  Kadhim: Iraqi artist living in Jordan who designed a Hope Mural for the Alkalha Steps - link - Instagram: @Abeero.art

• Abd Alrahman Jordanian artist who participated in the Hope Mural for the Alkalha Steps Instagram: @aboodgraffiti