Now that we are a non-profit, you are probably wondering what our next steps are!
Firstly, we wanted to launch our first online fundraiser, and were recently able to! Officially becoming a 501c3 organization has made this endeavor much more practical because there are different tax laws and guidelines for non-profits. With your support, our first online fundraiser was able to raise $1,480.00! These donations will go to pay for books to be used in our third rural learning centers.
Our second goal is to raise 10,000 books! Call us passionate, but we truly believe we can do it! When we first began collecting books in 2012 we raised 10,000 books, by starting to share Soma’s mission with those closest to us, our peers, friends, and family. Then, we quickly expanded to working with several dedicated organizations such as the Center for Applied Behavior Systems (CABS), Girl Scouts members, John Boyer’s World Regions lecture classes, and fraternities & sororities at Virginia Tech. This year, our goal is to incorporate more literature in the Swahili language, Tanzania’s official first language (English being their second).
Finally, our third goal for 2020 is to open two more rural learning centers! We currently have two open, one in Boko, Dar Es Salaam and in Handeni, Tanga. For our third learning center, we are looking to open one in Mkwaja, Tanga, Tanzania. Later, we hope to break ground in Kipumbwi Village, Tanzania for our fourth location.
We are seeking to raise $50,000 to build and facilitate the operation of both rural learning centers for 2020.
We value your support. No donation is too small!
If you would like to contact us to help us reach our goal, please feel free to reach out. We would love to hear from you.
Thank you! Asante!
Knowledge is boundless.
The Soma International Team Contact: info@somainternational.org Asante (ah-sah-n-tay) means ‘Thank you’.
Writer: M. Cecilia Silva Montoya