We did it. We opened a library in Ghana. The now-operational reading space is one part of a language arts center called Kasadwini Atenaeɛ located in the rural village of Asisiriwa, and it’s drawing kids (and even adults) from numerous surrounding villages to come and learn, play, and listen to stories in both English and Twi. For many kids, visiting Kasadwini Atenaeɛ is the highlight of their day, and they come again and again.
So what’s next?
As an organization, we’re leaving this awkward, juvenile period I call Phase 1 where everything was theoretical – good ideas and intentions that had yet to be tried out. Phase 1 was full of misfires and frustrations, divine appointments and perfect accidents. Our ideas approached local needs and realities, both influencing the other, and the conversations and end results astound me as I sit here today.
If Phase 1 was characterized by concepts, Phase 2 will be about improvement. We now have a thing that works, a functional idea – a prototype that runs differently and better than the first one we drew up – and it can be better still. Using all that we’ve learned and are learning every month, we can upgrade this language arts center more and more to the point that it stands as a model of language empowerment and literacy development in rural Ghana, operated by and resourcing rural Ghanaians. Not only that, we can replicate this model in other places. This is my vision for Phase 2.
In Phase 1, we relied almost entirely on private donations, some large one-time chunks and some small recurring ones – all of them generous. Let me say an enormous thank you to all of you who donated. Your donations built this language arts center. You are the reason the library is open and inspiring people in real and noticeable ways.
As we enter Phase 2, we are switching things up a bit. We are launching a new campaign called the Untold Dollar and it’s incredibly simple: all we’re asking you for is one dollar per month.
Does a $1 donation really matter?
It’s a fair question, and the answer (yes!) may be surprising. After all, this isn’t even the cliché “for the price of one cup of coffee a month” ask – this is pocket change. So why are we asking for so little? Well, the Untold Dollar fits with our values.
- It’s empowering. Not only do we fight for the underdogs, we’re supported by them, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
- It’s invitational. Most of us can’t afford to give $20 a month to every cause we really care about, but we can give $1 a month and tell nineteen friends.
- It’s communal. You’ve probably heard of the African philosophy characterized by the Nguni word ubuntu (“I am because we are”). We exist in community, and our donors should reflect that.
- It’s international. The word is in our name: Untold International. We want people around the world to be able participate in our organization, regardless of their currency or average income.
- It’s sustainable. One thousand people giving $1 per month will carry our mission so much farther and longer than one person giving thousands of dollars once.
In short, it’s Untold. We simply don’t know what could come of this campaign or where it will take us, but we believe so much in this unknown outcome – as we believed in the original concept of a “literacy center” – that we’re willing to step onto this dusty road and commit to it.
How to get involved
If you’d like to be among the first to commit an Untold Dollar, you can go here to donate through PayPal. Keep in mind that if you’re using a credit or debit card, PayPal charges 33 cents for every $1 donation. It’s free if you use a linked bank account, though. If you want to use a credit or debit card, but you want to make sure we receive the full dollar, click here to donate $1.33 each month.
With this announcement, we are kicking off a whole new social media campaign. You can follow the story of the Untold Dollar on Facebook and Twitter, and Instagram will follow in the future. We will be posting every day with the difference your single dollar is making so you can see the might of a little change in community with others.
Thank you to all who have supported us this far, and thanks in advance to all those who join us in this new chapter.
