Partnering for the “Greater Good”

“Have you heard of the Greater Good Academy?”

That simple question from one of our supporters led to a friendship, and now a partnership, with Richard Eidlin and GGA. Like The 1010 Project, “The goal of the GGA is to provide civic-minded entrepreneurs with the training and financial support necessary to succeed and scale their ventures. The GGA helps to incubate green businesses, strengthen local communities, create jobs and increase economic self-sufficiency.”

As we launch The Global Entrepreneur Academy in Nairobi this fall, we are collaborating with Greater Good for curriculum, mentors, fund-raising, and business partnerships.

Utilizing the latest video chat technologies, our Academies will also collaborate on solutions to the challenges these emerging leaders face.

Get Involved

We are looking for mentors for the Denver academy (starting September 21st), as well as business partners who want to invest “Glocally” (Globally & Locally)! In return your business will connect to our large and rapidly expanding community of supporters. Reply to this email to find out more.

Teach a Woman to Fish
You will receive dozens of requests from worthy organizations that, in the end, will give a woman a fish and feed her for a day. In these tight economic times make a donation that will impact generations to come. Your investment will teach a woman to fish, feeding her, her family, and even her entire community…for life.

Brian Rants
Executive Director
The 1010 Project

Beatrice Anuda, founder, said this in her update on the school construction:

(Here are) photos of the up coming building out of funds donated by Standley Lake High School.

Construction is still on(going), I will be updating you with more photos of the same.

We are doing the construction on the first floor just above the boys AC.

• 10% of the entire days sales will benefit The 1010 Project.
• All African beans will be marked at $10.95/lb
• Proceeds will support the business and community development efforts of The 1010 Project in Kenya

Get the word out to your friends!
Share and RSVP on Facebook

View a Google Map of 1200 Clayton

Click on the image below to download a PDF Flyer

Project Big Fish contacted The 1010 Project about becoming a business partner through providing free advertising. This great example of private and social sector partnerships prompted me to ask a few questions of Thomas Frank.

1. I like to talk about pursuing the Triple Bottom Line (People, Planet, Profit); how does your business engage in helping others?

At the end of the day, we all have to do something to provide for ourselves and our families, however if we can find a way to do that and help improve the word around us, even in just a tiny way, that is the gold star of achievement. At BIG fish we’ve always been about helping the underdog and in particular those organizations that are really passionate about what they are doing.

As creative consultants, our job is about telling the unique story of our clients in a way to help them raise money, spread awareness, gain members or win an election. But when we can become as enriched in the story as the organization that’s where the true magic happens and those are the projects that turn into real success.

2. What is the source of your passion to partner with organizations like The 1010 Project?

Our passion comes from the sheer desire to do the right thing. Anyone can work for the big corporate beasts, but working with the organizations out there really making a difference is so much more rewarding. Organizations like The 1010 Project are rolling up their sleeves and doing good in the world and we want to be part of that positive movement. Call it good Karma, call it following your Conscience, call it whatever you want, the simple fact is we’re all in this together, so let’s lend a hand where we can.

A few additional links of interest:

• Our services for non-profits – http://www.projectbigfish.com/non-profits
• More about me – http://www.projectbigfish.com/thomas-frank

Want to find out more about becoming a business partner? Contact us today.

In this update Brown Chavaseki (the founder) describes how they are now able to purchase their own computers and sewing machines with the income from the college. This allows them to expand their vocational training, as well as educate and feed 240 children at Fair Oak Academy.

15 Students in Tailoring & Upholstery

The tailoring dressmaking and upholstery department is doing well the number of student has increased to five teen. We hope to increase more machines for training in a near future.

The computer training has become very helpful to the community at the moment we are having forty four students (44). This year we have managed to increase six more used computers because of the increased number of students.

We are going to have graduation for both the computers and the upholstery stundents on July 18^th 2010

44 Students in Computer Training

The fair oak school is doing well when we reported this semester 240 pupils reported. They enjoy the class lessons. We still have a challenge with their classes because they don’t have windows and also we believe that in a near future we should have a toilet that can be used for the school population.

Here’s what supporters said; you can add your voice in the comments below!

From Lisa

To my friends in Matopeni:

Have fun learning about computers! They can be frustrating at times, as I’m sure you’ll find! Though by far the best thing computers have done for us is make it easier to contact friends, and to stay in touch through the years though time and distance may separate us! Good luck!

Ashley Smith expressed her excitement:

How incredible it is to see the power of Christ working through people’s hearts to give in order to support an amazing organization! What a blessing to the Matopeni community to have a such an awesome tool of knowledge at their fingertips. Way to go 1010project family!!

Cathy Cuttrell shared

This is awesome, Brian, to hear about the computer lab providing much greater access to knowledge to solve problems and train for the future….very excited for our Kenyan friends.  Hugs to all

From Kim Koole

Alice – your computer lab looks amazing!  I’m so glad that you’ve been able to continue on that project – and it sounds like a great way to generate additional revenues for the school!  We miss you and pray for you often!

From Kathy Harvell

How time goes by so quickly and so many changes in just one year!!  Our group from Northside Christian Church in Spring, Texas was in Niarobia last June just before the school and church were demolished.  The Lord has brought you a long way from those terrible and dark days.  From the few pictures I’ve seen, it appears you have made several very nice improvements!!  Praise God!!! The trip to Kenya was a life changing event for me, actually all of us.  You taught us so much about faith and true worship.  It was truly a pleasure to be in your presence and spend time with you and those beautiful children.  I’ll never forget the welcome song and smiles we received from the children and teachers.  I still talk about the trip and think and pray for you often.  I hope I can return someday and spend time with you again.  Did any of the trees we planted survive the demolition?

Sending our love and prayers, God Bless

The 1010 Project wanted to be apart of this incredible event because we share Greater Good’s emphasis on the Triple Bottom Line: People, Planet, and Profit. Entrepreneurs who desire to not only be profitable, but also profit their communities are the key to breaking the cycle of poverty.

Join us to get plugged into breaking the cycle of poverty here in Denver!

June 22, 2010 – 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Mi Casa Resource Center, 360 Acoma Street

Click here to register online

Will he be smiling after biking to the top of Pike's Peak?!

On August 29th at 8am, Jack will begin an audacious two-fronted assault: Ascending Pike’s Peak & Ending Poverty.

The Assault is a fully supported event giving a limited number of cyclist the chance to tackle the hardest climb in North America…Participants will ride from the highway toll gate at an altitude of 7500 ft. to 14,115 ft. at the summit…continue reading about the ride or make a contribution towards the ride.

Jack Rants is the Community Care Pastor at Pulpit Rock Church in Colorado Springs Colorado, and the father of 1010’s Executive Director. When asked the obvious question of “Why are you doing this?!” he replied

“I am no longer content to merely hope that the plight of those living in abject poverty improves. Even though I can’t do everything, I am intentionally taking responsibility to do something. Through partnering with The 1010 Project any of us has the ability to effectively and responsibly break the cycle of poverty for people trapped in it and living without hope of being freed from it. My “Assault on the Peak” is an opportunity for many of us to enable 1010 to allow the world’s poor to find their way out of the despair and hopelessness of complete and utter poverty.”

Candlelight School

The new computer lab at Candlelight

Candlelight School was able to partner with local craftsmen to construct quality workstations to create a productive and private work environment and computer covers to protect the machines from dust. The concrete facility has been secured by installing metal doors and windows.

The lab is being integrated into the curriculum at Candlelight School, allowing students the opportunity to obtain computer skills that are essential for employment in Kenya. Candlelight School has brought in an additional instructor for the lab and continues to work with experts to refine the curriculum.

Students at Candlelight

As a testament to the need for computer skills in Kenya, the lab continues to have several community members visit the lab after hours to receive computer training. Candlelight has been able to hire a night supervisor for the lab, which provides a vital service to community members at a reasonable price and provides valuable revenues to the school. Cyber cafes and computer training centers are very popular and profitable businesses in Nairobi, and Candlelight hopes to fulfill this need as the only such facility in the Matopeni area. So far this project has been a great success, and one that we hope to use as a replicable model for some of our other partners in Kenya.

Once again, thanks to our donors for their generous support of The 1010 Project and Candlelight School. Their contributions have undoubtedly improved the prospects for hundreds of hard-working and grateful students in Nairobi as they develop the job skills necessary to create a better life.

Thank you for joining the story as we learn and work together to break the cycle of poverty for life!

In this part 2 of our interview with Erastus Omukhango, founder of REHEMA.  If you haven’t already, watch part 1 covers about how it all started with 2 kids abandoned at a church service.

Your investment dollars have helped provide REHEMA with revenue generating businesses like selling eggs from chickens (listen for the squawks!) Invest today to help us continue to provide organizations like REHEMA with the training and capital they need to be self-reliant.