In 2007, members of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church (OSLC) in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, USA, traveled to a small village, Kikatiti, Tanzania, Africa, to enter into a global partnership.

In 2010, this same group created a scholarship program to financially assist the young people of this rural community to attend a nearby high school, Kikatiti Secondary School (KSS). The YES initiative (Youth Education Scholarships) soon expanded to include continuing education for KSS teachers (LIFT) and supplies for the school (TOOLS).

Over the next 13 years, OSLC grew YES|LIFT|TOOLS. The congregation’s generous donations helped more than 350 students graduate, advanced teachers’ careers, and positively impacted hundreds of lives.

Big 5 Tanzania formed in 2023, building on the legacy of YES|LIFT|TOOLS and expanding the charitable scope beyond education to include food sustainability, entrepreneurship, healthcare, and access to clean water. We are a nonprofit organization with international volunteers in the United States and Tanzania working together to select impactful investments and put donations to work for an immediate effect and enduring impact.