I just started a Project to Fund Computer Programming Education For Public Secondary School Students in Akure, Nigeria. #equipAKschool
If you have been following my recent posts, you might be think I’m up to something. If you think so, then you’re right. If not, then you can see my previous posts in the links below.
Living in Japan for the past three years has made me realize a few things;
- Every system that works has behind it, careful and conscious plans and execution. And we can never leave things to chance and expect the best outcome. Certainly not our lives and most certainly not our future.
- We all have the same problems but the choices we make determines whether we continue living with these problems or we rise above it. And sometimes living with a problem can be easier than finding a lasting solution.
Through this project, I want to push a change of strategy. Abandon the usual give-me-some-aid-to-get-out-of-poverty route and follow the we-need-to-consciously-invest-with-what-we-have way. It is much harder and would take a longer time to see a result but I believe it will have the greatest impact on our future.
We want to do something different, we also want to give anyone and everyone the chance to be part of it.
We have already made our first donations, providing 5 computer systems to a secondary school (CAC Grammar School) in Akure. The full story is on the official website here, and another blog reported it here.
In this post, I will only give highlights of this project, and answer some commonly asked questions about the project. You can find out more on the official website of the project www.equipAKschool.com.
So, how do we raise funds?
Public soliciting: I started this project, actually, by asking Facebook friends if they would support this kind of idea and I received positive responses and I therefore decided to go ahead until now. I will continue to use my public platforms to talk about this project and ask friends and followers to contribute to the project. So far, this strategy has been working. Our first donors were friends I met while here in Japan and who we have kept contact through public forums and the social media. This is working.
Charity events: I have used this strategy to latch on to the point above. I recently organized a fundraising concert where we raised about $1700. I will continue to use charity events like this to publicize about the project and use the proceeds for the project. Events like concerts, seminars and workshops have this kind of potential.
Merchandize: I have also been thinking about introducing merchandizes for the project. These will be original items that are exclusive to contributors. This is a work in progress and I am positive this will help.
Some friends have advised me to apply for grants from multinationals or similar organizations that support this kind of project. I agree this will help on the long run. However, I would like to get this project going with support from ordinary people who are passionate about what we are doing. We will explore this option when we have solidified our model and need a massive expansion.
Who will benefit?
Young public secondary school students in Akure city of Nigeria. The students will surely benefit most, being equipped with relevant skills that will be useful for their chosen career afterwards.
The communities which the students come from. As a final project, the students will be tasked with using what they have learned to solve a common problem in their communities. We hope to use useful applications being developed by these young people after the training.
Nigeria. It is my hope that through this project, we are preparing our next generation for new challenges and charting a course for Nigeria to not just be a user of technology but a producer of it.
Why should you support?
This is a first-of-its-kind project with a lot of potential to create a long lasting impact on the education of young people in Nigeria. This is an opportunity to be part of history and a success story.
How do you support?
Donate. Give to the project by sending fund into the project accounts through the following channels. See the information on our website for more detail on this.
Make this project your own. If you believe in the vision and the opportunities present in this project. I invite you to make this project your own. Organize your own campaign, raise your own funds and contribute to the pool of funds we are generating. You would become a partner and a stakeholder in the whole project.
Replicate our model. Maybe you think you can also do something like this. Copy this model and apply to a city you live. Call it equipXXschool (XX for the City name). We will be happy to help you through the process.
If you have any more questions, please do not hesitate to put in a comment below. I will be happy to answer your question.
If you will like to help in any way or have better ideas please send a mail to me at tjosh.owoyemi[at]gmail.com. I will be happy to hear from you.
Thanks for reading.
