Starfish International
Starfish International is a The Gambia-based nonprofit that runs integrated education, health, and agriculture programs for Gambian girls and the Lamin community from a Library grounds hub, funded by individual donations, foundation grants, and a US/Canadian university volunteer pipeline, with a long-term vision of building a preschool-through-graduate "Starfish Academy."
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersBrewerton, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Starfish International does
Starfish International is a US-rooted, The Gambia-based nonprofit organization founded by Mam-Yassin Sarr and her husband (firmographics record 2006; company history infers ~2009 from founder statements of "over 15 years" as of 2024) to deliver integrated education, health, and agriculture programs to Gambian girls and the wider Lamin community. Its operational platform is a Library grounds site in Lamin, The Gambia, that functions as the hub for after-school tutorials, children's classes, adult literacy, health and community outreach, small business development, an intensive summer school, and a Sports-for-Peace program, all organized under three explicit branches — Education, Health, and Agriculture — and unified by a character-development "Virtues Program" (Nobility, Independence, Courtesy, Knowledge, Service).
The organization's "technology" is human-delivered and place-based rather than software-based: it consists of curriculum modules, mentor and volunteer rotations, and an in-person service-learning pipeline that channels US university students (Fairfield, Juniata, Santa Clara, Berea College Bonner Scholars) and visiting educators into the Lamin site. There is no app, no API, and no digital product surface; communications run through a website, a co-founder blog ("Stories of Transformation and Hope"), social channels (Facebook, X, WhatsApp, LinkedIn), and the recurring "Starfish Summer 2025" magazine.
Revenue is generated entirely through donations and grants: individual contributions (with a public $120/year per-student "keep a Starfish Girl in school" sponsorship), hosted dinners and event fundraisers, voluntourism program engagement coordinated by a dedicated Volunteer Coordinator, and institutional support from named foundations and university partners (The Mona Foundation, She's The First, One Planet Group, Starfish Canada, plus US university partners) as well as the Gambian Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education. No revenue, budget, or grant totals are disclosed; headcount is 1–10 and the long-term strategic objective is to evolve the Library-grounds hub into a state-of-the-art "Starfish Academy" spanning preschool through graduate school.
Starfish International firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Starfish International
- Legal name
- Starfish International
- Website
- https://starfishinternational.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Starfish International is a The Gambia-based nonprofit that runs integrated education, health, and agriculture programs for Gambian girls and the Lamin community from a Library grounds hub, funded by individual donations, foundation grants, and a US/Canadian university volunteer pipeline, with a long-term vision of building a preschool-through-graduate "Starfish Academy."
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Starfish International industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nonprofit Education and Community Development Services
- NAICS
- Animal Production and Aquaculture (112)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Aquaculture & Fisheries Operations (EDAOAOAK)
Keywords
Where Starfish International is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brewerton
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Starfish International business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Individual & Community Donations: Donations from individuals solicited through the website, social media, and community fundraisers; sponsorships are positioned as "Keep a Starfish Girl in school for $120.00."
- Organized Fundraising Events: Annual fundraisers driven by supporters (e.g., on birthdays or holidays), Starfish International Dinner events, and dedicated speaking engagements.
- Institutional & Partner Grants: Support and grant-style partnerships from NGOs, foundations, and universities including The Mona Foundation, She's The First, One Planet Group, Santa Clara University, Berea College Bonner Scholars, Juniata College, Fairfield University, Starfish Canada, and The Gambia Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education.
- Voluntourism Program Fees / Engagement: Recruitment of paying volunteers and supporters who travel to The Gambia to participate in programs, generating engagement revenue and in-kind contributions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | Per-student sponsorship at $120.00 per year to keep a Starfish Girl in school |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Starfish International product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Starfish International operates an integrated nonprofit program portfolio across three branches — Education, Health, and Agriculture — delivered from its Library grounds in Lamin, The Gambia. Specific offerings include after-school tutorials, children's classes, adult literacy classes, preventive health and community outreach, small business development, sustainable school and community farming, mentorship, a Sports program, voluntourism trips, and the Starfish Summer Magazine publication, all built on a character-development curriculum emphasizing the virtues of Nobility, Independence, Courtesy, Knowledge, and Service.
Product overview
Starfish International operates as a unified nonprofit program portfolio rather than a single commercial product. Its work is organized around three core branches — Education, Health, and Agriculture — delivered together from the Starfish Library grounds in Lamin, The Gambia. Specific program modules within this portfolio include the Virtues Program, Small Business Program, Library Classes and Adult Literacy Programs, and the Sports Program, with the long-term Starfish Academy envisioned as the consolidated educational flagship spanning preschool through graduate school. Supporting offerings include the Starfish Summer Magazine publication and Voluntourism Trips that connect partners and donors to the mission.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Education Branch Personalized education, critical thinking, and leadership development programs for students — especially girls — from early childhood through adulthood, including mentorship, communication, entrepreneurship, and global citizenship curricula delivered in Lamin, The Gambia.
- Health Branch Wellness programming through preventive care, health education, and basic medical services, partnering with medical professionals to run clinics and training on reproductive health, hygiene, nutrition, and mental wellness in The Gambia.
- Agriculture Branch Sustainable farming and food security programming through school gardens and community farming initiatives, equipping young people — particularly girls — with modern, sustainable, and organic agricultural techniques.
- Starfish Summer Magazine Magazine and publications series from Starfish International, with "Starfish Summer 2025" as the most recent issue referenced, used for storytelling, donor engagement, and community impact reporting.
- Voluntourism Trips Voluntourism experiences in The Gambia that allow participants and friends to engage with the Starfish community, support program delivery, and contribute to the organization's mission through structured service-learning visits.
Quantifiable outcome
- Keep a Starfish Girl in school for $120 per year (donor-published sponsorship metric)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Starfish International
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Starfish International technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Starfish International partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship / core and core.
- The Gambia Ministry of Basic and Secondary Educationflagship / coreGovernment ministry partner supporting the educational mission in The Gambia. Listed on Starfish's "Our Partners" page alongside the organization's other named supporters.
- The Mona Foundationflagship / coreFoundation partner supporting Starfish International. Mona Foundation maintains a dedicated page for the Starfish partnership (monafoundation.org/starfish).
- One Planet GroupcoreCorporate partner; One Planet Group publicly celebrates its continued partnership with Starfish International in The Gambia.
- She's The FirstcoreNonprofit partner listed on Starfish's "Our Partners" page supporting girls' education in The Gambia.
- Santa Clara UniversitycoreUniversity partner that channels student volunteers (e.g., Alaina Boyle, Santa Clara University) to Starfish International's programs in The Gambia.
- Berea College Bonner ScholarscoreUniversity service-learning partner (Berea College's Bonner Scholars Program) listed on Starfish's "Our Partners" page.
- Juniata CollegecoreUniversity partner that has sent student volunteers such as Marie-Claire Sei (2017) to support Starfish International's programs.
- Fairfield UniversitycoreUniversity partner that has sent returning volunteers such as Sean Tomlinson (2019) to engage in storytelling and cultural projects with Starfish students.
- Starfish Canadaflagship / coreCanadian affiliate organization (StarfishCanada.org) supporting the Starfish International mission.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Starfish International competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- African Library Project: African Library Project establishes small libraries and ships books to communities across sub-Saharan Africa; directly comparable to Starfish's library-anchored delivery model addressing lack of reading-material access in The Gambia.
- One Girl Can: One Girl Can is a Canadian nonprofit funding girls' secondary and tertiary education in sub-Saharan Africa, structured as a sister-organization affiliate; directly comparable to Starfish Canada and the Starfish International girls' sponsorship model.
- Asante Africa Foundation: Asante Africa Foundation runs integrated education, leadership, and economic empowerment programs for girls in East Africa; comparable to Starfish as a community-led, education-plus-economic-agency nonprofit in sub-Saharan Africa.
- FAWE (Forum for African Women Educationalists): FAWE is a pan-African nonprofit promoting girls' education and gender equity in school systems across the continent, often partnering with African ministries of education — directly comparable to Starfish's girls-education focus and its Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education partnership in The Gambia.
- Room to Read: Room to Read operates literacy and girls' education programs across Africa and Asia, with library-anchored programming and a strong mentorship component — directly comparable to Starfish's library-based, mentorship-rich education model.
- She's The First: She's The First is a US-based nonprofit that supports girls' education in low-income countries, with a focus on local leadership and community-led programs — directly comparable to Starfish International's mission of educating and empowering Gambian girls, and is in fact a named partner.
- CAMFED (Campaign for Female Education): CAMFED supports girls' education and post-school economic empowerment across multiple sub-Saharan African countries, including programs that integrate mentorship, leadership, and enterprise — closely paralleling Starfish's integrated education + small business model.
- The Mona Foundation: The Mona Foundation funds education and community development initiatives aligned with principles of service to humanity, including a dedicated partnership with Starfish International; comparable as a values-aligned funder and capacity-building partner in girls' education.
Broad incumbents
- Plan International: Plan International is a large, established global NGO advancing girls' rights, education, and equality across dozens of countries including The Gambia; comparable in mission and geography but operates at far greater scale and breadth than Starfish.
- Malala Fund: The Malala Fund advocates for and funds girls' secondary education globally, working at policy and grantmaking levels across many countries; comparable in mission but operates at a much larger, advocacy-oriented scale, making it a broad incumbent rather than a direct community-delivery peer.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Starfish International social profiles
Digital presenceStarfish International financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Starfish International leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Starfish International funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Starfish International M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Starfish International
What does Starfish International do?
Starfish International operates an integrated nonprofit program portfolio across three branches — Education, Health, and Agriculture — delivered from its Library grounds in Lamin, The Gambia. Specific offerings include after-school tutorials, children's classes, adult literacy classes, preventive health and community outreach, small business development, sustainable school and community farming, mentorship, a Sports program, voluntourism trips, and the Starfish Summer Magazine publication, all built on a character-development curriculum emphasizing the virtues of Nobility, Independence, Courtesy, Knowledge, and Service.
Is Starfish International a public or private company?
Starfish International is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Starfish International founded?
Starfish International was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Starfish International based?
Starfish International is headquartered in Brewerton, United States, in the North America region.
How does Starfish International make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Individual & Community Donations are the primary driver. The others are organized Fundraising Events, institutional & Partner Grants and voluntourism Program Fees / Engagement.
Who are Starfish International's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are African Library Project, One Girl Can, Asante Africa Foundation, FAWE (Forum for African Women Educationalists), Room to Read, She's The First, CAMFED (Campaign for Female Education) and The Mona Foundation. Broad incumbents are Plan International and Malala Fund.
Does Starfish International have an API?
No public API is recorded for Starfish International.
What industry is Starfish International in?
Starfish International's product category is Nonprofit Education and Community Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAGAE, Marine & Freshwater Conservation, with a secondary code of EDAOAOAK, Aquaculture & Fisheries Operations. Its NAICS code is 112 and its SIC code is 8200.