HSI Welcomes West Gem Development Trust
Humanitarian Social Innovations is excited to introduce the West Gem Development Trust to our community of social entrepreneurs.
Building hope and prosperity for underprivileged communities in Kenya is at the heart of the West Gem Development Trust’s (WGDT) mission. The nonprofit uses agriculture, infrastructure, education and other methods to generate wealth, transform the economy and ultimately empower people to achieve greater quality of life.
WGDT targets rural, impoverished areas, and started its efforts in the West Gem and Siaya County regions of Kenya. The nonprofit has worked with more than 2500 communities to establish infrastructure that combats poverty and social exclusion. With the help of fiscal partners, WGDT hopes to continue its mission across the country.
Founders
Vitalis Nyanga Achol founded WGDT along with Emanuel Oloo Khisa and Yuanita Obiero. The trio has a passion for bringing people together and uplifting struggling communities.
“We have been inspired by the energy and knowledge potential that lies within the rural youths to use the power of digital communication to take on the most pressing issue[s]…to transform lives,” said Achol, who is also CEO of the nonprofit.
Achol said that working with the organization’s partners and seeing the internal structure of these regions improve as a result of their impact is one of the most rewarding aspects of the work. However, WGDT constantly faces the challenge of getting more exposure to procure funding, support and mentors for its programs.
“HSI is helping WGDT by giving us that great opportunity of building partnerships that lead to other partnerships for mentorship on fundraising for our projects,” Achol said.
“We have a lot of work ahead. But together with our rural community, we shall have much to celebrate together on our success on working to improve lives in the impoverished regions.”
Connect Me to You
One of WGDT’s key projects is Connect Me to You (CMY), which provides sustainable, cost-effective internet access to rural communities. The goal of the project is to inspire and educate more than 1.2 million young people in the area.
Coveted access to internet through CMY has made another WGDT project, the Youth Economic Empowerment Program (YEP), a reality. YEP trains youths in important skills like technology and entrepreneurship. Together, these two ventures help carry rural Kenyan communities out of poverty and foster future generations of successful individuals.
Humanitarian Social Innovations is pleased to sponsor and serve West Gem Development Trust in order to maximize its impact on communities and youths in Kenya.