Las Vegas resident seeks to help impoverished youths in West Africa gain an education

Ayele Amavigan was never supposed to get out of her village in Togo, a small country in West Africa. The odds were against her.

But in 2013, the Spring Valley resident received her doctorate in education from Nova Southeastern University. It was a monumental achievement for someone who started school at 9 years old with limited resources.

“I figured that school was really the door for me to get out,” she said.

Amavigan is the president and CEO of Hidden Talent Foundation, a Las Vegas-based nonprofit that helps children in the valley and in West Africa get in school and stay in school. The foundation provides tuition assistance, school supplies, uniforms and tutoring, when funds allow.

The foundation is funded almost entirely by Amavigan and her board members, the Togo native said. The group also occasionally gets supplemental funding through Facebook and church fundraisers. Though Amavigan said the foundation usually pulls in less than $10,000 per year, those funds go a long way in paying tuition and providing backpacks and bicycles.

The foundation consists of eight members and supports about 300 students in Las Vegas, Togo, Benin and Ghana.

Amavigan and members of her team visit Africa every year to see that the money gets distributed to the children responsibly. They bring everyone in the village out to hold each other accountable for the funds. Amavigan said any board members or volunteers who travel pay for those expenses out of pocket.

Amavigan goes back home to remind children that there is more to life than the confines of a village.

“I want them to know that they, too, can get out,” she said.

Amavigan, now in her early 50s, is motivated by her personal experience with clinging to education as a means for opportunity. Growing up, she faced one challenge after another in her quest for a better life.

She suffered physical and emotional abuse and a lack of financial support from her family. The only way she saw out was through her education.

In areas in which her organization operates, there is no free public school above the elementary level. There are only private schools that generallty cost about $30 annually per student, which can be hard for people in impovrished villages to afford.

Amavigan made her way to the U.S. in 1996 after seeking political asylum. She found a home in Las Vegas in early 1997, where she continued her education.

She also enrolled her son in school as early as she could, making it a point to give him the best opportunity possible to have an education. She eventually started sending aid to her brother’s children but expanded that effort into a legitimate foundation in 2007.

Being from a disadvantaged background forced Amavigan to develop a strong work ethic, she said.

“Any kind of education is key to your freedom,” she said

Betsy Ann Fiore, vice chairwoman of the foundation’s board, said they plan to expand the nonprofit. “We would love to grow and have more donations,” she said.

The ultimate goal for Amavigan is to build a school in Togo, for which she already owns the land.

She acknowledged that she couldn’t have found success on her own. Two women from her past played a pivotal role in giving her the chance for education by paying her tuition.

“I don’t take 100 percent credit for who I am today,” Amavigan said.

That partially inspired the Hidden Talent name. Amavigan thinks there’s untapped potential in each child she assists. The children will be able to reach that potential once they have access to the resources they need to get into the classroom.

Serving the communities that raised her gives Amavigan all the satisfaction she needs in life. For her, it’s not about material goods or personal success. It’s about giving children the tools they need to be successful.

“I guess that’s my passion,” she said. “I feel good.”

Visit hiddentalentfound.org.

Contact View intern reporter Blake Apgar at bapgar@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0342. Find him on Twitter: @BlakeApgarLV.