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Giving Tuesday began in 2012 as an effort by New York’s 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation to help encourage people to do good. Since then, Giving Tuesday campaigns have grown into an international movement inspiring millions of people to donate to a cause and/or give of themselves, be it their time or services. 

In contrast to the ever-growing consumerism that accompanies the Black Fridays and Cyber Mondays each year, Giving Tuesday is a refreshing way for all of us to make a difference in each other’s lives and celebrate the best of our humanity.  

Asante Africa Foundation launches a Giving Tuesday campaign annually as a way to further empower the future leaders of rural east Africa. Your giving directly helps the girls and boys of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda receive the kind of education, leadership training, and health awareness that improves their lives and their community. 

How your gift to Asante Africa Foundation makes a difference

For rural east African children, a strong education, health and reproductive knowledge, and the tools to succeed in life are often wiped out due to poverty, cultural norms and other factors. Asante Africa Foundation, through a host of education and leadership programs, connects young people to the vital opportunities and community leaders that will help them grow and realize future success. 

Access to technology and mastering digital skills are keys to success, so we’re giving our future leaders tablets with the money raised this year.  

Below are just a few examples of the success stories made possible by your contribution on Giving Tuesday:

Hadija in Tanzania

Asante Africa’s Wezesha Vijana Program fosters better communication between parents and mobilizes young women as business leaders and role models. With these resources, young girls have the confidence and support they need to make healthier choices for themselves and their families.

Armed with the knowledge and skills she picked up from her Wezesha Vijana peer mentoring club, Hadija, a primary school student, has become a young entrepreneur. Hadija started a farming venture that has greatly helped her family’s financial outlook. By uncovering the potential of her family’s fallow land, she’s planted vegetables that have provided sustenance as well as sales that directly assist her family’s needs.

Ruth in Uganda

Through education provided by Asante Africa Foundation’s Leadership and Entrepreneurship Incubator Program (LEI), Ruth, a young woman from Uganda, has opened a shop where she is selling milk tea and bread. Like any entrepreneur, she has to overcome obstacles to her business but they are not larger than her desire to succeed. 

After attending a training seminar organized by Asante Africa, Ruth began diversifying her business by manufacturing sanitary pads – a big necessity for young women in this area of Africa. Ruth is now offering for sale the sanitary pads in her shop, offering girls a better health option and while growing her business in the process. 

Youth-trepreneurs in Kenya

As participants in Asante Africa’s LEI Program, a youth club picked up entrepreneurship skills that will help them succeed in their new business: purchasing sheep for income generation. Their combined leadership, problem-solving abilities, and team work has given the group the confidence to try their hand in a challenging field. 

With land becoming less available, it can be hard to scale a sheep herding business such as this. But these Moi Naikarra Secondary School members each pitched in and together raised the money to purchase their initial group of eight sheep and start their club’s new business. The group has now hired a herdsman to attend to the sheep while the students are in school. Moving forward, the students plan to use their profits from reselling the sheep to cover school fees for their neediest club members as a Pay It Forward plan. 

Creative ways in which you can give for Giving Tuesday 2021

Apart from donations to Asante Africa, or other Giving Tuesday charities of your choosing, we urge you to make an impact this #GivingTuesday in some form or fashion. 

Here are some additional suggestions on ways you can bring a smile to someone’s face and make a difference in their life:

• Help spread the word, encourage your network to take action and build awareness on Nov. 30th by using the hashtag #GivingTuesday when you post on social media
• Organize an employee volunteer day
• Share kindness with elderly family members or your neighbors
• Show gratitude to healthcare workers, service providers, restaurant/delivery staff and other essential workers who ensure we have the services we rely on
• Talk about generosity giving using the hashtag #GivingTuesday
• Announce your participation in Giving Tuesday to your networks and email lists

Donate to Asante Africa Foundation on Giving Tuesday 2021, and help us reach (or exceed) our goal!

Written By: Christopher Bass