Joseph & Mary School was named after Joseph & Mary Agnello. He was a school teacher and administrator. She was a Sunday school teacher at a New York Church. Neither of them ever set foot in Tanzania, but the school embodies the virtues they championed.

Joseph & Mary’s son, Jim, first visited Mainsprings’s campus in 2008. He brought a dozen high school students from Bronxville, NY and more luggage and supplies than he thought could possibly fit into an SUV. He says the group received the warmest welcome from the girls who were overjoyed by the arrival of their new friends.

After that trip, Agnello returned to the States with a very heavy heart having seen the learning conditions of the Mainsprings’ residential girls in the local primary school. He was hooked and committed to Mainsprings’ future.

After his mother, Mary Agnello, lost her battle with cancer, Jim thought the best way to honor his parents was for them to live on through this school. Jim, who is currently the Mainsprings board chair, worked side by side with Mainsprings staff to help build the school that would bear his late parents’ names. Joseph & Mary’s faith, determination, and passion for education is now shared with hundreds of Tanzanian students every day.