The essence of Poverty Reduction 2.0 is self-organization. You participate not by doing what you are told to do, but by doing what you can and want to.

Anna Chojnacka and Bart Lacroix are the founders of the Dutch 1%CLUB, an online marketplace where projects aimed at poverty reduction and those willing to support them with 1% of their expertise, time or money, can find each other.   We interviewed Anna in March 2009 on Internet tv Blueshots.

The 1%Club has achieved great results since 2008; through its members base it has funded more than 50 small scale entrepreneurial projects in developing countries, from buying bikes in Africa to setting up ICT resource centers in India. They are about to start the...

1%Club 24 Hours Campaign: and The NextWomen promotes the Jobortunity Project: Donate and Retweet!

This week, on December 16th, the 1%Club 24 Hours Campaign takes place, where 24 known Dutch bloggers, entrepreneurs, and others will call upon their network for 24 hours to fund  24 1%Club projects. The campaign starts December 16, 2009 7.00pm and ends December 17, 2009 7.00pm.

The NextWomen have chosen to support the following project: The Jobortunity Training Institute in Tanzania that trains vulnerable youth aged between 15 and 23 from the slums in Arusha to get a job and to keep it. Its about giving practical training through mentors. The project is set up by Kim Groeneweg and in her team are a lot of local people.

Jobortunity needs all the support it can get to start and build a top quality training institute! It needs €4.775,- in order to train 14 mentors to educate these young people, to buy 5 computers for the life skill program and to buy bikes.

We call upon our dear Next Women supporters and network to donate £ 25 pound to our chosen project as follows:

People with a Dutch account: Through the Jobortunity Project at the 1%Club

People with foreign account: through the website of Jobortunity

Jobortunity understands the need to demonstrate self reliance and therefore aims to set up income generating projects to fund the programme. Until that income is sufficient to run the training institute it appreciate all the help that it can get!
One of Jobortunity's income generating activities is “The Smallest Hotel in Africa”, a one-bedroom hotel that will not only enable the trainees to meet hotel guests and practice their skills but will also subsidize the training costs.

Furthermore, Jobortunity is working together with professional hotel and management training bureaus to train the Tanzanian trainers. This to ensure professional and quality training packages, also the training bureaus will support the scheme financially by contributing part of their profit.