Tunapanda.org

Tunapanda.org is a nonprofit educational organization that teaches digital era vocational skills to help empower individuals to gain higher incomes, start businesses and to experience greater personal freedom via self-expression. Tunapanda Institute believes that human potential is the "greatest under-tapped renewable resource on our planet". Tunpanda uses a unique process to help fill the gap for the lack of trained technology teachers. This process is a Linux-based operating system known as Tunapanda Edubuntu - which uses free video learning content.  

The Tunapanda organization has been based in Nairobi, Kenya since 2012, and works with local partners in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The word "tunapanda" translates in Swahili to three similar phrases: "We are Growing", "We are Planting" and "We are Climbing". The software used by the Tunapanda organization can be utilized and adopted anywhere in the world - not just in East Africa. This gives anyone the ability to replicate the systems used by Tunapanda anywhere in the world without needing anyone's permission!

Jay and Mick Larson are the two brothers who manage the Tunapanda organization. The board of directors is made up of local and global experts in education and technology. The subjects taught quickly lead to higher income jobs - ranging from web-design to 3D printing and animation. The organization is not for profit, and receive donations from around the world - and also allow tax-deductible donations in the United States via a fiscal sponsor.

Tunapanda - 2014 Crowdfunding Campaign

In 2013, Tunapanda hosted its first crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo.com - the campaign can be found at the following link: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/tunapanda-free-education-for-all. The goal of the campaign was to help Tunapanda continue expanding throughout East Africa in their mission to teach digital era vocational skills to children, beginning in Nairobi, Kenya. They were able to raise $13,788 of the $25,000 goal - leading to more software development and upgrades at partner schools.

 

It has been over a year (14-months) since the original crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo. Recently, the Tunapanda organization began a second campaign to help raise more funds to expand the organization, leading to the empowerment of children and other individuals in East Africa via digital education. This campaign can be found on a new crowdfunding website, differing from the first campaign that was featured on Indiegogo. The new crowdfunding campaign is featured on Click & Pledge Connect, known as the "free social fundraising platform". 

To view the new campaign, please visit the following link: https://connect.clickandpledge.com/Organization/tunapanda/campaign/2014 

For more detailed information about the campaign from the main Tunapanda website, please visit: http://www.tunapanda.org/crowdfunding-2014/ 

The above image was captured at a Tunapanda partner school. These are children learning digital era vocational skills with the open-source software Tunapanda Edubuntu.

The fundraising goal of this campaign is set at $35,000. The Vattikuti Foundation has promised to match all donations up to $35,000, making this goal much easier to reach! As of July 15, 2014, $7,530 (22%) have been raised. With the matched donation from the Vattikuti Foundation, this equals over $15,000! The campaign only needs to reach 50% of the set $35,000 goal since the donations will be matched up to $35,000. However, it would be great for the organization to receive the full $35,000 in donations, equalling a total of $70,000 after the matched donations!

For individuals in the United States who choose to donate, all funds are tax-deductible. By supporting the 2014 Tunapanda Crowdfunding Campaign, you are empowering children and other individuals in East Africa and potentially the entire world! With the use of mobile phones and the Internet exponentially growing in developing countries, now is a crucial time to teach these individuals how to use this technology to gain an education, sustainable income and an overall improved and better life. 

To donate towards the 2014 Tunapanda Crowdfunding Campaign, please click here!

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Written by Steven Carpenter