Help Bring Innovation And Entrepreneurship To Africa

Each year, we select one charity to donate 100% of the author royalties from my book along with 100% of the profits from the sales from our store Innovation.Tools. This year it was Pioneer.Education Africa. Pioneer.Education is building a prototype school in Rwanda to teach innovation and entrepreneurship to students who don't have access to an education or jobs.

As we come up on the last day of the year — we need your help. They need to raise $250,000 to build and outfit the school (including bringing in all of the utilities such as water, electricity, internet, etc).  There are two ways you can help:

1. Make a charitable donation to Pioneer.Education. Pioneer is a 501(c)3 charity.
2. Make a purchase at Innovation.Tools (our store for creatives, designers and innovators) before mid-night tonight and 100% of the proceeds will go to Pioneer.Education.

We contributed funds last year so that Pioneer could purchase the property and begin construction. To complete the school, we need your help.

Why Rwanda? While Rwanda is a shining example of how the global community can come together and rebuild a country after a devastating genocide, but there is still more that needs to be done.

Why a school? In the rural villages, students are crowded in to schools with no electricity, no running water, no internet access and limited sanitation. Will these kids be ready to continue the rebuilding of Rwanda or will they be dependent on others?

Today …

• 76% of Of Rwanda's youth  are dependent on outside resources for day-to-day support.
• 42% of Rwanda's  population is UNDER the age of 15.
• 73% of Rwanda's population live in rural villages.

Why a prototype school? Beyond the construction of the school, we are working to transform education by teaching entrepreneurship and innovation in all grades. We are working with experts around the world to create a new learning model that will prepare these students to create businesses and transform the economy of Rwanda . Everything we create for this school will be made freely available as “open source” so that others, no matter where they are located, can use it without charge.

Jobs? We've been investing in for-profit businesses in Rwanda since 2009 with Lakeside Fish Farm being our largest investment to-date. Our plan is to not just stop at education but to create economic and business support for the creation of jobs that will employ the students when they graduate. Through education and employment, boys and girls have an equally promising future that can transform their struggling communities.

By supporting Pioneer Education (a US 501(c)3 non-profit charity)  — you will help prepare a generation to take on the task of self-reliance. 100% of the proceeds received goes directly to the project. 100% of the overhead is covered by others.

Please contribute, by visiting PIONEER.EDUCATION.  Any amount, as little at $5.00, brings Pioneer.Education closer to achieving its goal.

Join me in supporting Pioneer.Education Africa to build a school that teaches entrepreneurship and innovation.

Phil McKinney

Could I ask for another favor? Could you raise the visibility of this project by sharing with others on your social networks?  I would greatly appreciate it. Use the hastag #PioneerAfrica

Note: Below are two photos from the current work already underway on the school.

Photo 1: Shows the morning student assembly of the 68 students in the temporary school. Until the new school is built, we are unable to accept any more students.

Photo 2: Starting construction on the foundation for the new school.