SWAPafrica Wins Jump-Start 21 Phase 2 Funding! Isn’t God so Sweet?
I will say it again; if you have not signed up for SWAPafrica yet, it is either because you don’t know about us or you simply ignore the possibility of the future that we envision. Now that you know about us, please, register here for SWAPafrica account.
SWAPafrica is built on the ‘factual assumption’ that everyone, irrespective of how needy and helpless he may seem to be, has what he can offer or contribute to well-being of others or society if given chance. Someone could be illiterate, poor and not famous and yet this same person can take care of laundry well, cook nice food, knows how to swim or drive or play piano or guitar or repair TV or take care of children well. SWAPafrica offers each one of us the opportunity to offer only that which we have in exchange for that which we need. And, yeah, we are taking awards!
The Problem and Solution
This last Monday, 2nd September 2019, I received exciting news regarding SWAPafrica being considered for phase 2 funding by Jump Start 21 program, Germany. God has been good to me, to us at SWAPafrica and He shall surely see us through.
We created SWAPafrica as a one stop center where young people (entrepreneurs, job-seekers, students) can experience peer-to-peer learning of skills of their choice, access physical goods and services through swapping, lending and borrowing among themselves without using money. We are fighting away the youth unemployment that now stands at between 65% (UBOS, 2016) and 83% (World Bank, 2013) and the unfortunate start-ups failure of about 80-90% (MUBS, 2014).
At SWAPafrica, you simply get someone teach you that skill you need in your business or at work or at school, access those services you have always missed for lack of money and acquire physical equipment or tools that make sense to you or your business without paying any monetary costs but by just giving back (goods) or teaching back (skills) or doing back (services) what you know or have in abundance.
EXAMPLES OF SWAPS
Our win this week comes in after so many other national and international recognition. To remind you, first, SWAPafrica won the Total Startupper challenge of the year 2018/2019. Later on, we were selected among the most promising solutions in Africa by young Africans under Tony Elumelu Program, Nigeria. In the days that followed, SWAPafrica won the Phase 1 of Jump Start 21 challenge. Few months ago, we were selected and considered among the most promising innovations in Uganda under Netherlands Trust Fund. And before the dust can settle, Jump Start 21 ushers in for the second phase funding opportunity! Isn’t God so amazing?
To be honest, it is not money or fame that moves me or SWAPafrica, my biggest pride has been to see someone somewhere believe in me, embrace the innovation. SWAPafrica is disruptive, tricky and a little bit out of the usual for it proposes a solution (barter trade) that is weird, was tried centuries ago and in a world of capitalism and money thinking. Whenever a program or investor considers us, I simply feel good about the consideration only, nothing more. I love the feeling that some wise men on a panel X have looked into our proposal for future and have said YES with their endorsement. That alone moves me.
SWAPafrica isn’t against money, not at all; it supports money. SWAPafrica simply wants to put money where it should be. We want to, instead of creating lack and resource scarcity, create abundance that enables everyone to move forward to becoming economically free and independent.
This can only be possible if lack of money doesn’t stop our access to the resources we need to make money; the skills we need, the services we must use, the physical goods we must touch. We make it possible for a student to graduate with skills for job and entrepreneurship world, enable a business person move forward and propel those in employment to meeting all their needs by acquiring the skills required by their jobs. We enable abundance for everyone.
If you haven’t joined SWAPafrica yet, please do here. And if you need more information or need some guidance, just call or whatsapp 0779342057 or send email to thecompletey@gmail.com
How to Join SWAPafrica
Thank you Jump-Start 21, Netherland Trust Fund, Tony Elumelu, and Total. God bless you. Thanks for supporting us, for pushing us closer to our dream. Thank you.
To all members of SWAPafrica and staff at SWAPafrica and Miklah, God bless you too. Thanks for believing in the innovation, in me. To my beloved wife, Winfred Amulen, God bless you. Thanks for supporting me and all my crazy ideas. And, yeah, Jairus, may you do even more, my son. And let it never be about you, but about God and His people and His world, our earthly home. God bless you all.
NB: Never forget that SWAPafrica is one of the five major solutions or projects proposed by Miklah, our mother organization. For more, visit www.miklahlife.com