L3: Life, Learning, Leadership!

The advancements in medicine and prevention methods have made a visible impact on the number of malaria cases in Africa and we have high hopes that malaria will be eradicated within our lifetime. As we continue to make strides against this horrible disease, we also want to plan for the future. 

We intend to do this with L3! Our new program comprises of three intertwining components, which will focus on empowering young people both in the United States and in Africa, in order to cultivate their potential and provide them with the opportunity to create a brighter future for themselves.  Our new program will provide support services, encourage academic achievement, and inspire leadership. 

With your continued support, we plan to not only end the spread of malaria, but empower the young people of the world!

The Mission

To provide support services to children and youth in underserved communities throughout Africa and the United States in the efforts to improve their quality of life.

The Vision

To motivate children and youth to overcome their circumstances and develop into leaders and facilitators of change within their communities.

What do we plan to do?

To engage with local community members, businesses, and other organizations in the US and in Africa in order to make an impact in young people's lives by providing basic necessities, encouraging academic advancement, and developing leadership skills.

What are the 3 L's?

Life

Each year, we will select a region in Africa and focus on local schools and institutions in urgent need. We will establish the needs of each vetted location to determine the most effective way to address them. Thus, we will create a "wishlist" for the school or institution, and our fundraising efforts will be geared towards fulfilling that "wishlist" for an entire year. In addition to the provisions detailed on the wishlist, we will also supply each location with "Msaada Kits". 

Msaada means support in Swahili. These Msaada "Support" Kits will contain an insecticide-treated bed net, a Lifestraw water purification device as well as other materials and resources that could potentially improve a person's quality of life. The funds and in-kind donations generated from grants, corporate sponsorships, and community outreach will be used directly for the selected locations’ needs.

Learning

We believe that education is the key to success and overall improvement for developing nations of Africa. It is important for young people to believe that they are the future hope for a better world. We strive to inspire them to become the scientists, doctors, and leaders of tomorrow.

This is why we have chosen to dedicate a portion of all funds raised towards a scholarship that will be awarded to a promising young scholar. Through the scholarship, we hope to promote academic achievement, self-advancement, and civic betterment. There will be a list of criteria that will help us determine the award recipient(s), which will be explained in greater detail once the application process begins. Scholarship candidacy is open to both young people in Africa as well as in the United States. 

 Leadership

Children are the leaders of tomorrow, which is why we've developed a leadership program that will motivate young people to make an impact on the world. This program comprises of workshops, mentorships, and community projects that will help a young person develop skills to empower them to do more, learn continuously, and grow into a successful leader.

Each year a small group will be selected to participate in the program and each individual will be given the chance to win a scholarship award. Participants will be required to complete a civic or international betterment project that will make a difference in the lives of others. After proposing a project, each participant will be assigned a mentor who will advise them during the program and execution of their project. Participants will also have to attend a series of workshops that will guide them through the process and development of their proposed project. Workshops will be lead by community leaders and professionals in order to teach the select group new skills sets or new approaches to leadership. 

At the end of the program, a scholarship winner will be chosen based on how well they developed and executed their proposed project, as well as the impact that it had on their respective communities. 

Problem Overview

Many of the youth in sub-Saharan Africa constantly encounter difficulties that are most likely inevitable factors of their life circumstances. Although the UN and other organizations have made substantial progress in facilitating the development of these regions, there is still much work to be done. Here at Life Learning Leadership, we believe that our work begins with the children.  

Our Plan

This year, we plan to focus on the issues faced by young people in Africa and in the US that hinder them from succeeding academically. Lack of resources and ineffective classroom settings are key factors affecting the learning outcomes. 

Access to basic services and availability of sanitary and safe facilities improve the learning environment, while students' health and wellness boost school attendance and achievement. This is why we are dedicated to providing supportive services that will prevent malaria, provide clean water sources, and contribute to an effective learning environment.  

Malaria 

• According to the WHO, there were 219 million malaria cases in 2017 that led to 435,000 deaths.

• Of these, 61 per cent (266,000) were children under 5 years of age.

• Malaria costs Africa an estimated $12 billion in lost productivity.

• Almost half the world's population is at risk of malaria (1)

• There were an estimated 214 million new cases of malaria in 2015(1)

• Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 89% of all malaria cases worldwide.(1)

Clean Water

• Lack of clean water sources affects more than 2 billion people around the world, which hinders social and economic development.(2)

• In 2012, it was estimated that at least 1.8 billion people were exposed to contaminated drinking water. 

• Half of the primary schools in Africa do not have clean drinking water(3)

• Each day,nearly 1,000 children die due to preventable water and sanitation-related diarrheal diseases. (4)

Education

• As of 2013, 59 million children and 65 million adolescents were not in school (5)

• More than half of children that have not enrolled in school live in sub-Saharan Africa.(6)

• As of 2015, 757 million adults still lack basic reading and writing skills. (7)

• In developing, low-income countries, every additional year of education can increase a person’s future income by an average of 10%.(8)

Basic Needs 

• Children who suffer from poor oral health are more likely to miss out on educational activities.

• 1 in 10 girls in Sub-Saharan Africa misses school during their menstrual cycle, which in some estimates may equal as much as 20% of a given school year. (9)

• Many girls drop out altogether once they begin menstruating. (9)

• In Kenya alone, the cost of poor sanitation totals $324 million per year (10)

This year we want to...

• Provide 25 schools in Sierra Leone and in the US with Msaada Kits.

• Address specific needs of vetted schools/institutions.

• Award 20 young people with $500 scholarships.

• Host leadership workshops for 20 participants.

• Cultivate 20 civic betterment projects.

• Award one promising candidate with a $1,000 scholarship.

Providing support to schools and institutions throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, one Msaada Kit at a time.  

Bed Nets

Long-lasting Insecticide-treated Nets (LLINs) are a form of personal protection that has been shown to reduce malaria illness, severe disease, and death due to malaria in endemic regions. In community-wide trials in several African settings, LLINs have been shown to reduce the death of children under 5 years from all causes by about 20%.

LLINs have been associated with sharp decreases in malaria in countries where malaria programs have achieved high LLIN coverage. WHO now recommends that LLINs be distributed to and used by all people ("universal coverage") in susceptible areas, not by just the most vulnerable groups, which are pregnant women and children under 5 years of age. LLINs have been associated with sharp decreases in malaria cases. LLINs are most commonly distributed through mass campaigns approximately every 3 years.

Lifestraw

The LifeStraw is a plastic personal water filter designed by a company of the same name. The product allows an individual to take contaminated water and clean it. According to studies, the device removes a minimum of 99.9999 percent of waterborne bacteria and can fit into one's pocket. Additionally, the LifeStraw contains no moving parts or batteries, which increases its longevity.

The company also  have other products like Lifestraw Family and Lifestraw Community, which can provide clean water on larger scale.

Basic Necessities

Each "Msaada Kit" will contain:     - 1 Backpack                                   - School supplies for the year (pencils, pens, notebooks, rulers, calculators, coloring materials, etc.)                                - Toiletries (toothbrush/toothpaste, feminine products, items for personal hygiene, etc.)

During our distribution trips, we will also provide workshops that will cover topics including:             -Nutrition                                        - Oral health                                  - Feminine Hygiene                      - Personal Hygiene & Sanitation  - Other tutorials on how to use the materials we provide 

HOW YOU CAN HELP

We are grateful for the continuous support of our donors.. Your contributions will go towards providing Msaada kits to children in underserved communities in Africa and in the US, and a portion of those funds will also go towards our new scholarship program for promising young scholars. Again, we thank you for your generosity, compassion, and willingness to build a brighter future for these children and youth.