This week we were honored to give seed grants of $1000 each to people around the world who are tackling environmental and social problems in their communities. From a youth-led initiative to combat mental health stigma, to a cassava production facility that provides financial freedom for women in Cameroon, The Pollination Project continues to find all the ways that individuals are making a difference for their communities. Here are the seven projects we supported this week with our daily seed grants.
Students Fighting Depression in US Schools. Wilson Wang is the creator of Inspire With Us, a website that seeks to end the stigma surrounding mental health issues in schools while combating teenage depression and suicide. Inspire With Us allows students to upload and share inspiring motivational videos with their peers across the country. Video submissions contain encouraging or hopeful messages that help students realize they are not alone. Wilson hopes his efforts will help struggling students see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Reforestation in Bukhayo Central, Kenya. Patrick Ouma Agolla is the creator of Save Our Climate, an integrated approach to addressing deforestation and underdevelopment in Bukhayo Central, Kenya. Through his project, local youth will receive training and support for the establishment of tree nurseries in their communities. Participants will use the seedlings they cultivate for reforestation efforts, while learning how to manage nature-based enterprises. Patrick will help them use the training they receive to establish their own eco-businesses aimed at combating local reliance on wood as a source of fuel.
An Organic Community Garden in Mobile, Alabama. Angela McGaugh is the president of the University of South Alabama's Sustainability Council. Through the Food Bayou: Campus Community Garden Project, Angela and the Sustainability Council are establishing an organic garden on their university's campus. Working collaboratively with students and community groups Angela and her peers will use the Food Bayou to hold community outreach workshops while teaching students about organic gardening practices, composting, and healthy food and lifestyle choices.
Supporting the Families of Illegally Detained Activists in Kampala, Uganda. Daniel Tulibagenyi works closely with impoverished, underprivileged, and unemployed youth in Uganda advocating for economic justice and opposing government corruption and police brutality. The young activists Daniel works with are often the target of government harassment, arbitrary arrests, and illegal detainment, creating devastating economic hardships for their families. Through the Detained Activist Morale Support Fund, Daniel is providing the families of illegally detained activists with monetary support for basic living expenses in order to ease the economic burdens they face from the loss of their loved ones.
Environmental Outreach in Bozeman, Montana. Wren Kilian's The Valley of the Flowers Project is helping communities in Montana become sustainable, vibrant places to live through environmentally-based educational outreach and activism. Through her BYO Bag for Change and Bring in the Bins! Program, Wren is educating consumers on the importance of reusable shopping bags and advocating for more recycling bins at local businesses and parks. Wren's efforts have made her the cornerstone of environmental outreach in her community.
Empowering Widows in Mount Kube, Cameroon. Etuge Sumbede Elvis is the founder and Executive Director of Community Relief and Development (COREDA) in Cameroon. COREDA's programs empower disadvantaged communities by improving their living conditions and helping them become self-sufficient. In their newest initiative, The Economic Empowerment of Widows Through Cassava Processing and Marketing, Etuge is training 20 widows in Elambeng Village to use cassava processing machines. By refining the raw product themselves, local widows will be able to earn more income from their cassava crops.
A Rural Village School Library in Kampala, Uganda. Oyele Peter runs a school for children in a rural village near Kampala, Uganda. Before Oyele opened his school, there were few educational opportunities for children in the area. His commitment to community service inspired Oyele to open the school, and for the past several years, he has personally financed its operations. Now, with the support he receives from a TPP Flow Fund Grant, Oyele will provide village children and their families with books and reading materials.
Do you know someone who would be a great candidate for one of our daily grants? We welcome grant applications from anyone, anywhere, at any time!