Wings of Change

where every journey lifts a life

supporting women and children around the world since 2024

our year one impact

  • 100 first-time students enrolled in 2024/2025 academic year through the Wings of Change Scholarship Fund

  • $10,600 raised by nearly 100 donors

  • Funded 12 years of education for 5-year-old Avose Cynthia, who otherwise would not have been able to access schooling of any kind

  • The scholarships award more than just tuition, including educational resources, pyschosocial support, healthcare access, school uniforms and shoes, classroom materials and more

from a single trip to a global mission

Our Story

In early 2024, Wings of Change founder Heather Trompeter took a solo trip to West Africa that changed everything.She visited Makoko, a floating slum in Lagos, Nigeria—home to over 650,000 people and some of the harshest living conditions on Earth. Shelters made of driftwood and sheet metal teeter above polluted water. There’s no plumbing, electricity, or clean drinking water. Most of the children have never been to school. Many are told to fear the outside world.“I was shocked to my core. The poverty. The filth. The disease. The corruption. As soon as I saw how these children live, I knew I needed to help.”Heather’s first attempt to send support failed. A donation to fund a school boat never reached the children—misappropriated by local leaders who couldn’t be trusted. So she made a decision: she would return in person.This time, she partnered directly with Nigerian women she met—one from a family of influence, another a well-known actress—to ensure that food, water, and education access were hand-delivered and protected.From that trip, Wings of Change was born—a nonprofit rooted in trust, urgency, and tangible impact. Today, Wings of Change partners with Slum2School Africa to sponsor the education of children in underserved communities like Makoko and Saga, helping them break free from cycles of poverty.What began as one person’s heartbreak has become a movement of hope. And this is just the beginning.Why Wings of ChangeThe butterfly represents transformation. Together, we help women and children rise.

delivering dignity, one mission at a time.

Mission and Vision

Mission
To support vulnerable women and children so dignity becomes a universal right, not a privilege.Vision
A future where travel meets purpose, and every journey helps women and children rise.How We Work
We partner with local NGOs to identify urgent needs, deliver direct support, and create lasting change through bi-annual missions.

our work

2024-2025

Operation Backpack Nigeria
• Partnership with United Airlines brought global visibility and flight support, and delivered 1,000 backpacks filled with supplies across Makoko, Saga, and Takwa Bay
• Healthy snacks and drinks funded entirely by donorsSlum2School Scholarships
• 100 new students enrolled in full-service education: uniforms, textbooks, medical and psychosocial support, teacher salaries
• 12-year pledge to keep 5-year-old Avose Cynthia in school

Next Campaign: Food and housing insecurity

meet the team

Board of Directors

Heather Trompeter, Board Chair, Founder

Kyle Trompeter, Vice Chair

Ginny Brocker, Board Member

Stephen Bunkiewicz, Board Member

Barbara Poczatek, Board Member

Eva Rachau, Board Member

Marayka Wilson, Board Member

Redish Raguthu, Board Member

Taco, Honorary Board Member & Official Mascot

Thank you for your support!

"Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life." - Nelson Mandela