The Sonder Project

The Sonder Project We are empowering impoverished communities through high-impact, sustainable development.

Student letters are on their way đź’ŚVolunteers have been busy preparing letters from students in our Education Is Power pr...
08/14/2026

Student letters are on their way đź’Ś

Volunteers have been busy preparing letters from students in our Education Is Power program for the sponsors helping make their education possible. These notes are filled with gratitude, hope, personality, and ambition, offering a glimpse into each student’s life, progress, and dreams for the future.

If you sponsor a student in Malawi or Burkina Faso, keep an eye on your mailbox. And when your letter arrives, we would love to see it! Share a photo or video with your letter, tag us, or send it to us by DM. We would be so happy to celebrate these connections and the students behind them.

Education Is Power!

08/04/2026

Meet our Class of 2025 secondary school graduates 🎓

This year, 19 students completed secondary school in Malawi through The Sonder Project’s Education Is Power program.

Their graduation represents years of hard work, persistence, and support from the sponsors who helped make their education possible.

Inside our 2025 Annual Report, we celebrate this milestone and share more from a year of growth across Education Is Power, including Academic Camps and the continued expansion of support beyond secondary school.

Read more on page 22 of our 2025 Annual Report at the link in our bio.

“Sitting with them, hearing their dreams, and seeing their progress in person was a powerful reminder of how much seemin...
07/30/2026

“Sitting with them, hearing their dreams, and seeing their progress in person was a powerful reminder of how much seemingly small acts can matter.”

In our 2025 Annual Report, co-founder Ashley Horsley reflects on her time in Malawi during The Sonder Project’s 10-year anniversary year.

Her letter shares what it felt like to sit with students, visit partner communities, and see how years of support, partnership, and small acts of generosity continue to add up in deeply personal ways.

👉Read Ashley’s full letter on page 42 of our 2025 Annual Report at thesonderproject.org/2025report

07/28/2026

“What do we eat in Malawi?”

From long days visiting partner communities to overnight stays in the field, meals are an important part of keeping our team going.

Here are a few of the delicious meals our team has enjoyed recently while working in Malawi, from staples like nsima (maize porridge), chambo (a type of tilapia from Lake Malawi), and various vegetable greens, to a few improvised dishes along the way, depending on where the day takes us.

Special shoutout to Aunty Mary and Olipa, who help keep our team fed, cared for, and ready for the road while we visit partner communities across Malawi. đź’›

What’s your favorite Malawian dish, or what would you like to try? Let us know in the comments!

07/25/2026

In November 2025, we installed a solar-powered water system at Kasungu Secondary School, a longtime partner school where we currently sponsor 26 students.

Kasungu is home to more than 400 boarding students, along with teachers and their families who also live on campus. While the school is connected to city water, that supply is inconsistent and sometimes shuts off for days at a time. The new system changes that.

By adding water storage and a solar-powered backup, the school now has more reliable access to water for dormitories, bathrooms, the kitchen, teachers’ houses, and the school garden. That garden helps support the school feeding program and creates an opportunity for the school to generate additional income for school resources. When students have reliable water, they have one less barrier standing between them and their education.

Want to help bring lasting change like this to another school? Reach out at [email protected]

“Every well drilled, every student sponsored, and every farmer growing food with greater security exists because people ...
07/24/2026

“Every well drilled, every student sponsored, and every farmer growing food with greater security exists because people like you chose to believe in the potential of communities far beyond their own.”

These words from CEO Chad Zibelman reflect the heart of our 2025 Annual Report.
Thank you to every supporter, local team member, and partner community who made this work possible.

👉Read Chad’s full letter and explore the full report at the link in our bio or in the comments.

07/22/2026

🔥Our 2025 Annual Report is here!

This year’s report is more than a look back at the past year. It is a reflection on 10 years of The Sonder Project, from the vision that started it all to the work our donors, partners, staff, and community leaders continue to make possible today.

Inside, you’ll find some of our most meaningful stories from 2025, reflections on our 10-year anniversary, highlights from our clean water, education, and agriculture programs, and a celebration of our largest class of high school graduates yet.

Most of all, this report is a thank you.

To every donor, partner, volunteer, board member, staff member, and community leader who has been part of this journey: your support continues to help communities access the resources and opportunities they need to build a better future.

See the link to the report in the comments⬇

07/15/2026

A day in the field: assessing potential well sites in Malawi đź’§

Before The Sonder Project drills a well, our team first visits communities that have formally requested clean water support..

That process includes meeting with local leaders, walking the entire community, visiting the current water sources, understanding how families are collecting water now, and identifying the number of people who could potentially be impacted.

On this day, our Malawi team identified two communities ready to move into the next stage of the process.

There are still important steps ahead, but this is how every well begins: by listening first, assessing carefully, and working alongside communities to determine where clean water can make the greatest impact.

🇲🇼Malawi marked its 62nd Independence Day this week, a moment to celebrate the country’s history, identity, and rich cul...
07/09/2026

🇲🇼Malawi marked its 62nd Independence Day this week, a moment to celebrate the country’s history, identity, and rich cultural traditions.

One tradition we have been grateful to witness during community celebrations over the years is Gule Wamkulu.

Gule Wamkulu, often translated as “the Great Dance,” is a Chewa tradition associated with the Nyau society and practiced in parts of Malawi, Zambia, and Mozambique. The tradition dates back to as early as the 17th century, tied to the secretive Nyau society and originally practiced in secret as part of male initiation and community unity. Today it's a public celebration — dancers move to the beat of drums portraying mischief, sometimes chasing and scaring onlookers in jest.

During our visits, dancers have appeared at well inaugurations and village celebrations, bringing energy, mystery, humor, and powerful cultural expression to the day.

Swipe through some of the Gule Wamkulu moments we’ve witnessed over the years.

Happy Independence Day, Malawi!

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