Explorers Receive 1st Tendaji Award

The Merze Tate Explorers is a nonprofit organization dedicated to exposing young girls to careers through media. As travel writers, the Explorers meet amazing trailblazers which inspire them to reach their fullest potential. The girls interview globally respected leaders such as Harriet Elam-Thomas, as former U.S. Ambassador.

Note: Headline image of Shadae Hillsman is from previous interview; not the Tendaji grant interview of which she was a co-presenter.

Thanks to WMUK’s Earlene McMichael for helping us share the news of this amazing grant opportunity!

The Merze Tate Explorers received their first Tendji grant of $15,000! The award was part of a $20,000 award, of which the Black Arts and Cultural Center will receive $5,000 of those funds. A community presentation will be held at 6 p.m., August 23, at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, 314 S. Park St.

Twenty local black women professionals are pooling their money to aid Kalamazoo-area nonprofits that offer cultural, educational or human-service programming of interest to African-Americans. A few months ago, they formed the Tendaji giving circle. That’s Swahili for “makes things happen.”

On August 18, the women’s organization held its first grant competition. The collaborative invited five groups to make 10-minute pitches. Two grants totaling $20,000 were awarded that day with no strings attached, and the women say they plan to do this once every year.