Education can be taught and received through infinite mediums. TPP grantees unite and educate their communities through art, curated trainings and basic necessities that allow others to fully follow their goals. Whether it is through literature, documentaries or thoughtful programming, TPP grantees provide an array of economic and educational solutions that include everyone.
No one is left out in the journey towards a richer mindset, a sustainable future and a network of people to depend on. We hope you explore and enjoy this week’s grantee projects.
Saam, Kingsly, Ibrahim, Pepouna, Abdou – Safe And Secure Taxis And Okadas In The City Of Yaounde
Safe and Secure Taxis and Okadas in the City of Yaounde addresses the need of educating taxi drivers in the capital city of Cameroon. Saam Emmanuel Yunji works with three other individuals to help educate and support taxi drivers and bike riders, who are targeted as those contributing to the rising levels of theft, abuse, and unsafe households. Emmanuel and his team started this project because they want to expose the truth – that being a lack of education amongst these individuals. “People do not understand their environment and their environment does not understand them either, so there is complete mistrust.”
The research and pilot we performed confirmed our hypothesis that the drivers mentality is shaped by the forces and actors in his working environment. Funds from The Pollination Project will support with marketing and sensitization to create an awareness campaign about the need and goal of this program and its benefits for all along with obtaining outdoor projection equipment to reach large groups of people.
Julia Lisi, Derrick Murekezi, Ian Manzi – Critical Thinking For P.E.A.C.E Youth Peace Camp
The Critical Thinking for P.E.A.C.E (CTP) Youth Peace Camp is a program which brings high school students across Rwanda together for a week-long program to learn in depth the history of Rwanda with a special focus on the 1994 genocide perpetrated against the Tutsi. During this period, workshops are taught by experienced teachers of Rwandan history, peace building, and conflict resolution skills and students also have the opportunity to interact with various experts and researchers in a discussion setting.
The purpose of these sessions is to empower students to define their place in their country and community’s narrative, cultivate a stake in the process of sustainability, and be active participants in the dialogue. Our partner organizations also provide us with educational materials such as books, documentaries, and peace education curricula to strengthen the content of the camp.
Additionally, students are trained in Model UN, an academic assimilation of the general assembly of the United Nations, to leverage on the critical thinking skills in an argument for consensus format. Towards the end of the program, students design and implement a community service project in the neighboring Rubona District, based on information gathered from the district’s citizens themselves. We teach the youth to take responsibility for the development of their country by working with those in disadvantaged communities to address their needs using critical thinking to create a sustainable solution.
Our mission at CTP is to cultivate and empower the next generation of proactive citizens and peace builders. We aim to teach these future leaders how to employ critical thinking and compassion to solve some of the most pressing challenges in both their personal lives and communities. At the end of the program, we encourage our students to take what they have learned back to their communities and implement initiatives that work to address hindrances to social cohesion. In this way, nearly 1,000 young people across Rwanda have already been impacted by our peace education training.
Alhassan Abdul Razak, Katere Charles – Sustainable Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (SLEAP)
Sustainable Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (SLEAP) is an economic empowerment initiative by a team of change agents led by Alhassan Abdul – Razak Bawa and co-leader Katere Charles. The project facilitators intend to train 30 beneficiaries from three communities in the Kassena-Nankana district of Northern Ghana in employable skills in tailoring as a source of livelihood to the unemployed youth in the community. As a result of this work, the youth will be afforded a space to generate income and earn a living.
This Initiative will engage the youth in the region, thus minimizing their migration to the Southern part of the country to seek greener pastures, which eventually renders them vulnerable and disadvantaged. The team intends to smoothly implement this project through active, community participatory approaches, backed by robust monitoring and evaluation techniques . The team strongly believes that equipping the vulnerable youths with employable skills in tailoring will serve as their source of livelihood and have a holistic economic and social positive impact on their lives.
Women Leadership Development Program
The Women Empowerment program is a community platform that empowers Afghan women through their leadership learning center. The two-week learning program happens in Jalalabad, Behsood, Surkhood, and Karma districts of the Nangarhar province of Afghanistan. The summit will be a life-challenging experience to both male and female students in the region, which will foster their life-long leadership potentials including but not limited to, empowering others, problem-solving, communication skills, and self-growth. Each conference aims to boost participants’ self-confidence and knowledge, while encouraging them to think of new ideas by teaching, inspiring, and supporting them through this program.
In this newest initiative, WLD, Shabnam will arrange a friendly atmosphere within the summits and put together new content on leadership, seasons on leadership, encourage team building, and facilitate group activities to achieve their goals in a satisfactory manner. Together they will make a great positive impact in the community.
Bonnie Devine And Jimena Almario – RAIS: Art In South America
RAIS: Art in South America is both a book and a process. The book tells the story of Bonnie Devine’s 4-year research journey across South America with La Múcura – an arts and social transformation grassroots organization from Colombia – as she gets to know some of the most amazing leaders who are creating social change through the arts. Their experiences, along with her own, are the centerpiece of the research project and the book. The lack of academic support, visibility and networking are some of the greatest hurdles Bonnie and those like her have to tackle as advocates and creators of social change through the arts in South America.
RAIS: Art in South America addresses these three issues, both on and off paper. With a grant from The Pollination Project grant, she will be able to fund the eco-friendly printing of 500 copies of this book, which is the first step towards a comprehensive self-sustaining distribution strategy based on face to face round table events across South America to debate the contents of RAIS, network, and empower each other.
As a social worker and musician, Bonnie is passionate about the arts and social transformation.
“This project is inspired by the underlying belief and passion that through these creative experiences we can heal as individuals, as relationships and as a society.”
Mohamed Hamadi Madzambo G-Enue Arts – Kizungumkuti Series
Kizungumkuti Series is a locally produced series, which talks about the community life of a young lady who is sexually harassed by her father in exchange of the education she received. The series follows her departure from the family where she joins the media industry and becomes a strong champion for female empowerment, gender advocacy, cohesion, and integration.
Hussein Ali, Tarzan Mkomah – Peace And Security
In Mombasa County, Kenya, the need of peace and security is vital due to the rise of criminal cases in the region. Peace and Security project is an initiative brought together by Hussein Ali and Tarzan Mkomah, both of whom are change agents and active members of Kenya Tanzania group – Kentaz – with the aim of reducing the rate of insecurity and promoting peace in the region. The group focuses on youth education, capacity building, and youth empowerment. There is need to ensure people in the region that it is possible to peacefully coexist and carry out economic activities without fear of insecurity, both among the locals and together with foreigners. Hussein and Tarzan were inspired by the need to bring back humanity and brotherhood to the communities residing in Mombasa. The grant from The Pollination Project will help them organize events, hire halls and public address system, purchase stationary, and cover for transport costs.
