In July of 2019, 12 Natick High School students had the opportunity to go to The Gambia and be a part of the Starfish experience. They laughed, danced and cried together as they became our sisters. The Starfish Benefit Dinner donations will go towards bringing those Gambian sisters to the United States, to attend classes at Natick High School and trips in and around Boston as a way of returning the multicultural exchange while also reciprocating the unconditional love and immense hospitality we received from the Starfish students in The Gambia.
In July 2019, Natick High School ran an exchange trip to Starfish International, a school for girls in The Gambia, an English-speaking country in West Africa.
We traveled to The Gambia with a group of twelve students and five adults. We stayed in dorms with 12 of the top Starfish students, doing everything together for two and a half weeks. We taught and took classes; we spent a day in their homes with their families, helping with chores and sharing a meal; we learned songs, dances and poetry for their commencement; we danced, walked, ran, swam, played soccer and softball together; we engaged in meaningful discussions about education, race, poverty, family and sexuality. Most importantly, we became great friends with our Starfish sisters. We have profound respect for the values of hard work, compassion and perseverance that define Starfish.