What is BuildAClass.Org?

BuildAClass.Org is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to provide various help to Low-Income communities in Zimbabwe. This is done by:

+ Providing Sponsorship to selected Primary/Grade school students

+ Furnish communities with a clean and safe environment by upgrading/building toilets and drilling boreholes

+ Provide children’s books

+ Donation of clothes and blankets

What is the mission of BuildAClass.Org?

Our Mission at BuildaClass.org is simple and straight forward. We want less fortunate communities from different backgrounds in Zimbabwe to have an opportunity to an education ( Sponsor a child), Clean water ( Sponsor a borehole), Clothes (Clothes drive), and toilets (Build a toilet). BuildAClass.Org and its Partners will achieve this by providing adequate sponsorships and materials to provide a clean learning environment through donations.

What does the Organization do?

Our comprehensive approach targets the root causes of why children are not attending school or are underachieving when they are in school. We invest our resources locally, in the countries we work in. This helps boost local economies and keeps costs low. We focus on building a support system for students’ success by ensuring access to safe and healthy learning environments, strengthening teaching quality, and providing scholarships and leadership training. We fund projects that:

+ Create Safe and Healthy Learning Environments. Sometimes improving access to education is as simple as ensuring children have the basics of a safe and healthy learning environment – clean water and sanitation

+ Enhance Learning in Schools and in Life. In addition to providing resources to enhance learning in the classroom, BuildAClass.org is committed to providing leading-edge programs that enhance students’ ability to apply that knowledge as leaders of thriving communities.  Create leaders and entrepreneurs who will turn around and help the communities they came from, encourage young people to envision a bright future, and create action plans to make their dreams reality.

+ Provide Education Through Merit-Based Scholarships In sub-Saharan Africa, only 25% of primary students in low-income locations can afford to continue to secondary school.  The odds are worse for the girl child, especially if they live in rural areas or conflict zones.  We provide financial support that covers tuition, exam fees, uniforms, personal effects, boarding, food, and learning materials.

Over time, this approach leads to greater success in secondary education, higher graduation rates, and increased social and economic achievement. Meanwhile, the immediate outcomes of enhanced cognitive learning and knowledge application include improved student attendance, performance, and active parent engagement.

In which countries is BuildAClass.Org operating?

BuildAClass.Org is currently operating in Zimbabwe with Plans to expand to neighboring Southern Africa countries.

How effectively are funds used?

Approximately 80% of donations to BuildAClass.Org support in-country programs that are jointly planned with local program managers. BuildAClass.Org is mostly volunteer-based, driven, and determined to keep the commitments that we make to our in-country partners. As a result, we analyze needs before we commit, aggressively raise funds, and closely measure results. Our financial statement and latest annual report are available upon request.

Why focus on education in Africa?

According to Africa Strictly business, by 2040 Africa will be home to one in five of the planet’s young people with a working population of 1.1 billion. The potential in these numbers is infinite, but without education, the economic and social implications are dire. “Economic growth and poverty reduction depend on an educated and skilled workforce. BuildAClass.Org believes in the potential.  We know that enriched minds collectively create better solutions to whatever challenges their communities face. Children who stay in school gain the skills to start community businesses, find their voice, and choose peaceful paths to positive change.

How can I donate?

We accept donations by mail or online through Pay Pal, with the option of setting up a recurring donation from your credit or debit card. We also accept non-cash donations, such as children’s books, pens, pencils, and clothes. Your donations are fully tax-deductible in accordance with all Internal Revenue Service giving laws, receipts are mailed out within 30 days of your donation.

Can I see how contributions are spent?

Yes, We fully document the results of all of our projects and teams through photos and video, and welcome requests for additional detail. ( Our current financial statement is available upon request.)Approximately 90% of your donation goes directly to the programs we are funding in. Our objective is to keep administration costs as low as possible, and we also recognize the need for a solid infrastructure to support our growth.

Can I go on a trip with the Organization? How can I volunteer?

BuildAClass.Org does not offer overseas volunteer opportunities. As a grass-roots, small nonprofit organization, we have limited financial resources that we devote primarily to community-based projects in Zimbabwe. We keep overhead costs to a minimum and are therefore unable to dedicate resources to adequately manage an international volunteer program, be responsible for volunteers traveling overseas, and manage their work in the field. In The future, we will organize yearly travel to the school/s and communities we are supporting. This will be on a volunteer basis and individuals will pay for their own travel and accommodation. Someone from BuildAClass.org will be available with them at all times.

How can I provide a scholarship for a child?

Providing scholarships for the education costs for children is one of our greatest needs. BuildAClass.Org raises funds to provide education through merit-based scholarships to students, both girls, and boys, for a school year. We provide scholarships to students who are academically talented, eager to learn, and financially challenged. You can provide a student scholarship even if you live outside of the United States. As the school terms begin, we will coordinate enrollment of the children on our waiting list, and let you know a bit about your student and facilitate a letter exchange if you wish.

There are so many Programs doing this already, what is so special about yours?

There is nothing special about BuildAClass.org. We are just an organization that has a desire to help out less fortunate communities and children in the land we grew up in. We have seen the need first hand and there are not enough of us. So we are just part of a bigger Process.