“A man is not a man until he is able and willing to accept his vision of the world, no matter how radically this vision departs from that of others.”
AHEAD has traveled far since that date in 1974, when Irving and Elvira Williams, a young pediatrician and his wife, and educator, decided to take their family of four young children and move to Tanzania, East Africa, to live and work. These two decided, soon after this experience, to begin a journey on a path less traveled. This journey, initially forged under the guise of altruism and the desire to make a difference in peoples’ lives, turned into a life long endeavor based on a simple mantra – saving lives today, building sustainable communities for tomorrow. Dr. and Mrs. Williams could not have imagined where the path they charted then, would lead, nor the countless lives they would influence and change because of it.
Now we have the vision to see the change effected by the work and efforts of this organization. Founded in 1981, through the implementation of grass-root organizing, people-to-people interaction, and communication, this organization has ventured on a journey that would change the face of health care delivery~~~ by working with communities suffering from extreme poverty in developing countries, to improve their quality of life. In so doing, AHEAD has improved the lives and effected positive change with over a million of people, health care providers, and volunteers throughout the world.
AHEAD started with a commonly coined philosophy, that has been successfully manifested~~ the institution of programming that effectively addresses health care access, quality and delivery; disease eradication; optimal nutrition; environmental conservation; and education; that leads to self-sufficiency and self-reliance. AHEAD (Adventures in Health, Education, and Agricultural Development) has taken this multi-centered framework and with the vision of the founders, a dedicated Board of Directors, countless “Friends” of AHEAD throughout the world, we have dramatically improved the survival, productivity, and growth of rural communities throughout Tanzania and The Gambia.
This report looks back at the path less traveled by “Baba” and “Mama” Williams and AHEAD. It reflects on some of the key lessons AHEAD has learned, the results we have accomplished together over the last 27 years, the annual report for 2008, and the vision for 2009 and beyond. This journey has identified a few simple revelations that have helped to give AHEAD a vision for the immediate future and for the next 27 years. These few simple revelations are principle to our mission and forge clarity to our vision for 2009 and for the future.
Where will our journey take us over the next 27 years? Our vision allows us to see that our mission is far from over. New revelations will be learned as we impact the lives and new communities we work with, together. With clarity in vision and commitment to the founding tenants of AHEAD, we move ahead with AHEAD …SAVING LIVES TODAY, … BUILDING SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES FOR TOMORROW.