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Chicago Students Host Fundraiser for Salama Gachie Students in Kenya

A week-long fundraising event in Chicago benefiting underprivileged children in Nairobi, Kenya, concluded with great success. The initiative was led by Chess Through Challenges member David Li in partnership with Bridge to the Future, a student-led nonprofit dedicated to empowering underprivileged youth through education and community engagement.

From October 4 to October 8, volunteers sold handmade crafts, including custom-designed blankets, kitchen towels, and backpack tags, created by students at Salama Gachie Community School in Nairobi, Kenya. The items were showcased and sold at several Chicago locations, including the University of Chicago campus and the University’s Laboratory Schools (K–12). In total, the collaboration raised $300, all of which will support educational programs for the Salama Gachie students.

The event sparked heartfelt reactions from buyers and volunteers alike. One young buyer, after purchasing a blanket, shared:

“When I sleep with my blanket, I feel like I can smell the air from Kenya. I hope the kids there know how special their work is.”

Several college students and community members also expressed interest in volunteering with both organizations, eager to contribute to their shared mission of building bridges between youth communities across continents.

“Our goal was not just to raise funds, but to connect people,” David Li said. “It was extremely valuable to see how these handmade crafts created a tangible sense of global friendship.”

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Congratulations to 2025 Puzzle Contest Winners

A big congratulations to all of our 2025 puzzle contest winners. This year 46 students participated in the competition. We awarded three prizes in each of three divisions–senior, junior and primary–for a total of nine. Each participant, whether a prize winner or not, also received a monetary reward per the donor’s request. Congratulations to all our contestants!

Students expressed happiness and gratitude after the prizes were announced. Here are some representative reactions:

“Thank you for the awards. It really helped me with my transport and I was able to purchase the school stuff I didn’t have.”

“We received the awards. We don’t take it for granted, we really appreciate it.”


Many thanks to our donor whose generous support made this puzzle contest possible, and to all the students for their enthusiastic participation. We would also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to IM Evan Park for leading the contest, and faculty coordinator Catherine Biketi for her invaluable support.


Moving forward to this year, we hope to host more puzzle contests as well as develop a clear curriculum for all of the students that will carry on even after Evan leaves for college.

Below is a summary of the brilliant performance of Salama players at the regional and the national tournaments.

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