From the start…

Navydylan was created merely as a social impact business…The shop was thrown together in early 2016 right after our family’s non-profit was formed. As a family, we wanted to continue helping youth in Kenya stay in school even after our initial 6-month stay. We wanted to be a bit of a bridge between those who couldn’t afford to attend school in Kenya and those living in Kauai (or visiting the island) that had a little more to give and wanted to be a part of a solution. You can say we were a bit naive in assuming that if you have a 501 c3 non-profit, people would love to give you their tax-deducted donations. Ha! It was and continues to be a difficult thing, asking people for money. So when a friend asked if I wanted to rent an office spot for our new non-profit I quickly knew this was our opportunity to open a shop, grow a non-profit, and then learned I would have some of the most amazing conversations with visitors plus become part of the warehouse 3540 family.

The shop started with my art, goods from Africa that were in my house, and then grew into more handmade goods from around the world supporting fairtrade and other social impact businesses. The shop has always been full of things that genuinely make people happy. Bright colors, woven textures, art supplies for all levels of artist, inexpensive jewelry, funny wooden animals, and items that you don’t often find in Kauai. It’s been a wonderful journey that could not have supported our non-profit One Life to Give if it wasn’t for amazing customers like you!

Why Kenya? and why did you form a non-profit???

One Life to Give was formed after our family of five lived in Western Kenya for six months.  We went there without any objectives, just wanted our kids to understand that Kauai is not the way most of the world lives. As we struggled to learn a new culture we quickly fell in love with the people.  As our friendships strengthened we began to realize the burden put on many Kenyans.  Some 8th-grade students had repeated their school year 3 times simply because they couldn’t afford to pay for high school which can cost between $200-700/ year.  In 2015, 43% of Kenyans were living off of $1.25/ day so you can imagine how difficult that is for a family.  Other teens we met were working in fields or had idle hands and minds since they could not afford school.  While we were living there we were able to get six students into high school, four into elementary, and two (20-year old) orphans into vocational colleges with the help of our friends and family who donated to cover the expenses.

in 2015 just before leaving Kauai

We have been able to host soccer tournaments every year since that first trip (excluding 2020 of course), work with community members and outlying villages to repair water pumps, have watched our first graduates move on to University, through generous donors we have been able to keep 45 students in high school, all with one tiny board of directors and one outstanding Kenya woman as our student director. Now moving forward, we will continue with these projects but will take new paths as they present themselves. The next path that has repeatedly been on our hearts is how to create jobs for youth in rural Kenya after they graduate high school but cannot go onto university. Visit OneLifetoGive.org to learn more about plans for a workshop space in Kenya.

Thanks for being on this journey with us. If you are interested in investing in the lives of others then please visit OneLifetoGive.org for more info

Our youngest daughter Sevan with our neighbor Rose

Transport in Kenya… praying until your feet touch the ground

and our family in 2021… eagerly awaiting our 7th trip to Kenya