Grassroots funding: crowdfunding launch

Today we are launching a crowdfunding campaign. The campaign will help us provide stipends to the volunteers and spread the word about our movement.

Africa Volunteer Corps is a movement of opening doors–for people to use their own resources and become their greatest selves.

Rather than focusing on what is wrong, we are investing in what is right.

More than 50% of Africa’s population is under 25 so now is the time to harness that energy to shape Africa’s futureit’s time to take the lid off and let them soar.

In January the first 8 Tanzanian volunteers began working at 8 local NGO’s in the Kilimanjaro region. They have just begun to walk through this open door to explore their potential and see what they are capable of. We are getting the first inklings of their ripple effect.

How many lives will improve when grassroots development projects can do their work better?

What possibilities await the world when Africa’s young people have the opportunity to use their talents?

Our movement is so much more than our employees, the volunteers, and the placements. We are not just Tanzania Director Jafari Msaki, Program Officer Sadiki Kondowe, Advisory Board members on three continents, a battalion of interns and pro bono professionals, secretary Anna Premsingh, the volunteers–Isaya Mungure, Saad Jihad Urassa, Rasheed Makamba, Nanguma Kiangi, Geema Shirima, Nuru Wilfred, Martin Mwanyika, Hellen Kisamo, the 8 NGO’s where they work, and the many people those NGO’s serve.

Africa Volunteer Corps is everyone who believes in putting people in control of their own future. Each of you has laid a brick in our foundation. Now you can help us build the tower.

Watch the video, give what you can, get cool rewards, and, most importantly, tell your friends. Invite others to join our movement. In Swahili we say, “mtu ni watu”: a person is people. None of us is alone, and we all need each other. Let’s do this together.

Thank you. Asanteni sana.

 

What is ‘crowdfunding’?: Crowdfunding is a way of raising money for projects where instead of asking one person for $10,000, we inspire 1000 people to give $10. Via the magic of the social media and email, we share our story through a video, people can give as much as they want, it all goes into the same pot, they get cool rewards in return for giving, and the campaign happens only for a limited time. Our goal is to raise $5000 (or even more!) by April 13th. Word spreads through social media networks, so it is vital for our friends and supporters to spread the word early.