Project Africa Partnership with International University Students

Project Africa is a non-profit organization that is working to promote gender equality and empowerment of women.

We engage international university students to work with us as volunteers and interns. The students whom we refer to as development mentors participate in our women empowerment projects by sharing their knowledge, skills and talents with women and girls in our projects. since 2008 we have been priviledged to host over 30 international students and volunteers from Scandinavian countries, USA and Canada. The development mentors have been teaching English and Arithmetic in our adult literacy classes or Home work Project for girls. They have also engaged in business planning, finacial literacy and business education with the women entreprenuers. Others have participated in our health program teaching health literacy and serving in the medical clinic. Computer training and fashion design have also been imparted to women in our Network

1) What is a specific challenge facing your organization or community that you need to solve in order to be able to move forward with your vision?
The challenge of lack of vocational skills amongst women is common in communities where we serve. Women who wish to engage in business lack ideas on where or in what they can invest. literacy is also low meaning taht women cannot compete favourably with men in the formal sector. while in the informal sector they lack the skills to practise profitable agriculture, entreprenuership etc.
We also have a need to construct a mission house and women academy these being a housing facility for our visiting mentors dubbling also as a safe house for temmporary accomodation for women threatened by domestic violence or forced marriages respectively. and the women academy will be an education facility for women

2) What kind of expertise is needed to help you solve this challenge?
Project Africa needs students with expertise in Business Administration, health (Women Health), Mechanical engineering, computer software engineers, solar lighting engineers, adult education curriculum planners, media praction, and ICT

3) In what ways might a student, or team of students, be able to help?

students staying 1-3 months can be engaged in the technical roles as well as basic resposiblities such as
Teaching English in the Adult literacy Class
Assisting Girls with Home work in English, Mathematics and science
Training women in various vocations such as tailoring and dress making / fashion Designing, hair dressing , catering and food processing , agriculture and farming, auto mobile mechanics , repair of mobile phones, repair of electronics and computers etc
agricultural and farm skills
computer office packages and quick books, internet and email
architectural technical support, makeover of female headed houses, capentry, painting, etc
Media work ( videography, graphic design etc
Business administrion , Bussiness planning, financial literacy, book keeping, marketing, etc

We welcome participation from MIT students. Our website www.projectforafrica.org has more details