(PHOTO: A new Team Dayā school will breakground in Chiosya Village, Malawi on Monday, June 29, 2026. Residents held a community meeting on May 15, 2026 to plan for the new school. Contributed.)
Please consider supporting Team Dayā. We cannot build these schools without your support. Example investment opportunities:
$50,000 Fund an entire school
$1,250 Paint for a school
$625 In-country mason during the entire construction of the school
$312.50 All the nails, nuts, and bolts to build a roof for the school
A new Team Dayā school will breakground in Chiosya Village, Malawi on Monday, June 29, 2026. This is our 13th school overall and the third school being funded in Malawi.
This project would not be possible without the funding efforts of board member Nicolle Pangis and team member Serge Matta. A fundraiser created by Matta at the POSSIBLE conference in late April raised over $40,000, putting our funding efforts for school #13 at and over goal. All additional funds go directly into our building fund for future schools.
Chiosya Village
Chiosya, a small village of 200 people in the Ntchisi district in the central region Malawi (see location) north of the capital Lilongwe, will be building its first school. The current nearest school is 5 kilometers away, and the nearest main road is 20 kilometers away from the village. Most people are farmers growing maize (corn), peanuts, tobacco and soya.
The classrooms in the new school will cater to Grade 1 and Grade 2, eliminating the long walk to school for these students. The eight local chiefs project as many as 350 – 400 children from the greater catchment area will register for Grades 1 and 2 once the school is complete (this is far greater than the capacity but will create an additional push for more support and resources).
The government has agreed to provide at least two teachers once the school is completed, and the community has agreed to host or find housing for the teachers. Ahead of the the groundbreaking, the community has already mobilized quarrystones and bricks to be used in the construction of the school.
(PHOTO: A new Team Dayā school will breakground in Chiosya Village, Malawi on Monday, June 29, 2026. Bricks have been prepared ahead of the groundbreaking. Contributed.)
If you have a combination of fundraising chops, an adventurous spirit and the belief each of us has the capacity to be Building Change, get in touch with us and have a conversation.
(PHOTO: A new Team Dayā school is underway in Sector Puerto San Bartolo, Guatemala. This is our 12th school overall and the third school being funded in Guatemala. The community broke ground in April 2026.)
Please consider supporting Team Dayā. We cannot build these schools without your support. Example investment opportunities:
$50,000 Fund an entire school
$1,250 Paint for a school
$625 In-country mason during the entire construction of the school
$312.50 All the nails, nuts, and bolts to build a roof for the school
A new Team Dayā school is underway in Sector Puerto San Bartolo, in the Western Highlands of Guatemala. This is our 12th school overall and the third school being funded in Guatemala. The community broke ground in April, and construction has been underway for several weeks.
As of 2022, the literacy rate in Guatemala was 84.27%, indicating that approximately 15.73% of the population aged 15 and above remains illiterate. Poverty is also a pressing issue, with 59.3% of the population living below the national poverty line. In areas such as Sector Puerto San Bartolo, illiteracy rates are higher, and educational attainment is lower, especially among marginalized Mayan ethnic groups. Many residents are subsistence farmers who cultivate crops like beans, corn, chili peppers, and cardamom, and raise livestock.
(PHOTO: A new Team Dayā school is underway in Sector Puerto San Bartolo, Guatemala. This community member is signing the school covenant with her thumbprint because she is illiterate. The school will give a new opportunity to children to learn to read and write.)(PHOTO: A new Team Dayā school is underway in Sector Puerto San Bartolo, Guatemala. This is our 12th school overall and the third school being funded in Guatemala. The community broke ground in April 2026.)
The School
Sector Puerto San Bartolo’s primary school currently operates out of four provisional classrooms constructed by the community, where walls made of metal sheets and earth flooring (aka no floors!) create a difficult learning environment for students. During the hot summer months, the classrooms become nearly unbearable, while in the rainy season, water leaks through the structures, turning the floors into unsafe and uncomfortable spaces for learning.
Despite all this, 37 students are enrolled in school, 24 of them girls. Instruction is offered through eighth grade and is conducted by two teachers. The construction of a new school block will place Sector Puerto San Bartolo on a stronger educational path, offering students a safer, more stable, and supportive environment to learn and thrive.
(PHOTO: A new Team Dayā school is underway in Sector Puerto San Bartolo, Guatemala. The existing classrooms (one shown here) are made of metal sheets and earth flooring, creating a difficult learning environment for students.)(PHOTO: A new Team Dayā school is underway in Sector Puerto San Bartolo, Guatemala. The four existing classrooms shown here are made of metal sheets and earth flooring, creating a difficult learning environment for students.)
Your Support & The Team
Please consider supporting Team Dayā. We cannot build these schools without your support. Example investment opportunities:
$50,000 Fund an entire school
$1,250 Paint for a school
$625 In-country mason during the entire construction of the school
$312.50 All the nails, nuts, and bolts to build a roof for the school
If you have a combination of fundraising chops, an adventurous spirit and the belief each of us has the capacity to be Building Change, get in touch with us and have a conversation.
(PHOTO: The Team Dayā school in Shripur Domilla, Nepal was completed in the spring of 2026. Students in one of the new classrooms.)
The Team Dayā school in Shripur Domilla, Nepal is complete.
The school in Shripur Domilla is our 11th school overall and our third school in Nepal. Today, more than 150 students are enrolled in the school, up from 108 students when we completed the groundbreaking of the school the week of October 27, 2025.
School attendance has improved—especially among girls and marginalized children—and students now learn in a safe, clean, and motivating environment. Teachers are better equipped to teach, and students are more engaged, confident, and eager to learn. Most of the students come from economically disadvantaged Dalit families, and for them this school is more than a building—it is a gateway to opportunity for each of them and for the entire community.
The school building is designed and constructed to last one hundred years, so it should serve this community for many generations to come. As part of an all-hands-in approach to development, the people of Shripur Domilla had invested an incredible 1,655 volunteer workdays to make this school a reality.
(PHOTO: The Team Dayā school in Shripur Domilla, Nepal was completed in the spring of 2026. Students celebrating their new school.)(PHOTO: The Team Dayā school in Shripur Domilla, Nepal was completed in the spring of 2026. A teacher and students in one of the new classrooms.)(PHOTO: The Team Dayā school in Shripur Domilla, Nepal was completed in the spring of 2026. Students in one of the new classrooms.)(PHOTO: The Team Dayā school in Shripur Domilla, Nepal was completed in the spring of 2026. The school was constructed in late 2025 and early 2026.)(PHOTO: The Team Dayā school in Shripur Domilla, Nepal was completed in the spring of 2026. The school was constructed in late 2025 and early 2026.)
The Community of Shripur Domilla, Nepal
The community of Shripur Domilla (population 1,475) is in the southwestern corner of Nepal in the lowlands near the Indian border. It is just over an hour drive from the city of Dhangadhi. Community members speak Nepali and other local languages and dialects (there are 124 languages spoken in Nepal). The community is Hindu and its economy relies on agriculture including rice, wheat, mustard, corn and seasonal vegetables.
You can see the school and community location on this map pin.
Our 2025 Nepal Team
(PHOTO: Team Dayā members Jay Sears, Sajal Patel, Thane Liffick and Jordan Mitchell with community members on the site for the new school building in Shripur Domilla, Nepal October 2025.)(PHOTO: Team Dayā members Thane Liffick, Jordan Mitchell and Sajal Patel at the dedication of the new school building in Shripur Domilla, Nepal October 2025.)
Two of the six team members did not travel to the school building project, but fundraised with their own activities. One ran a half marathon in Malibu, California and the other spoke about the importance of Building Change while raising funds for his own ad tech start up.
“Not everyone has the time to make a trip around the world, but everyone can still make a contribution to Building Change,” said Team Dayā Head of Recruiting Jaryd Knutsen. If you have the time and inclination to travel with us to bear witness, great – but if you are already doing something remarkable in your professional or personal life you can still deliver a big impact as a Team Dayā member.”
Please consider supporting Team Dayā. We cannot build these schools without your support. Example investment opportunities:
$50,000 Fund an entire school
$1,250 Paint for a school
$625 In-country mason during the entire construction of the school
$312.50 All the nails, nuts, and bolts to build a roof for the school
The new school is an addition to the existing Shree Chandra Surya Basic School. Of the current six permanent school structures, at least two are unsafe and others are in various dilapidated conditions – leaking roofs of metal sheeting (particularly loud when it rains) and decaying walls that are potential unsafe during earthquakes. The school is also using two temporary structures due to these issues.
Our Nepal ‘25 Team
Meet our Nepal ‘25 team and please consider supporting them. All contributions go directly to our school building fund. Team members pay all their own travel costs.
(PHOTO: Team Dayā member Thane Liffick breaking ground for the new school building in Shripur Domilla, Nepal October 2025.)(PHOTO: Team Dayā members Jordan Mitchell and Thane Liffick tying rebar for the new school building in Shripur Domilla, Nepal October 2025.)
Liffick. Thane is the founder and CEO of Signal North Advisory, where he works with early stage, high growth companies. He spent over 20 years at Slalom Consulting as managing director and created the firm’s healthcare practice area. Donate.
(PHOTO: Team Dayā member Jordan Mitchell hauling cement for the new school building in Shripur Domilla, Nepal October 2025.)(PHOTO: Team Dayā members Jordan Mitchell (left) and Thane Liffick (center right) on the cement line in Shripur Domilla, Nepal October 2025.)
Mitchell. Jordan is a founding member of Team Dayā, Inc. and an alumnus of multiple school building projects. He has spent his career across ad tech including as an SVP at IAB Tech Lab (head of consumer privacy, identity and data), VP product at Rubicon Project and founder, chairman and CEO at Others Online. “I think about the legacy I want to leave. I understand that after I’m gone, it’s not the things I have (or had) that matter; rather, it’s the respect I’ve built for myself in my community and the lives I’ve touched.” Donate.
(PHOTO: Team Dayā member Sajal Patel speaking to the community during the welcome ceremony for the new school building in Shripur Domilla, Nepal October 2025.)(PHOTO: Team Dayā member Sajal Patel (center) on the cement line for the new school building in Shripur Domilla, Nepal October 2025.)
Patel. Sajal is the director of partnerships & business development at Nextdoor. She has also worked at TransUnion, Turn, Razorfish and VivaKi. “As a first-generation Indian American woman, I was taught about the power of education and the difference it can make in one’s life—not just as knowledge gained, but as freedom earned.” Donate.
(PHOTO: Team Dayā member Mano Pillai. Contributed.)
Pillai. Mano is co-founder at AI Agent management platform Hypermindz.ai. He was previously chief product officer at Liveintent, CEO at Nikaza and has held product-engineering roles at Neustar, AddThis and AOL. “I grew up in a family of educators, and from an early age, I understood that education is so much more than just reading and writing—it’s a transformative force that can change lives and uplift entire communities.” Donate.
(PHOTO: Team Dayā member Melodey Sepsey. Contributed.)
Sepsey. Melodey is the director of enterprise partnerships at Nexxen. She has also worked at Amobee, Turn and Starcom Mediavest Group. “Having an adopted brother from Guatemala and understanding what the daily living conditions there are, I really was drawn to the mission of providing support through education to low-income countries.” Donate.
(PHOTO: Team Dayā in in Shripur Domilla, Nepal October 2025.)(PHOTO: Team Dayā members Sajal Patel (left), Thane Liffick (back, right) and Jay Sears (right) carrying rebar to be used in the footing of the new school building in Shripur Domilla, Nepal October 2025.)
Sears. Jay is the founder and CEO of Team Dayā, Inc. He also operates the local community news site MyRye.com in his hometown. He spent over 25 years at media and technology companies including mastercard, Rubicon Project, Pulsepoint, ContextWeb, EDGAR Online and Wolff New Media. Donate.
If you have a combination of fundraising chops, an adventurous spirit and the belief each of us has the capacity to be Building Change, get in touch with us and have a conversation.
(PHOTO: Team Dayā members Jay Sears, Sajal Patel, Thane Liffick and Jordan Mitchell on the site for the new school building in Shripur Domilla, Nepal October 2025.)(PHOTO: The Team Dayā school in Shripur Domilla, Nepal was completed in the spring of 2026. Students celebrating their new school.)
