Sometime in 2001, I wandered into a bookstore and picked up a book called The Awake Project. Awake was a compilation of writings from activists around the world concerning the HIV/AIDS pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa. The most disturbing factoids of the book for me were not the alarming statistics concerning the afflicted in Africa, but rather the far more depressing statistics revealing the deep inaction and apathy of American Christians. Having already been exposed to the realities of global poverty and disease through my travels, I was embarrassed that the faith community I professed to be a part of was so distant from the hurt and need of this world.

Angered and motivated, I went back to school to learn about these issues from important thinkers. My intention was to find solutions. I traveled with my family to Kenya in 2003 to meet the poor and learn from them what the issues were and, more importantly, what hope there was in such dire circumstances. We spent 6 weeks listening and learning, meeting people with whom The 1010 Project still works with today. It was all at once a difficult and amazing experience.

What emerged from our visit was an organization called The 1010 Project, an idea based on the simple concept that people in poverty need partnerships in order to break the cycle of poverty that so many are trapped in. The name ‘The 1010 Project’ comes from a scripture verse where Jesus says that he came for life, life to the full. Surely the widespread existence of extreme poverty on this planet is an abomination of that promise. I don’t need to repeat statistics here, but deep down we all know that something is wrong when millions die of poverty in a world abundant in resource. The 1010 Project emerged as an effort of some dedicated people to address both poverty and the apathy that contributes to it.

In May of this year, The 1010 Project will be 6 years old. It has been a very difficult journey from conception to reality. The success of The 1010 Project rests in the thousands of people who through effective partnerships and their own efforts are emerging from poverty and providing a future for their families and communities. I work everyday to create opportunities for my children to realize a better tomorrow. In this sense, I am no different from my Kenyan brothers and sisters.

The large organizations of the world are just now realizing what The 1010 Project has known since it started. From the United Nations to the aid programs of countries to some of the largest non-governmental organizations in the world, practitioners and policymakers now recognize that the voices of the very poor must be heard. No longer can poverty reduction strategies be orchestrated and implemented without the leadership and involvement of the people that those strategies are intended to help. The 1010 Project has always operated under this model. Our friends in Kenya are the heroes, the leaders and the pioneers who we are most privileged to be partnered with.

I am an active board member with The 1010 Project and I continue to travel to Africa to see our work. Despite its recent difficulties, Kenya is still a place where people are working everyday to carve out a future. This future is realized through Phaustine Wekesa, who has bought a plot of land and is building a new home for her family. It is realized through Joyce Kamondo, who is being recognized internationally for her work with HIV+ women. It is being realized through Michael Nyangi, who traveled to the United Nations in October to commemorate the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. There, he told international delegates to listen to the voices of the poor, for therein lies the future. We could not agree more.

It has been difficult, but nothing important is ever easy. Therefore, we do the difficult things, not because of the challenge alone, but because it is right.

Thank you for your support and activism on behalf of The 1010 Project and especially on behalf of our friends in Kenya. It has been a tough journey to be sure, full of disappointments, setbacks, and unanswered questions. It has also been an amazing adventure that has made a difference in the lives of so many. Thank you for being that difference maker!

Thank you for joining with me to support The 1010 Project,

Andrew Syed
Vice-President of the Board / Founder