In Solidarity: The TPP Community & the Coronavirus

by | Mar 19, 2020 | Seeds: Our Blog

Here at TPP, we support changemakers who are making a difference in their communities through thoughtful, early-stage projects. These projects take many forms–from empowering disadvantaged women and children to see their potential, to maintaining and strengthening spaces significant to indigenous peoples, to supporting youth in their quest to create a more biodiverse world. Despite the many forms these projects may take, however, they all have one thing in common: their leaders are all a part of the TPP community.

Our community of changemakers means everything to us–we exist to support it, to support you. Our goals have been and always will be the same: to uplift and empower individuals to create change for a more compassionate world.
So when our community undergoes hardship, we take it very seriously, and we want to make sure that no member of our community feels alone. Our team is here to listen, provide guidance, and encourage you as our world grapples with the coronavirus outbreak.

We plan to continue uplifting and supporting our grantee community by taking some of the following steps:

For current grantees:

For all of our grantees, we are automatically providing a 3-month extension for final reporting deadlines and are here to support changes in budget or strategy to meet changing needs.

For applicants under consideration:

For all of our applicants under consideration for funding, we are offering options for adjusting applications to meet current needs, if desired. We have sent an email to all applicants under consideration with this information. If you did not receive this email, please let us know by emailing: [email protected].

For future applicants:

For future applicants, during the next three months, TPP will be soliciting submissions for work which responds to specific needs that emerge from the pandemic, with the establishment of our COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund.

What is the COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund?

We are creating a special fund, the COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund, for anyone who would like to join us in supporting the selfless volunteers serving their communities during this time. As the pandemic moves quickly across America and to some of the most ill-equipped countries across the Global South, we are asking for our supporters to consider joining with us in this effort. If you are able to give, you can do so here. As always, we promise that 100% of your gift will go directly to the field and be put to immediate use.
We at TPP know that creating the change you wish to see in the world may seem a little more difficult at this time. Even though we may have to be distant from our friends or families, remembering that we are all interconnected gives us the courage to carry on. We hope you use your community, the TPP community, for strength, encouragement, and hope.

Image from the Foundations Health & Wholeness ~ Meditation for the Community project

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In the heart of Nkwen Bamenda III Sub Division, Northwest region of Cameroon, the pilot project "Youth and Visual Arts Activism for Social Change" unfolded at Teken Quarter Youth Community Hall. This initiative, running from January to April 2023, targeted fifteen disadvantaged youths—including school dropouts, drug addicts, and other vulnerable groups. The project, supported by a seed grant, was launched by the Collective Arts Development Association (CADA), which provided six art facilitators. These experts delivered extensive training in various artistic skills, from sketching and drawing on canvas boards to graphic design and T-shirt printing.

Participants were introduced to the fundamentals of colors, composition, and proportions, along with practical applications in screen printing on diverse materials like jeans, nylon, and polyester. The primary goal of the project was to leverage art and social entrepreneurship as viable alternatives to drug use, abuse, crime, and poverty in the local community. Furthermore, the project included an outreach program involving sixth-grade pupils from the Government Primary School in Teken Quarter.

The success of this pilot paved the way for a flagship initiative titled "Empowering Marginalized Youths through Life Skill Education Art and Entrepreneurship Skill Development." This ongoing program offers six-month intensive training sessions to thirty disadvantaged youths, teaching them not only visual and graphic arts but also audio-visual skills and crafts essential for economic independence and social inclusion. Moreover, the program includes mental health education, counseling, rehabilitation strategies, and connects participants with mental health professionals as needed, continuing to transform lives thanks to the foundational support of The Pollination Project grant.

#art #socialchange #activism #youthempowerment #mentalhealtheducation #cameroon #heartivism #grants #thepollinationproject
WINNERS!!
Our grantees Manjushree Abhinav and Aanchal Raturi won the Swarnali Roy Vegan Advocacy Awards 2024 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 

Manjushree received a grant for her project "My planet and my plate", inspiring students to become climate activists themselves, to plant the seed of change into the hearts and minds of students, hoping that these seeds will sprout into far-reaching effects. 

Aanchal founded Project Re-Learn, conducting workshops in Uttaranchal colleges to sensitize future agriculturists about ethical practices. 

Join us in congratulating these two incredible heartivists! 🧡 

@hsi_india 
@hsiglobal 
@manjushreeabhinav 
@earthling_anna_raturi 

#animalrights #animalwelfare #vegan #plantbased #veganlifestyle #nocruelty #crueltyfree #heartivism #grants #animaladvocacy #india
🌟 Volunteer Week 🌟  Celebrating our family of Grant Advisors!

Today we celebrate our grant advisors dedicated to #animalprotection .

🔸 April King (Montenegro/United States) 
🔸 Elphas Ongongo (Kenya) 
🔸 Mohini Sharma (India) 
🔸 Evans Okumu (Kenya) 
🔸 Fernanda García Naranjo Ortega (Mexico)
🔸 Leandro Franz (Brazil) 
🔸 Jeremy Gregory (United States)
🔸 Kate Luke (Australia)
🔸 Andrew Alexander (United States) 

@granjitatyh 
@kotorkitties 
@littleoaksanctuary 

#volunteerweek 
#animalrights  #animalwelfare  #heartivism  #grants  #animaladvocacy #advisors