Teza Technologies have raised US$235,000 in sponsorship to build two new schools in Malawi.
Funds will be employed to support the global non-profit organisation buildOn, which runs after-school service programs for underprivileged schools.
“At Teza, we believe everyone deserves a chance at a quality education, and that is why we are proud to support buildOn’s programs. Whether creating after school activities in Chicago or building the schools themselves in East Africa, buildOn has an unparalleled record of helping young people achieve academic success,” said Misha Malyshev, Chief Executive Officer at Teza Technologies.
Two students from each after-school program are to build schools in poor countries.
Haiti, Nepal, Nicaragua, Malawi and Senegal are to benefit from these programs, as well as a local public school in Chicago.
The two rural villages are in the Kasungu and Neno districts of Malawi, which is favoured for selection because of the country’s ranking in the world’s 20 least developed countries on the United Nations (UN) Human Development Index. As access to education and a need for economic development is a challenge to overcome, help is welcome.
The two planned schools will give 200 children the opportunity to learn in a secure and neat environment.
An agreement between the Malawi Department of Education and buildOn will ensure that 50 percent of the kids to benefit from this project will be female.
American interest in African schools has also been evident in other recent fundraisings through technology.
Another example is Kevin Wu’s JumbaFund, that enabled the establishment of a school in Africa almost two years ago.
In 2009 he started generating funds with the number of viewings his Daily Brain Food (DBF) podcasts on YouTube received.
“It’s basically me posting random videos and every time someone watches a video on the net, it actually raises money towards charity. It’s crazy. My videos raised enough funds to build this school in Africa, called the Jumba Lenana Academy, education is something we take for granted… it makes them happy and I am glad that my viewings raised enough money,” Wu said on a podcast promoting the changes videos can make in lives worldwide.
The school, situated in Kenya, has been visited by the initiator himself, who also participated in lessons of reading and writing.
YouTube featured his video on Tuesday, January 8, as an example of how YouTube videos can make a global difference.
