Pictured with Connie Casebolt Elizabeth & Tom met while teaching in rural Swaziland

Vision: A world without poverty
Mission: To cultivate self-reliance in Africa
Motto: Development that Works!

Living and teaching in rural African schools, where hope and determination overcome daily obstacles that seem "insurmountable", inspired Tom Arsenault and Elizabeth Bara to create A Self-help Assistance Program (ASAP Africa). After teaching high school for two years as Peace Corps volunteers in rural Swaziland, where they met and married, the two easily settled back into the US but found they had left their heart in Africa. This inspired the couple on their journey to discover how two people could truly make a difference. The challenge: to create an organization where projects and activities are spearheaded by capable members within those communities.

ASAP Africa's philosophy and values define who we are.

• ASAP Africa does not provide hand-outs which lead to dependency.
• ASAP Africa has a passion for education and training – skills and knowledge endure for a lifetime!
• ASAP Africa knows that the people living in a community are the only ones in a position to truly improve life within it.
• ASAP Africa recognizes the enormous potential of what people can achieve by working together.
• ASAP Africa increases the long-term impact of projects by recruiting and training local staff to develop the capacity of partner communities.

ASAP's entry point into a community is through the Village Savings & Lending project, empowering people to work together for positive change. By working together other needs are identified and new ideas for addressing these come from the community.

Each and every child represents hope for the future; Community Holistic Initiative for Local Development - CHILD - describes ASAP's approach; collaborating with local government, Non-Governmental Organizations, Community Based Organizations, schools and churches to enhance household & food security and to improve rural education for generations to come.
Please click here to read more about ASAP's long-term institutional vision.