The idea for Brick by Brick for Tanzania!, Inc. came to Executive Director/founder, John Kenworthy, on a mission trip to Tanzania, East Africa in 2007. On that journey it was noted that two convergent trends regularly occurred which severely hampered the progress of the educational process in the region and hence the organic self-renewal of the community. These trends were defined to be the lack of academic readiness of incoming primary school students, and the early exodus of the majority of secondary school-aged children to help their parents forestall the travesties of stark poverty..

The model was thus formed and grew with deepening layers of further research. Because the concept of the Brick by Brick preschools so adroitly addresses the direct needs of the Tanzanian children, it was seen as being a paradigm that could be replicated in other efforts across Tanzania with similarly successful results.  Rolled out as a completely independent NPO in October 2007, the goal was and is to continue with small projects of this nature with shared efforts between US communities and Tanzanian communities. 

As the Director is fond of saying, "We don't merely build schools; we build relationships!"

The Board of Directors unites a diverse set of talents and abilities to the organization and includes:

• Lori Beck (Secretary)
• Karen Berg (President)
• Russ Broussard
• Susan Cowsill
• Mercedes Loomans
• Greg Rinn (Treasurer)

The Executive Director is responsible for presenting the Brick by Brick model to donor organizations and individuals and if often available to speak to civic organizations, schools, clubs and companies about the Brick by Brick initiatives..