A Special Tribute

I only knew Michael through handicapping. He loved it, and he loved helping people. I'd often reach out to him with questions and he was always cheerful and helpful. When I asked questions that were too "number crunchy", he'd ask me if I ValueCapped because I loved numbers, or if I ValueCapped for another reason. Michael finally got me to understand, that why I ValueCapped had to be "my why" and "my why" had to have a deeper meaning than to make money or have a good time. Michael believed that making money and having fun at the races were valid reasons for handicapping, but not for ValueCapping. This grasshopper finally got what patient Michael was telling me. Finally.

For me, that "why" was and still is a small community near the village of Allida in Benin, West Africa. It is one of the poorest nations in Africa with one of the most corrupt governments, yet the people in Allida approach life with the same joy that I would see on Michael's face when he talked about his golf game. Through a friend, I became acquainted with a young man in Allida who was trying to go to college. His name is Nestor. I don't really understand how, but getting him through college became my first "why".

I told Michael and he was helpful and supportive. I sent him a copy of Nestor's report card and his room. Michael must have gotten a great deal of mail from all of us and I thought nothing more of it. Imagine my surprise when Michael talked about Nestor at the last ValueCapping Seminar. He showed how he had Nestor's photo on his desk, and I could tell that Michael cared about this person whom he had never met.

Now it is years later, and my ValueCapping "why" has grown. Nestor is married and has 3 daughters. There is little support for educating girls in Benin and there are very few schools in Benin. Most families are too poor to send any of their children to school. So ValueCapping built a school. Today, that school has 230 students and their scores on standardized tests are among the highest in the entire country. ValueCapping provides most of the funding for the school because many of the children cannot afford the 55 dollars per year tuition. The students are also provided with all of their books and uniforms. Through ValueCapping and "why", the school now also has:

• Water wells that provide enough safe water for all of the students and their families
• A kitchen so the children can be fed
• A concrete fence to prevent the poisonous snakes from getting into the classrooms
• Rest rooms
• Solar power
• Fans to keep malaria causing mosquitoes out of the classrooms
• A playground
• A library built in memory of a friend of mine (Mara) who was a school teacher
• A classroom in memory of my father

None of this would have been possible if it weren't for Michael Pizzolla. Not because of Michael the ValueCapper, but because of the person that Michael was. Simply one of the smartest and kindest people I have ever met. Now it only seems fitting that the school that he made possible, now has the Michael Pizzolla resource room for advanced study. Rest in peace, my friend. The world continues to get better because you were here.

— Susan S.

UPDATE: June 2026

I just wanted to let you know that the school is doing really well. Every graduating student took the national college entrance exam and everyone passed. That's no small accomplishment in Benin! Michael's resource room was temporarily converted into a study intensive and Nestor is sure that it contributed to the student's success. Please pass the news on to Michael's family. We are very grateful.

I've attached photos of 2 of the regular classrooms and a photo of Nestor with his twin girls (Justina and Juliana). The girls are graduating soon and planning to go to college to become teachers and eventually run the school.