“To be able to go to a local event and make a global impact is cool,” says Project 1808 Executive Director Linda Vakunta. “Hopefully, when people come to the Project 1808 Benefit Gala, they will be able to see the tangible impact that people will be making on the other side of the globe.”
Sierra Leone is a country that has been devastated by civil war, Ebola outbreak and poverty, but the people who live there are very resilient and hopeful. In the city of Kambala, Sierra Leone, Project 1808 has been making a big difference in education, health, STEM, sustainability, and transforming the remote community. On Sunday, Dec. 2, at Brink Lounge on Madison’s east side, the organization is hosting a Benefit Gala to raise awareness in the Madison community about its work and to talk about their latest endeavor – building a college in Kabala.
The ultimate goal for Project 1808 is to revive and sustain the spirit of optimism, hope, creativity, and innovation – while building capacity and empowering communities to achieve sustainable livelihoods. The 501(c)3 nonprofit started in 2012 and every year has increased its capacity to empower more and more youths and adults in Kabala.
“The number of students that we serve have really increased over the years, too. I think that last time we talked, we were serving 100-200 students,” Vakunta tells Madison365. “Now, we have over 400 students who participate in our programs throughout the year.”
The organization was founded by Dr. Alhaji N’jai, a scientist at UW-Madison and a native of Sierra Leone. and works primarily in N’jai’s hometown community of Kabala, which is located in the Koinadugu District in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone
Vakunta is excited about the Project 1808 Science & Leadership Festival coming up on Jan. 10, 2019.
“We started a Science & Leadership Festival in 2016 and that has really been a hit and it really has been gaining attention nationally,” Vakunta says. “Basically, the goal of that festival is to make science and leadership concepts more applicable. Those are the two areas when you look at Sierra Leone, in general, where we are making progress. We make science concepts easy and relatable to students and to some of the older folks who come, they find the leadership aspect very useful in the community.”
(Photo by Casey Kalman)
A major portion of the fundraising at the Project 1808 Benefit Gala on Sunday will go towards establishing the Koinadugu College in the area that will empower youth, inspire innovation, and provide opportunity for all community members.
“Right now, the Koinadugu District has no college or higher institution so this will be the first higher ed institution in that district, the largest district in the country,” Vakunta says. “A lot of young people face difficulties because they have to go out of the district. People from that area don’t have a lot of money, so it makes it even more difficult if they have to leave home and go to a different city.”
The city of Kabala, with a population of over 400,000 people, is packed with youth who are passionate, resourcefulness and brilliant youth. But Kabala is considered one of the poorest regions in the country. For many, opportunity is lacking, and a college would be a game-changer.
“We’re trying to fill in that gap. We got a request from the community back in 2012 to help bring a college to a district. Not even the stakeholders, that’s a direct request from the community members,” Vakunta says. “We even have a picture of the banner when we came one summer saying, ‘Dr. N’jai, we need a college!’
“We’ve been getting some support so far and we’ve been able to put up some structures,” she adds. “We’re looking for more support to finish the structures and to be up and in operation in 2019.”
The new college will be one of the topics that Project 1808 will go into more detail at the Benefit Gala during a brief presentation of Project 1808’s mission and exciting work they are doing in Sierra Leone.
“We are really going to be focusing much more on the college at the fundraiser. That’s our big thing. The young people are really anxious for this college and we want to get it going as soon as possible,” Vakunta says.
At the Benefit Gala, there will also be a silent auction, dinner, drinks, and live music from a variety of performers.
“I really believe that the world is a global village right now and so whatever issues we are having in other parts of the world are directly and indirectly affects other parts of the world,” Vakunta says. “So, this is an opportunity for someone to contribute to the future of young people to equip them to be able to handle whatever issues they face in their immediate environment and that will have an indirect impact on the globe.
“You saw that with Ebola. When Sierra Leone had Ebola, they only had 200-300 doctors so doctors had to come from all over the world to help Sierra Leone,” she adds. “What we’re trying to do with this college is show that there are skilled individuals in various fields so that anybody who comes to the fundraiser is helping to build a skilled labor force of young people to address issues in their current environment.”
The Benefit Gala, hosted by University of Wisconsin-Madison Project 1808 Student Organization, will take place Sunday, Dec. 2, 5 p.m. at The Brink Lounge, 701 E. Washington Ave. The Benefit Gala is $40 for non-students and $20 for students with ID. For more information, click here.
