Community
Development Grants
Our Scholars are creating the changes they want to see in their communities and society. The Community Development Grant program helps them to do this, providing them with capital to start or expand their own community projects and businesses.

Community Development Grants are open exclusively to WMI Graduate Scholars and provide the opportunity to start or significantly expand a community-based organization, non-governmental organization, business, or community service project. All graduate scholars are eligible to apply for a Seed Grant of up to 1000 USD. Upon Successful implementation of the Seed Grant, scholars can work in-depth with WMI staff to develop expansion strategies and apply for a Growth Grant of up to 5000 USD. Previous Seed Grants have supported primary and secondary education programs, health programs, youth employment initiatives, agricultural development projects, and peace and conflict resolution programs.

Igniting Change Around the World
We are proud to announce that we have awarded 53 community development grants since 2016! Our graduate scholars are making great strides in their communities and world. Here is where transformation is taking place.

Seed Grant Awardee Spotlight
JUDITH ALOKO, GHANA
Judith believes that “education is the bedrock to economic and social development.” As a Graduate Scholar with a degree in education from the University of Cape Coast she began her national volunteer service as a primary school teacher in a remote village.
As a new teacher she saw very quickly that the brightest students would not be able to advance academically without extra support. Even with many efforts and advancements made by various governments to provide accessible education the system can still fail a child.
In Ghana there is free compulsory universal basic education, meals during school hours and capitation grants for basic schools. However, Judith witnessed that “…some parents cannot afford for their children’s basic necessities such as uniforms, exercise books, school bags, pencils and pens for their effective learning at school.”
Without notebooks and pencils a student cannot take notes. Without notes a student cannot study. And without a backpack in the rainy season, any and all academic materials are soiled.
The Basic School Supply Assistance Project directly empowered 40 primary school beneficiaries in four remote villages. The forty students all received a tailored school uniform (for some it was their first), a school bag, 10 exercise books, and pencils. The school supplies directly reduced the financial burden felt by families with little to no income and lifted the heavy emotional toll that students felt on a daily basis for being without. During continued visits to each school, Judith and a team of volunteer educators met one-on-one with beneficiaries and hosted school-wide motivational speeches.
Judith plans to continue working with this group of students and aid them in progressing with their studies.
Meet Some of Our Community Development Seed Grant Awardees

Raphael Ajima
A-Ogo Foundation
Nigeria
Raphael Ajima

CATHERINE NAGADYA
Complete Blood Count Project
Uganda
CATHERINE NGADYA
As a young doctor in charge of running a rural clinic Catherine faced challenges every day. “Diagnostics is at the center of medical practice. As a newly recruited doctor at Mifumi Health Center, I encountered challenges in making diagnoses without adequate supporting lab work.”
However, Catherine knew that there were solutions available to provide better medical assessments. By fundraising to procure a Complete Blood Count machine for the rural medical center, Catherine and her team reduced the number of patient referrals made to higher level medical facilities because timely interventions were possible when prescribing the correct medications. The diagnostic technology also helps to reduce the development of antibiotic resistant strains in patients that develop due to improper prescriptions and the unnecessary use of antibiotics. Today there is better management of illnesses and follow-up care for patients with chronic diseases such as sickle cell disease, HIV/AIDS, and malignancies.

JUMA OMALA
Peace to Rise Project
Kenya
Juma Omala
The Peace2Rise Project united young people between the ages of 17 and 29 in Siaya County leading up to the presidential election season of 2017. As the nation braced for the outbreak of tribal feuds and violence spurred by different political parties, the Peace2Rise project brought together survivors of violent conflicts, youth living with disabilities, recovering drug addicts, and students who had dropped out of school, to promote a culture of non-violent conflict resolution.
For two days, 67 young people were trained in peace, conflict resolution and leadership skills with lectures, discussions, learning circles, case studies, storytelling, theatrical role playing, formal presentations and time for Q and A. Facilitators continually emphasized the need to deal with conflict when it first arises and to not let it build. After the intensive training 67 BoldStep Initiative Peace Ambassadors with skills, knowledge and the power to change from being agents of violence to agents of peace were celebrated. Numerous local leaders and local government officials were present for the ceremony and each, in their own way, emphasized the need to coexist together peacefully and the role youth and young people can have in developing further peaceful initiatives and engage in local leadership.

Molly Grace Apio
E-Learning School Project
Uganda
Molly Grace Apio
The Amolatar Secondary School with 320 students is known for its poor national exam results and little resources are provided for teachers to receive additional training or access new materials. Molly Grace attended this school and believes that, “Education is the key to beating the cycle of poverty in Northern Uganda.” Inspired by the possibilities of e-learning technology, Molly Grace returned to her secondary school to create educational opportunity.
With the WMI Micro-Grant Molly Grace was able to purchase a solar panel, tv, dvd player, and 82 pre-recorded video lessons following the national curriculum. With this support and enthusiasm, teachers are now complementing their lessons with these videos. Molly Grace shares, “Some teachers said it of great relief to them because some of the subjects they teach do not have reference books.” For students who miss class, have difficulty understanding a concept, wish to prepare for tests and excel at learning through demonstrations, they can now spend after school hours watching additional lessons. Teachers now feel more confident in their subjects, the senior four class enrollment increased from 40 to 72 students, parents were so eager to learn about e-learning that they came to school and watched lessons, and nearby schools are seeking to replicate this new teaching strategy to help increase their student’s academic performance.

QM Monzur CHOWDhury
Rabies Vaccination Project
Bangladesh
QM MONZUR CHOWDHURY

MTHOKOZISI MOYO
Mining Safety Project
Zimbabwe
MTHOKOZISI MOYO
Every day, Mthokozisi watched children going underground to work in the gold mines of Silobela, Zimbabwe. A downturn in the economy forced many families back to work in the mines and children were taken out of school to work alongside their parents. Mthokozisi saw that, “Youth do this without proper mining skills or knowledge, and no protective clothing,” which expose them to dangerous conditions and harmful particles and gases. She knew that asking the parents to send their children back to school was not a battle she would win. So instead, Mthokozisi focused on ways to keep them safe.
Her youth training program was designed to show how to remain safe in the depths of the mines and perform first aid. Together in partnership with the Youth Mining Institute & Resource Management Trust and the Bulawayo Integrated Youth Survival Alternative Project, Mthokozisi’s Micro-Grant project also provided protective gear to be taken out on loan from the Youth Mining Institute specifically for youth working in the mines.
Meet Kaddy Camara in Gambia. She is helping women and girls in her community become successful entrepreneurs. Support Scholars like Kaddy today!
