Alum’s Nonprofit Supports Community Development in Ecuador & Mali

Anna Taft ’02 didn’t come to Whitman College to follow a set path—she came to forge her own.

She found herself drawn to big questions and broad perspectives. The Ohio native credits her Whitman professors with opening her eyes to a different side of politics, challenging her thinking, broadening her worldview and helping turn her drive for global connection into a calling.

Today, as the founder of an international nonprofit supporting community development initiatives on two continents, she’s putting those lessons into action in big and life-changing ways. 

A Young Mind Reaches Out

Long before her Whitman days, Taft radiated curiosity about the world.

From attending an Amish farm camp when she was 8 to chatting with international guests at home to hearing stories about her parents’ travels, she was drawn to learning about different places and ways of life.

Then, in high school, a family safari trip sparked a lifelong passion.

 “After that trip to Kenya, I decided that I really wanted to spend more time in a community that was very different from my own, but not as a tourist,” she says.

Seeking more of that global connection, she took a gap year before college to teach English in Ecuador.

“I wanted to get to know people … to figure out how I relate to those who have different access to resources than I do and who have a different culture and way of seeing the world,” she says.

Her experience abroad was transformational. Before she returned home, her host family asked for one thing: not to forget about them.

“That stuck with me,” Taft says, “and I began brainstorming ways that I could continue to stay connected with them, even from a distance.”

While she worked out the details, Taft enrolled at Whitman.

Power & Perspective

Taft comes from a long line of politicians but had other plans for herself.

“At Whitman, I just wanted to learn and think deeply about the human condition and big human questions,” she says.

Initially, Taft thought she’d major in Philosophy or Environmental Studies. Instead, she ended up committing to the one subject she’d meant to avoid.

“I really did not expect to major in Politics,” she says. “But then I took Politics of Development with Professor Shampa Biswas, and that’s what converted me. I realized that politics is much more than just U.S. elections. Politics is about power.” To Taft, that means the power to act together to generate positive change.

She dove into her courses and got involved on campus. She lived in the Outhouse (Environmental House) and joined the Environmental Education for Kids club, teaching children about nature. She took on leadership positions with the Outdoor Program and organized alternative spring break trips.

“I led groups of students to Tijuana to build houses,” says Taft. “It was something positive that I could contribute in a meaningful way.”

All the while, she was thinking about her experience in Ecuador and strategizing her next steps.

A Foundation for the Future

In 2006, Taft established the Tandana Foundation—a nonprofit that supports community development initiatives, with a focus on intercultural relationships that embody mutual respect and responsibility.

She returned to Ecuador, recruiting volunteers and gathering donations of basic medical supplies to support community health care. Word spread, and her organization’s mission grew. Now, it offers a menu of programs including scholarships for high school and college students, clean water and environmental conservation initiatives and community health programs.

As the program in Ecuador took off, Taft was eager to expand its reach. Through her network, she found a contact in West Africa and went to visit him in Mali, where she listened to the locals and learned about their goals.

That trip strengthened her vision for her nonprofit, which now has a branch in Mali that empowers rural communities through education, economic development, food insecurity projects, health initiatives, sustainable agriculture techniques, and women’s leadership and literacy programs.

Two decades later, Taft still makes yearly trips to both Ecuador and Mali—staying for months at a time—while also bringing what she’s learned about community development back to the U.S., including Walla Walla.

Lessons in Leadership

Taft stayed in touch with her Whitman professors. In 2010, Shampa Biswas, the Judge and Mrs. Timothy A. Paul Chair of Political Science and Professor of Politics, invited Taft to be part of a discussion panel featuring alums who had founded transnational nonprofits.

There, she met Professor of Anthropology Jason Pribilsky ’93, who encouraged her to become an O’Donnell Visiting Educator. The program brings scholars and practitioners with valuable international experience to campus to share their knowledge through lectures, workshops and mini-courses. She was also able to bring colleagues from Ecuador and Mali to share their global perspective.

“Whitties are thoughtful, engaged and ask great questions,” she says. “I really enjoy working with them and highly value the chance to continue doing so.”

Whitman students have volunteered and interned with the Tandana Foundation, both in person and virtually. Faculty have also gotten involved serving as on-the-ground volunteers and program advisors.

A new immersive fellowship opportunity is also available for students interested in a yearlong program abroad.

“It’s always energizing working with Whitties,” Taft says. “They make it a meaningful learning and cultural exchange.”