Project Details

Nigeria is the populous nation in Africa and has immense potential, but its citizens live in dire poverty and face significant hardships.  Better Africa Youth Initiative (BAYI), a community development organization based in the country The Gambia, is determined to turn the tide by empowering Nigeria's youth to make the kind of decisions today that will lead to a better life tomorrow.  BAYI has had immense success in The Gambia, where thousands of high school students have benefitted from its various programs that teach practical skills and train promising students to be leaders in their communities, and plans to start its programs in earnest in Nigeria.  BAYI will begin its Nigeria programs in the cities of Lagos and Ondo, where it will work with two high schools.  But before BAYI can get the final go-ahead from the two schools, its personnel must visit the schools and meet with students to ensure that enough interest in BAYI's programs exists.  This project will fund the trip for two of BAYI's leaders.  They will visit both schools, meeting over two weeks with over 160 students to tell them about BAYI's programs for high school students.  BAYI will also interview individuals who have applied to run the organization's Nigeria operations.  The $2,265 for which BAYI asks for this project will cover the transportation and lodging costs of the two BAYI volunteers and will go toward providing refreshments for the meetings with students.  BAYI's model in The Gambia for training high school students to think creatively about community development has truly made it a model in West and Central Africa, with numerous organizations asking BAYI's volunteers to share with them their methods.  After careful consideration and on the heels of much prodding by officials in Lagos, BAYI decided to move forward in launching full operations in the important African nation of Nigeria.  Nigeria was selected as the next development site for BAYI because of the country's significant role in shaping African affairs, and because of BAYI's strong ties to trustworthy school leaders in Lagos and Ondo who are serious about doing anything and everything within their power to give their students hope and the skills they need to succeed professionally and to help those in need around them.  BAYI believes some 4,000 students will be impacted by its Nigeria programs within the first year of operations there.  The trip will take place within one month of this project being fully funded.  A break-down of the costs of the project is as follows:   - Transportation = $720   - Lodging = $550   - Refreshments for student meetings = $995