Irwin, an Altoona native, first visited Tanzania in August 2018. He was there for six months working as a volunteer, which led to the nonprofit’s formation.

For the next couple years, Irwin went back to the country once or twice a year for a couple of weeks. However, he said Selfless Solutions didn’t really take off until January 2023 — when Irwin finished graduate school and decided to move there full time.

After spending the past three years living in Arusha, Irwin returned to the United States late last year and is now focused on strengthening the nonprofit’s support through fundraising efforts while continuing to operate a growing team of 15 staff members in Arusha.

“The only reason why I moved back was because, after being there for three years and finally getting a team there that could handle things day to day on their own, it occurred to me that I wasn’t really needed much day to day anymore, and I had to decide where to spend much of my time,” Irwin said, adding he wanted to spend time with his nephews.

A group of volunteers build a school for students in Arusha, Tanzania. Courtesy photo

Irwin hasn’t decided yet, but he will most likely live in the United States for about 10 months out of the year and spend two or three months in Tanzania, he said.

“There’s things that I can’t do while I’m there that I can do here that have been very helpful for us,” he said.

The nonprofit aims to give kids access to good schools so they can finish their education, get good jobs and have the necessary skills to make a living for themselves, Irwin said.

Its primary initiative, the Selfless Sponsor program, now supports more than 225 students, helping children from low-income families attend high-quality, private schools, Irwin said.

In addition to school fees, the program provides school materials, extra academic support, health care, counseling and other services designed to secure bright futures for all the children it serves, he said.

Part of the sponsor program is the selfless nursery school, Selfless Solutions’ own preschool in the Sing’isi Village of Arusha that gives young students the academic and nutritional foundation they need to get a head start before entering primary education, Irwin said.

Another major focus for the group has been the E-Shuleni program, which Irwin said was developed to address the transition from Swahili-based primary schooling to English-medium secondary education.

Starting this year, the nonprofit plans to begin working with entrepreneurs to help them grow and start new businesses, Irwin said.

“We’re really just trying to create opportunities for people through education and entrepreneurship. That’s ultimately what we do,” he said, adding they’re going to focus on creating businesses that solve social problems — providing people with more access to fundamental services like clean water, health care and education.

Through its continued work in education and its expansion into entrepreneurship, Selfless Solutions aims to increase access to opportunity for children and youth and support long-term, sustainable development across Tanzania, Irwin said.

But as the organization reaches new people and grows its work, it has to grow new funding opportunities, too, he said.

Irwin said that’s why Selfless Solutions partnered with the Bishop Guilfoyle Academy national honor society to create a new student-led fundraiser, “Tastes of Tanzania,” which takes place from 4 to 7 p.m. April 17 in the Bishop Guilfoyle Academy cafeteria. Tickets are $20 for the general public and $15 for students.

Irwin said some of the students involved in the fundraising effort, such as senior Lauren Lehman, went on the organization’s community trip to Arusha last year.

Lehman said they spent two weeks there, working to lay the foundation for a new school, before spending four nights on a safari.

Lehman said her favorite part was spending time in the classroom with the kids.

“I kind of thought I wanted to be a teacher, but helping kids in an environment like that just showed me that I wanted to be a teacher and that was what I was going to go to school for. It really solidified my career path,” she said of the trip.

It also inspired her to create the April 17 fundraiser, she said, noting there will be African cuisine, art and jewelry, live music from the Bishop Guilfoyle Academy modern band, a basket raffle and silent auctions of student art.

“We’ve been collecting raffle baskets from community members, and we have some really cool stuff that we’re going to be raffling off,” Lehman said.

“I’d encourage everybody to come and have an amazing night, explore the things that Selfless Solutions does. They’re a really great cause,” Lehman said. “It’s going to be a really fun night for everybody involved.”

Tickets for the fundraiser can be purchased online at https://tastesoftanzania.eventbrite.com.

In addition, Selfless Solutions will hold its fifth-annual “Night in Africa” event later this year, bringing the community together again for an evening of East African food, culture and impact, Irwin said.

That event takes place from 7 to 10 p.m. June 19 at the Altoona Grand Hotel, he said.

The organization is also preparing for its next group fundraising trip, scheduled for January 2027, Irwin said, noting participants will have the opportunity to visit Selfless Solutions programs firsthand while on a safari in Tanzania and neighboring Kenya.

People interested in joining have been encouraged to sign up before April 22. To register, visit https://groups.gocollette.com/en-US/link/1386989.

Mirror Staff Writer Matt Churella is at 814-946-7520.