CorpsAfrica/Ghana, a non-profit organisation that recruits, trains and deploys volunteers to facilitate community-led projects, has organised its maiden edition of ‘Project Demo Day’ (PDD) at the Ecobank Head office in Accra.
The PDD ceremony was inspired by the American TV show Shark Tank and aimed at getting volunteer projects funded – introducing CorpsAfrica and the volunteers to networks and opportunities, and promoting a culture of philanthropy in Africa while building local awareness of CorpsAfrica.
Moses Cofie, Country Director for CorpsAfrica/Ghana said: “A total of 16 volunteers were deployed to 16 communities across the Central, Volta and Northern Regions of Ghana – to help identify their needs and support them in developing community projects such as building schools, wells and irrigation systems; and helping launch small businesses and agriculture projects, among others.
“These amazing volunteers, who have served the communities for seven months, have been able to assist their communities to identify major challenges they are facing and taken on the great responsibility of helping them solve the identified challenges,” he added.
Mr. Cofie reiterated that the PDD event’s overarching goal was to promote a culture of African philanthropy and build African youths’ professional skills in proposal development, presenting, pitching, fundraising and networking, among others.
He further urged the development partners, philanthropists, corporate bodies and NGOs present to respond positively to funding appeals from these volunteers to enable them achieve their respective community-identified projects.
The six selected volunteers who pitched their community-identified projects were: Joana Doudu Owusu, Martin Rasheed Musah, Victoria Wintonya Ndebugri, Ibrahim Ismail, Susana Kolog and Joshua Kwawuvi.
During their five-minute presentation, the selected volunteers provided a description, expected impact, budget and sustainability plan for projects such as facilitating trainings in Vocational Skills for women and girls at Nantong Zoo; providing teachers’ bungalows and a nursery school at Anweem Kissi; constructing a technical training workshop in Peki-Tsibu; constructing a three-classroom block with staff room in Chanzegu; constructing a CHPS compound in Kwameatta; and constructing ventilated, improved pit (VIP) latrines at Kanfiehiyii.
Some representatives from Compassionate Ghana, Vodafone Ghana, Peace Corps, Mastercard Foundation, Access Bank, Camfed, Future for Africa, Send Ghana, Global Shea Alliance, GIZ-Ghana, West Africa Civil Society Institute (WASCI) and Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) among others witnessed the maiden PDD ceremony.
CorpsAfrica
CorpsAfrica recruits, trains and sends college-educated Africans to live in remote villages of their own countries to facilitate small-scale, high-impact projects that are identified by local people – inspired by the Peace Corps model.
