Tusome Pamoja, which means “let’s learn together” in Swahili, is an educational nonprofit based in Richmond, Virginia, that serves educationally disadvantaged immigrant and refugee children and their families, who primarily come from sub-Saharan African countries such as Rwanda and Tanzania. The organization tutors children in subjects such as mathematics and English and provides opportunities for them to play and bond with both students their age and older mentors.

According to Liz Wiznerowicz, co-founder of Tusome Pamoja, the program is the brainchild of Kenya Gray, fellow co-founder of Tusome Pamoja and a teacher at Tucker High School. There, Gray worked with immigrant and refugee children with noticeably large educational gaps but did not have adequate time to work with them in the allocated school day. Thus, she started a personal initiative, recruiting volunteers to work with these students in Henrico Public Libraries on Saturdays. Through a mutual friend, Gray was able to meet Wiznerowicz, enlisting her to become a science tutor for her program.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, when students, particularly those from low-income, immigrant, and refugee households, were impacted the most by pandemic constraints, both Gray and Wiznerowicz were inspired to launch a summer program to help. In the summer of 2021, alongside eight teenage student volunteers, the first summer session of Tusome Pamoja began, lasting six weeks. It was this period that Wiznerowicz says “helped make something big happen.” In the fall of 2021, Tusome Pamoja was officially formalized, launching Saturday-based seasonal fall, winter, and summer volunteering programs alternating locations from Henrico Public Libraries and St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church in Richmond. Since then, Tusome Pamoja has grown remarkably, gaining official nonprofit status in 2023. Now, it has a permanent location at All Saints Catholic School. The organization will celebrate its upcoming 12th volunteering season in the spring of 2025.

Tusome Pamoja might have started with just a handful of teenage volunteers, but Wiznerowicz herself has personally experienced the drastic personal growth of the organization due to volunteers who resonate with the nonprofit’s mission. Tusome Pamoja now has dozens of volunteers each season from fifteen different high schools in the greater Richmond area, including numerous students from all grade levels at Maggie Walker who volunteer each season. In addition to volunteers, the professional teaching staff has grown within the program.

In the spring and summer of 2024, Wiznerowicz began developing the idea of a Student Advisory Board, understanding that teens had “incredible opportunities to expand educational awareness outside of the classroom.” Given support and guidance in leadership positions, motivated teenagers could shape Tusome Pamoja, spreading the organization’s mission to other students and members of the Richmond community. Through the Board’s work to initiate fundraisers and outreach events, from booths at the ReEstablish Richmond festival and Richmond’s AfroFest to organizing its own Multicultural Festival, Wiznerowicz notes that students are not only helping others but “grow[ing] themselves.”

While it’s easy to focus on the broad success of the organization, Wiznerowicz prefers to focus on its specific mission, which she describes as “not a service, not a charity, but building relationships.” For many of these immigrant and refugee children and their families, transitioning to the United States is a difficult and tedious process, but Tusome Pamoja provides services and opportunities that help build trust between immigrants and their new community. Alongside St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church, Tusome Pamoja is able to provide its students and families with school supplies, winter coats, tuition assistance, transportation services, and meals. The organization’s commitment to education and relationships has shown clear results. According to Liz, dozens of Tusome Pamoja students and alumni have received scholarships and offers to attend various Richmond private schools, such as All Saints Catholic School and Cristo Rey High School.

As Wiznerowicz says from personal experience, Maggie Walker students are “incredibly passionate, generous, and down to earth” as “ideal mentors for their friendliness.” If you are looking to expand your leadership skills while making a difference in the lives of the most amazing students, look no further than Tusome Pamoja. Learn more about the organization and sign up to volunteer at tusomepamoja.com, or email Wiznerowicz at liz.tusome@gmail.com