Growth Through Learning, Inc (GTL) was founded in 1997 by The Late Roger Whiting (left ) from Holden, MA in the USA and his wife, Jeanne Lynch (right).

During a trip in East Africa, Roger had a conversation with a young woman about why she wasn’t in school. She told him that her parents could not afford school fees – there is no free high school in East Africa. When he returned home, Roger talked with his friends about what he had learned and established GTL.

Roger's cousin David says, "When Roger caught fire about girls’ education in East Africa and founded Growth Through Learning, we recognized that he had found his true vocation. The name of the organization reflects his own life experience."

Jeanne Lynch holds a BA in Thanatology from the University of Massachusetts and an Associate Degree in Nursing from Quinsigamond Community College. Her interest in African children’s education was heightened by her travels in South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania with her husband, Roger Whiting, GTL’s founder. Jeanne continues to support GTL and is currently a Board Member.