Update 2/25/17: Hey all. I'm Chiefspants. I'm a 24 year old who just graduated from KU and the executive director of a non-profit called the Open World Cause. In the last two years, Open World has helped bring clean water to over a thousand people in three continents, funded the construction of an indigenous school in Nepal in 2015, and are working to build a school in Kenya in the summer of 2017.
My non-profit is currently in a campus wide competition. We are trying to get the most individual donors to our cause in KU's competition this spring. Donors only need to donate $5 for this competition, if we get the most $5 donors, we will win a $2,000 prize from KU.
Even one dollar donations do so much for children in both Nepal in Kenya. 25 cents will give a child a day of school lunch, $5 pays for a month's tuition for a student, and $33 will give an entire family clean water for 10 years.
Those wanting to know about our plans to build a school in Kenya and our partners who will help us make it happen can read more here:
Spoiler!
The Open World Cause is proud to announce our 2017 initiative in Kenya. We are partnered with an educational pioneer named Livingstone Kegode, and we could not be more proud to be working with such an outstanding individual. For his work, Livingstone won Microsoft’s prestigious Most Inspirational Skype Master Teacher of the Year.
In 2015, Livingstone started HIP Africa to help educate impoverished children and community members in a rural area in Kenya. HIP (Hope Initiative Programs) is a registered “community based organization” (CBO) in western Kenya. The goal of HIP Africa is to improve the educational, social, vocational, and medical needs of the local community through its programs. The first program Livingstone started under HIP Africa was the HIP Academy, a primary school serving children from approximately 5-11 in age. The students of HIP arise from poor families. Some are orphans, others are being raised by surviving relatives. HIP plays an vital role in helping feed, educate and in providing clean water to 68 local children.
In 2016, the country of Kenya changed its policy for school zoning standards and are requiring HIP to build three new classrooms, two washrooms and fencing to continue its operations, a cost that runs to $14,000. Livingstone aspires to keep his school in operation so he can give his students a global education, and it is the goal of the Open World Cause to help make Livingstone’s mission a reality. We are working to fundraise the $14,000 needed to help save HIP Africa for the children attending the school, in addition, we aim to hire a new teacher who practices contemporary classroom pedagogies, provide technology that allows HIP students to build international classroom partnerships, and establish new programs led by the qualified teacher we plan to hire. To execute our objectives, we have appointed four advisers who will oversee our Kenyan operations. We begin with Jacqueline Jumbe-Kuhara. Jacqui founded Lifting the Barriers (LIBA), A CBO in Kenya that educates impoverished children and provides vital support to young women so they can live healthy and independent lives. Jacqui was a finalist in the 2015 Global Teacher Prize, and works with Kenya’s Teacher Service Commission. Jacqui serves on a board that vets qualified teachers for schools serving vulnerable populations and is eager to help find qualified teachers for the students at the HIP Academy. We are also proud to be joined by Melissa Collum, Melissa won a Fulbright Award for her educational work in East Africa, has taught in Kenya, and has served on a U.N. Council for Education in Rwanda. Our effort will also be guided by Michael Soskil, the 2017 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year and winner of 2016 Global Teacher Prize. Michael worked in Kenya with Livingstone in 2014 and is eager to help start cross-cultural partnerships between HIP and schools in the U.S. Lastly, we are proud to be overseen by Sue Levine, a Fulbright Distinguished Teacher from Atlanta, Georgia. Sue has worked with Livingstone since the founding of HIPAfrica and is responsible for partnering the school with Open World and other organizations that have helped keep the school in operation. We are honored to have such distinguished individuals advising us on this effort. With their expertise, we are confident this campaign can provide the critical support that HIP’s students deserve.
We would be honored if you considered joining our mission for the children in Kenya.
Sincerely,
The Open World Cause Team
Those wanting to verify that the non-profit is legit can go here: https://openworldcause.org We are certified by the State of Kansas and are waiting for certification from the USFG (there's a six month waiting period, before this year we were partnered with a non-profit based in Hutchinson, KS).
Chiefsplanet has been absolutely amazing for my organization over the last few years. Last year, your donations (Chitown is the MAN) helped feed students in Nepali school for an entire quarter. Thank you all for your continued support and let me know if you have any suggestions or if I can answer any questions.
A picture from the summer of 2015:
Spoiler!
This picture captures me with the three other founders of the Open World Cause conducting an interview with Monisha, a young woman who wants to be an attorney who represents disenfranchised women in northern India. This picture was taken in front of the TriKa school, a school that now serves almost 50 children in Narayanpur, Nepal. The school is educating children who previously would not have attended school until they were an older age. From 2014-2015, Open World funded the construction of three fully furnished classrooms as well as operational bathrooms (something people can only fully appreciate once they're in the community). :)
Do I have to give according to the amounts on the right side? Or is the normal "Gift" option at the top custom amount?
jspchief
02-23-2016 07:21 PM
Yeah, I'd rather help Americans.
Jive Ass
02-23-2016 07:31 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by jspchief
(Post 12096059)
Yeah, I'd rather help Americans.
If memory serves, this organization does many partnerships domestically, as well. They do classroom partnerships all over. Just FYI.
Chiefspants
02-23-2016 07:40 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by jspchief
(Post 12096059)
Yeah, I'd rather help Americans.
We agree there are many Americans who need support, it's why our non-profit worked to partner with over 25 schools, churches and local non-profits over the last three years.
In the Spring of 2013, a classroom of sixth graders in Inman, KS used Google Sketchup to design an Earthquake Safe School that ended up being the basis for the construction of the TriKa school in Nepal. For their efforts, these sixth graders won second place in a statewide competition at K-State and are now developing their own non-profit endeavor as middle schoolers.
Later that year, a third grade classroom from a school that had 90% of their student body receiving free and reduced lunch started a cultural awareness campaign where they partnered with community organizations and singlehandedly funded kindergarten classroom in rural Nepal. These students are now working on creating sustainable programs in their school and community.
In August 2013 - a high school student partnered with us and brought clean water to hundreds of people in Nepal and Haiti. For his efforts he was awarded a $10,000 scholarship at K-State which allowed him to attend the school.
Last year we also partnered with the Lawrence Homeless Shelter and have worked on multiple projects with the shelter. Through different campaigns we have brought hundreds of dollars of food and materials back into the shelter.
We agree that many Americans are deserving of support, and it's why we have poured a substantial amount of our focus to helping our home communities. Our efforts have already brought thousands of dollars to deserving people in this country and we're hoping that number will only increase in the future.
In the end, we absolutely respect your commitment to serving local causes - are there any you'd recommend we partner with?
BigRedChief
02-26-2016 05:35 PM
Rig a poll an raise money for charity. Win-Win
ChiTown
02-28-2016 02:17 PM
I'm proud to say my company contributed to Open World last year. I am also proud to say that we would like to help out again. Chiefspants is an amazing young Man trying to help change the World. What's not to like about that?
Ben, I'll contact you later next week.
bevischief
02-28-2016 02:24 PM
Done.
bevischief
02-28-2016 02:27 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by jspchief
(Post 12096059)
Yeah, I'd rather help Americans.
We all use to belong somewhere else.
vailpass
02-28-2016 05:14 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by bevischief
(Post 12103783)
We all use to belong somewhere else.
No we didn't.
New World Order
02-28-2016 05:20 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by vailpass
(Post 12104057)
No we didn't.
Adam and Eve breh.
Dave Lane
02-28-2016 08:29 PM
Is this a generally secular organization and would it be possible to contribute money for procuring telescopes for the children to use?
Dave Lane
02-28-2016 11:14 PM
Bump
Chiefspants
02-28-2016 11:37 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Lane
(Post 12104460)
Is this a generally secular organization and would it be possible to contribute money for procuring telescopes for the children to use?
We are a secular organization and the schools we're partnered with are not affiliated any major religion. We welcome religious partners and a couple of local churches have given us incredible support, but Nepal has a troubled cultural history regarding religious missionaries and we have made an effort to be cognizant of those issues.
I'll have to speak with our board of directors, but if the telescopes were donated I imagine we would happily take them with us this summer. I would bet that Govinda would LOVE to incorporate them into his curriculum.
