#give1project

Making Agriculture Young Again: International Youth Learning Sustainability in Africa. by RJ Mahdi 9/29/17

It is said the best education one can achieve is travel. That being said, these young international students, mostly from the United States are getting the best of the best. Already the students of the African American Islamic Institute in Medina Baye are taking intense courses in Quran memorization, Arabic language and more. Now they have embarked on a new kind of education that builds knowledge of sustainable measure in urban agriculture. 

This week more than 20 young American students between the ages of 7 and 17 worked together to build a rooftop vegetable garden. The first of it’s kind in the sub-sahara desert region of Kaolack Senegal. A region so dry, local farmers can only grow crops for about 3 months during rainy season. The goal of the program was not only to create lasting educational activities for the boarding students but to also introduce new ways of growing goods close to home and all year round. 

The program organized by Give 1 Project Kaolack in partnership with The AAII International Boarding Program allows young people to develop professional skills while studying in various academic fields. In Africa it is expected that agriculture will create more billionaires before 2020 than any other sector. The growing industry is a pathway to success and sustainability for the young students and locals alike. 

As part of the Agriculture Day activities the students were able to plant their own vegetables that they will also keep up with and crop once they are grown. The mini rooftop farm consists of onions, peppers, tomatoes, carrots, okra and cucumbers. In addition the rooftop also has 2 lemon trees, a banana tree, a coconut tree, a date palm, pomegranates and several other flowery treats. In time the urban rooftop farm will be an oasis of edible crops for the students to pick and use. 

Opportunities like this are an amazing way to open the minds of young people and show them the various options available to them in the economic world. Building creativity, group exercises and manual hobbies provides for the student to absorb a plethora of skills that can be used in any place or environment. 

Africa is at the forefront for young entrepreneurship and bridging the gap between the diasporan youth and the young people on the ground is the best way to build a generation of leaders who are proud of their homeland. 

Give1Project Makes an Impact on Education, Agriculture and Entrepreneurship

April 4, 2018

With Africa having the largest and fastest growing population of young people in the world, it’s a no brainer that the future depends on youth development in strategic areas. “It is my belief that by educating, empowering and engaging young people, we can solve the world’s biggest problems.” says founder Thione Niang, a Kaolack Senegal native. 

The organization operates in 40+ countries many of which are in sub saharan Africa. In his hometown Thione Niang who also co-Founded Akon lighting Africa, has worked closely with young people 16-35 years old to develop educational programs that empower them to learn new languages, develop skills in agribusiness and even providing startup business incubators for young entrepreneurs.  

The organization provides seed funding and soft loans to those who complete a 12 week training on modern business development. In addition Thione has introduced new methods in agriculture such as “JeufZone” a farm to consumer delivery service for produce, eggs, poultry and other local farm goods. The service employs local young people and works to create sustainability in food security to eliminate foreign dependency. 

Thione Niang (above center) has now initiated satellite offices of his organization in multiple cities around Senegal including Sendou, St. Louis, Kedougou and Thies, mobilizing thousands of young people in the country to take productive action for the positive development of their future and the future of Africa. 

The Give1Project and Thione Niang hold regular conferences at local universities and schools to allow successful people to share their stories and advice with young aspirants. These conferences known as Give1Talks have been hosted by mega stars like Youssou Ndour and corporate executives like NBA Africa’s Vice President Amadou Gallo Fall. 

New Wifi Accessible Coffee Shop Opens In Medina Baye! 

July 7, 2017 (Editor’s Desk)

For visitors, students and residents of Medina Baye and greater Kaolack, finding a comfortable working environment with dependable wifi access used to be somewhat difficult. Not so much anymore. Located in the Radio Almadina FM building is a brand new coffee shop with a twist. This wifi cafe, appropriately named “Cafe Wifi” is an all new addition to the Give1Project Kaolack office which provides young people with professional development, career assistance, computer and language literacy classes, business incubators and more. 

Now with the addition of the new cafe, students have access to not only strong 4G wireless internet but also a creative menu of tasty hot and cold drinks, snack foods and more. 

The concept introduced by I AM MEDINA BAYE and Give1Project Directors Pape Lowe,  RJ Mahdi and Aliyah Mahdi. It was funded in part by American members of the Made In Africa Project Investors Club which aligns diasporans with investment opportunities on the African continent. 

Cafe Wifi boasts a great breakfast experience with gourmet omelets and sandwiches combined with a variety of coffees and teas. Customers are granted access to wifi and help from the Give1Project team with resume writing, business plan set up, career assistance, translation service etc. In addition, the facility plays host to events such as last week’s Give1Talks and also the Islamic Competition in the last few days of Ramadan. 

The Cafe Wifi project is among many active ventures by Mahdi Media to improve conditions and provide up to date facilities for the comfort and accommodations of international guests and students. In partnership with Almadina Radio, the new location has taken form as testament to that exact goal. Now internationals have a place to find great internet connection and delicious comfort foods in a friendly and clean environment. 

Visit Cafe Wifi today at the Almadina Radio complex and see for yourself! 

Kaolack Youth Prepare To Tackle Major Issues! Next Generation Leadership!

GIVE 1 Project Media Team

We often look at a problem in our communities and expect some one else to fix it, but not this group of young adults from Kaolack who have vowed to use their time and resources to better their city.

Kaolack Senegal is a sub-urban city in sub-Saharan Senegal with just under one million residents. The city is a middle stopping point for travelers and traders between Dakar and Banjul, The Gambia. It is also the international headquarters of the Ibrahima branch of the Tariqa Tijani whose town of Medina Baye sits just outside the city.

But with its rich and scholarly history Kaolack still has some issues that affect its core including business and trade, tourism and even the health of its residents. The city is notoriously known for its excessive trash and litter build up due to its lack of properly managed sanitation. Kaolack is also known for its unclean water and resulting mosquito problem during the local rainy season. The two issue are often met with negative feedback from international visitors and even those who would have been looking to bring business and commerce to the city.

For many years these problems have mounted and many have talked about helping to change it for the better but few have given an effort quite like that of the members of Kaolack’s first Give 1 Project team. The Give 1 Project is an NGO founded by a Kaolack native named Thione Niang who grew up to be a top campaigner for Barak Obama in the U.S. after which he went on a mission to inspire youth around the globe to follow their dreams and make a change in the world. After opening offices in 30 countries including France, Italy, Benin, Gambia, Mali and more, Thione has initiated the launching of a chapter in his home town of Kaolack.

For the past few months pupils of the G1P Kaolack have been meeting at the local Maya Angelou Center for Business English classes with American repatriate RJ Mahdi. In the class students are taught how to use English in the building of their careers and ways to connect internationally to improve their communities. Over the weeks the group has come up with multiple ways they want to impact their communities and below is a few of their exact words on their ambitions for Kaolack:

“I was born in Kaolack and my only ambition is that Kaolack become an exiting city where we can have many interesting places like museums, amusement parks, nice hotels and many more programs like this.”  -M. Fadal (G1PK)

“We are still short of electricity here and yet we have too much sun...I would definitely suggest solar power.” -S. Babou (G1PK)

“My goals for Kaolack is organizing clean up days in the streets.” -B. Diop

“In Kaolack area where ever you go there are plastic bags, trash etc. The problem affects over half the population of Kaolack by polluting the environment and this pollution can make people sick or dead. I want to lead a campaign to keep our environment clean...” -E. Sarr (G1PK)

“My ambitions for Kaolack are to try to get people to stay here rather than going to the capital (Dakar). To develop business and develop the agriculture...to also develop tourism and to increase hobbies like shopping centers which can produce income for Kaolack’s economy.” -O. Aboud (G1PK)

“I want to create some factories that can change and make all of Kaolack’s water better. Also everybody know’s Kaolack is full of rubbish and dirty water in the rainy season, so my ambition is to set up in each district of Kaolack, many bins so people can put their trash in it.” -O. Fall (G1PK)

These students haven’t been just talking either. They have constructed an extensive plan to actually get out and impact their community. Some of them have already gotten out and done street cleanings, organized group efforts for recycling and more. With the upcoming new year the G1PK team plans to develop sustainable solutions to many of the problems mentioned and more. 

Action has already begun in the areas of recycling where members have been collecting the ever abundant plastic water bags left in the streets around their homes and using the bags to put together other useful products such as reusable shopping bags to cut back on the amount of waste ending up in the trash. In addition to the clean up and recycling efforts the group is organizing talks and conferences at schools in the area to educate other youth about the importance of protecting the environment. G1P Kaolack media team is also drafting up ways to create viral media like videos that carry the message of cleanliness further and wider to possibly impact those in other areas suffering from similar problems.

Now with the resources of the Give 1 Project the problems that many have seen for years can soon be solved and the local people of Kaolack can take a breath of fresh air...literally!