Deepa I.’s Post

I'm Peris Kinyua, proud Co-Founder and Deputy Executive Director at Lisha Project. My journey began with a spark in Investment and Innovation, a realm now synonymous with our Finance Department. My purpose is clear: to orchestrate funds that fuel our mission and to kindle awareness that lights up our on-ground endeavors. Every step we take resonates with transformation, and I invite you to stand with us. Let's craft a legacy of change and forge a path to a better world, together. The revelation at Likii Primary School was my wake-up call. Our intention to donate uniforms shifted when we learned of a greater need: children going hungry. Basic necessities matter, and as a mother, the shock of this reality spurred me into action. Feeding kids became our mission, driven by empathy and a determination to make a tangible difference. Can you share a memorable experience or success story from your time working with the Lisha Project? A story etched in memory: 33 meals on day one, touching hearts. Kids carrying nourishment home, igniting unity. So far, 100k+ meals served, but our journey's dawn has just broken. Leaders and all, join this tapestry of change. Let's be the heartbeat of Lisha Project, where every meal sows seeds of transformation. Now, envision more: Lisha's light spreading across counties. The Lisha Project's impact is resounding: ✓Fights hunger's grip ✓ Empowers education ✓Uplifts lives ✓ Boosts kids school presence ✓ Catalyzes societal change ✓Paves ways for sponsorships. Challenges like distance and balancing responsibilities surfaced for me in the Lisha journey. Yet, strengths emerged: ✓Through Faulu, kin, and pals sourced funds for the Lisha Project. ✓ Through attending the 1st Anniversary, Runs etc ✓Social Media rallying, awareness building, and fundraising thrived. - Obstacles bowed to determination and creativity. Can you describe a time when your contributions directly improved someone's life through the Lisha Project? In the tapestry of Lisha's impact, a vivid thread emerges. Through friendship and social posts, I found a collaborator, a spark that ignited lasting change. Together, we secured sponsorship for a student at Othaya Boys—8 transformative years ahead. This journey began with a single step, a gesture of compassion and connection. Imagine the ripples, the lives touched, the futures reshaped. So, to every member, remember: your outreach, your voice, can be the bridge to dreams fulfilled. Step forward, recruit with purpose, and let's weave dreams into reality, one sponsorship at a time. As Lisha Project marks 2 years of impact, remember: from humble beginnings to powerful change. Let's fuel hope, ignite dreams, and weave a legacy of transformation. Together, we craft a brighter future. Onward, united in purpose. Happy Anniversary, Lisha Project! Kind Regards, Co-Founder and Deputy Executive Director, Peris Kinyua. Peris Wanjiku #LishaProject #storyline #LishaTurns2

Innovation for a Cause: Genius Shiksha's Trailblazing Approach to Nonprofit Support Innovation and philanthropy intersect in remarkable ways, especially when organizations like Genius Shiksha step into the arena. Genius Shiksha, a nonprofit entity dedicated to supporting educational initiatives in underprivileged communities, stands out not just for its noble cause but also for its innovative approach to nonprofit support. By leveraging technology and fostering partnerships, Genius Shiksha has embarked on a trailblazing journey that is transforming the landscape of educational philanthropy. At the heart of Genius Shiksha's approach lies its commitment to harnessing the power of technology for social good. Recognizing the transformative potential of digital tools, the organization has developed innovative platforms and applications to streamline processes, maximize impact, and reach a broader audience. Through these technological innovations, Genius Shiksha has revolutionized how educational resources are accessed, distributed, and utilized in underserved communities, bridging the gap between privilege and opportunity. One of the most groundbreaking initiatives spearheaded by Genius Shiksha is its online learning portal, which provides free access to high-quality educational content. Through this platform, students from disadvantaged backgrounds can access a wealth of resources, including interactive lessons, tutorial videos, and practice exercises, empowering them to pursue academic excellence regardless of their socio-economic circumstances. Moreover, the platform fosters a sense of community and collaboration, connecting learners with peers and mentors who can support and guide them on their educational journey. In addition to its technological innovations, Genius Shiksha distinguishes itself through its strategic partnerships with like-minded organizations and stakeholders. By forging alliances with schools, universities, corporations, and government agencies, Genius Shiksha amplifies its impact and extends its reach into communities that need it most. These partnerships enable the organization to leverage resources, expertise, and networks, creating synergies that drive sustainable change in the education sector. Innovation is at the core of Genius Shiksha's mission, propelling the organization forward in its quest to empower individuals through education. By embracing technology, fostering collaborations, and thinking outside the box, Genius Shiksha is setting a new standard for nonprofit support, inspiring others to follow suit and join the movement towards a more equitable and inclusive world. Through its trailblazing approach, Genius Shiksha is not only transforming lives but also reshaping the future of education for generations to come. #GeniusShiksha  #HarmonicLearning  #UnlockPotential  #PersonalizedEducation  #HolisticGrowth  #ResonateLearning  #InnovativePedagogy  #LifeSkillsDevelopment  #TransformativeEducation

Communities possess firsthand knowledge of their own needs, challenges, and opportunities. When their voices are considered in funding decisions, the resulting initiatives and projects are more likely to be relevant and responsive to the actual needs on the ground. In our newest blog post, Caroline Lutkewitte - Senior Lead of Search & Align for the Camelback Fellowship - shares learnings from our Youth Leadership Award initiative where we integrated youth perspectives into our Fellowship selection process, and calls on capital allocators and resource holders to consider opportunities to adopt similar community-centered approaches into their own decision-making and funding practices. Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/gpmFkqdb __ Are you a White-identifying funder or social impact investor looking to learn more about how you can diversify power in the funding landscape? We invite you to join our coalition of changemakers. Connect with our team to learn more: https://lnkd.in/dchShu2q #philanthropy #socialimpact #impactinvesting #equity

🌳 'Until you dig a hole, you plant a tree, you water it, and make it survive, you haven’t done a thing, you are just talking.’ (Wangari Maathai) EduSpots hasn’t been doing too much talking to this point. But after 8 years of digging metaphorical holes, planting seeds, watering and surviving we are ready to share our work, and advance it further. When we visited Ahenkro Spot last month, we were amazed at the level of ownership that the learners took of the EduSpots concept. This is a new Spot that had no resources, no physical space, no expenditure, but there was an educational seed planted influencing educational outcomes across the school and wider community. Ahenkro Spot was set up by Ernest Rutherford, originally from Abofour, the location of the first Spot. He was so determined to set up a new Spot when he moved schools that he quickly mobilised a team, with a mindset so determined to spread EduSpots' work that it was easy to pass him through the application process. This is a phenomenon we are starting to see across the network, like seeds being naturally pollinated and spread by the forces of nature. We believe the demand for new Spots and its organic spread demonstrates the traction of our concept and model. Today EduSpots has over 300 Catalysts in 50 communities across 15 regions of Ghana, impacting over 10,000 learners. Just imagine if even 10% of those learners become future volunteers or set up new Spots... 300 volunteers becomes 1000, becomes 5000, and the growth continues. We believe that we are developing a sustainable and replicable model for community-led education spaces that could have relevance over the world. Our model connects education to the community context, enables schools to work together and compliments the national education agenda through embedding creativity, citizenship and teamwork into educational outcomes. The most important factor in EduSpots is community ownership; we are proud that EduSpots’ decision-making as an organisation is led from the needs and by the desires of community members, with 70% of the staff team in both Ghana and the UK, coming from Spot volunteer backgrounds. We endeavour to avoid being a charity that comes in from outside to drop our teaching, resources and funds and leave; rather we build from within, with volunteer and community voice, and their own local entrepreneurship truly at the heart of our strategic development. We also aim to be free from hierarchy and value all voices in the pursuit of a world in which communities unite to create the futures they want to see. We welcome and nurture all forms of education and literacies, and all ideas. Above all, we want people to understand that EduSpots is genuine - a grassroots network grown from one passionate sapling, into something with growth potential. (🗣 A little of the speech shared during Saturday's event) 📸 Catalysts celebrating their impact with the inspiring Elsie Effah Kaufmann, PhD #OurCollectiveFuture

Are you aware of the Integrated Children & Youth Centres (ICYSC) in your neighborhood? And have you ever wondered what a vibrant and engaging ICYSC looks like in the 21st century? The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust has donated $410 million to initiate the “21C Project”. It aims to transform the ICYSC into future-looking and youth-driven spaces. A total of 36 ICYSCs from 15 operators partner with young people to pioneer these transformative approaches, building momentum for future adoption across the wider sector. One of the key project components is the HK$20 million “21C Innovation Fund Scheme” to award bottom-up youth-adult co-created solutions. Any creative ideas on how best to revamp the center to achieve the "Three New" - New Space, New User Experiences, and New Services - will have a chance to win an award of up to HK$5 million top-up funding for their center revamp. Yesterday, we held the 2nd "21C Innovation Fund Scheme Pitch Day", which brought together around 400 youths, social workers, NGO leaders and educators. 21 pitching teams presented their innovative and sustainable service plans. I am filled with gratitude and admiration for the young people who poured their time and energy into preparing for the pitching day. The ideas they shared were truly remarkable, highlighting their user-centric and community-connected perspectives. I never imagined that an ICYSC could be transformed into co-working entrepreneurs Centre that sells healthy, locally sourced farm products within the community, providing a platform for young people to try out business plans and develop their entrepreneurial skills. The idea of a sober bar where young people can come together to discuss diverse topics over drinks, followed by an expressive Black Box Studio where they can freely express their emotions through performing, is simply inspiring. I am deeply touched by the passion and dedication that these young people have shown in serving their peers and community. My heartfelt thanks also go to the judges, including @charlestonsin, @henryng, @williamchan, @teddycheung, @dorothylam, @peterchung, @susannalai, @elsietsang, and all youth workers for their support and participation. They are crucial partners in the "youth-adult partnership" of the 21C Project. I am eagerly looking forward to the final pitching day, which will take place on 29 Aug, where we will hear more ideas from the finalist teams. It's inspiring to see the next generation take charge and lead the way in shaping the future of ICYSCs in Hong Kong, and I am excited by the endless possibilities that lie ahead! #香港賽馬會慈善信託基金 #HKJC #21C@JC #ICYSC #NewSpace #NewUserExperiences #New Services #YouthAdultPartnership

After a year of development, I’m thrilled to launch Mountaintop, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit activating transformational local leadership through a paid one year fellowship for outstanding emerging professionals to work on the most critical challenges in their home communities across the world. If anyone knows of future leaders who could benefit from our program, please let them know to apply for this opportunity by September 30th! You can also make a tax-deductible donation here to help us sponsor more fellowships: https://lnkd.in/gNg4s8RR. For those interested, I wanted to share a bit more about Mountaintop and my story. When I was 17, a tornado ripped through the city neighboring my hometown in Oklahoma and killed nine elementary school children when their school collapsed on them. I was shocked when I learned that the state government would take no action to protect future students, so I got involved in a ballot initiative to build storm shelters in public schools. It was the first time I realized that, when it comes to leadership, the stakes could not be higher — it is literally a matter of life or death. Yet in college, with the need for great leadership so apparent, I saw so many of my peers pressured to take jobs in the biggest companies in the biggest cities in the world, leaving behind the places where they could do the most good. That is when Joe Nail asked me to join his founding team with Lead For America (LFA). Since the time LFA was a dorm room startup, LFA’s one year AmeriCorps fellowship has raised $20 Million to create more than 300 full-time fellowships for exceptional Americans to return to serve and lead in the communities they call home. As Lead For America grew past the startup stage, I began thinking about the numerous friends and colleagues over the years that had shared how deeply a similar initiative was needed in their home countries. I wanted to learn more, so in September 2022 I transitioned to the LFA Board to focus full-time on listening and learning about global brain drain and the challenges facing local leadership. Mountaintop’s flagship program is a paid, one-year, full-time fellowship for exceptional emerging leaders to stay in or return to their home communities and contribute to systems change in lower-income countries. Mountaintop matches Fellows with locally led NGOs, social ventures, and government agencies to lead high-impact projects promoting community empowerment, strengthens the capacity of Fellow hosts, and amplifies Fellows’ potential through mentorship, grants, a lifelong community of inspiring peers, and a two week leadership institute hosted at Harvard University's Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics. In our first cohort, we will have 15-25 Fellows serving 8+ countries. Candidates can apply to serve anywhere outside the United States. Due to LinkedIn character limits, I have added a comment to thank the amazing people who have shaped Mountaintop into what it is today!

Thinking back on the thousands of young innovators I’ve met in person or virtually over the years, I wondered what happened on their path that led them to become innovators.   I know that mentors, role models, the opportunity to learn and apply new skills, especially STEM+A skills, help reinforce their efforts, but what started them down that path to begin with?   A student from India, Prasiddhi Singh shared with me that when she was just old enough to walk, she and her parents were on a walk outdoors and she found seeds on the ground and wondered what they were. They went home and they planted them. In 2018 Prasiddhi Forest Foundation was born. She and her team plant entire forests and within the forests, they plant fruit trees, leaving each community with work and a source of nutritional food. As of 2023 the foundation has planted more than 100,000 trees.   A third grader from Texas, Paisley Elliott, shared that when she was very young, she learned about refugees in school. When she got home from school, she grabbed an armful of stuffed animals and told her mom they needed to get these to refugees. That was just the beginning. As Founder and Chief Ideas Officers at Paisley’s Pals, Paisley has continued to work with refugees around the world, raising funds, providing supplies, building a school, and pop-up classrooms called Shine Boxes.   While these stories are unique, a common denominator shines through. Curiosity. It is curiosity that has led Prasiddhi and Paisley to the path to becoming innovators. They were curious about a problem they saw, and they sought to solve that problem.   ❓ ❓ ❓ What are some ways we can promote curiosity in all children?   #YoungInnovatorsROCK #innovation #curiosity #PrasidhhiForestFoundation #PaisleysPals

“We can become bystanders; free from the responsibility of doing anything. Or we can ask - What can I do with what I have?” The world today is a whirlwind of complex challenges, while innovations are at an all-time high. Yet, our focus often narrows to our immediate surroundings. Naghma Mulla, EdelGive Foundation's CEO, reflects on the need for individuals excelling in their respective roles, ones whose choices stand out in a world where many bystanders are content saying, “This is bad, but I can't do anything.” At #vartaLeap and ComMutiny, our unwavering belief in the 'power of the collective' defines our ethos. So, Naghma's insights on the importance of collaborative action resonate deeply. We have kept learning and re-learning over the last 3 decades, how the diversity and depth of experiences, contexts, ideas and initiative of individuals form deeply enriching collective space. We have found leaders and doers who move beyond admiration to active participation with a systemic, collaborative approach. Bystanders who have been able to look beyond themselves, take responsibility and together, they redefine the meaning of social impact in the country. Working in the grassroots on various pressing, intersectional issues, civil society demands innovation, adaptability, and strong collaborative efforts. Yet, the crucial need for flexible and adequate funding is often unmet, as most funders prefer supporting specific programs rather than investing in the core organizational development. As a response to this critical need, choosing to look beyond the norm, EdelGive Foundation, along with a consortium of respected funders, collaborated and pioneered the unprecedented - ‘GROW Fund’. GROW is empowering 100 high-impact grassroots organizations over 24 months, enhancing their capabilities and resilience, while fortifying key organizational functions enabled by unrestricted funding. This strategic approach facilitates lasting, positive change for disadvantaged grassroots communities. We've proudly been part of this cohort since last year. And for a community like ours, EdelGive's story has been a compelling testament to the potency of strategic philanthropy, illustrating how a broader ecosystem can fuel collective impact. Their actions in the civil society landscape reinforce our conviction that collaboration is the vital force multiplier in addressing even the most intricate challenges. EdelGive has been more than a funder. It is a collaborator, a facilitator, and a catalyst. We celebrate their contributions to India's civil society ecosystem over the past 14 years and for making us a part of a movement that is gradually shaping the future of the development sector and by extension, our country. Inviting other GROW Fund changemakers to share their experiences of this solidarity! #Philanthropy #Collaboration #SocialImpact #YouthWork #Inclusion