While some parts of the a thrive amidst prosperity and technological developments, others continue to suffer from poverty, with barely any fundamental needs met. According to figures released by UNESCO in September 2023, 250 million children are missing out on any form of education; in 2021, the WHO revealed that 4.5 billion people – more than half the world's population – lacked access to essential health services. And, the problem is getting worse; these figures do not yet represent the repercussions still being felt by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Philanthropic systems in place to support suffering communities are in need of reform now more than ever. Raise Community Group (RCG) offers that novel approach.
Introducing Raise Community Group (RCG) - The next-generation approach to philanthropy
RCG - Raise Community Group
Originally founded in 2014 as a non-profit children's orphanage based in Bugiri, Uganda, RCG is an international, diverse network of engineers, educators, doctors and undergraduates with keen abilities to introduce geographic area and population-specific ideas that can be sustained and naturally integrated into the fabric and functionality of a community. RCG was co-founded in 2014 out of a Harvard University dorm room as Raise Uganda Now (RUN) by then-freshman Joon Yang and a select team of undergraduate peers after Yang visited the site on a volunteer trip in high school. Today, it has evolved into an organization that leverages a decade of real-world learnings and created a blueprint for other struggling communities to employ with their case-by-case support and seasoned expertise.
Yang is certain that enabling a stable home, K-12 education, and healthcare are paramount to fostering a burgeoning community anywhere. Moreover, he believes the team that can best make this happen is diverse in skillset, profession, and experience level.
"While every community is different, fundamental needs are always the same. Tackling any problem begins with enabling equitable access to essential human rights, and that takes flexibility and creativity in a team and its approach," says Yang. "Our team consists of individuals from all kinds of backgrounds and levels of experience - from students to doctors, to lifelong philanthropists. It's our makeup that really allows us to execute our strategy in a way that sets us apart from other systems of support."
When it comes to living its mission to help communities help themselves, RCG has historically focused and continues to focus on supporting children and adolescents via its three-pronged approach - that is no coincidence.
"Any kind of broadscale change for the better starts with empowering the children who need it the most," Yang shares. "Our tablet education program, for example, allows us to see who shows up to class and improves, informing our decision and the child's preparedness for enrolling at a school full-time. Through our methodological approach, our team can spot top-performing students as well as those who are struggling and provide more targeted resources, increasing their chances of continuing education that is specific to each student."
Pillar 1: Education
According to Yang, RCG's flagship pillar is education, in part due to the organization's close relationship with the Bill Cook Foundation, where their dozens of scholarship and education-focused projects span from Myanmar to Equatorial Guinea. Maximizing the power of purposeful partnerships, RCG establishes strong on-site networks that inspect the authenticity of proposed projects, ensuring the funds are used in a constructive, lasting way.
To this end, Raise Community Group designed a system that helps the team choose the most fitting schools and programs to empower children in their area of operation. In Uganda, this involves three steps in succession:
- RCG's Tablet School is designed to address the needs of children who do not have access to any form of standardized education. By providing free software-based English and Math courses with an instructor, they encourage students to continue building the habit of attending classes, learning, and interacting with teachers and peers, ultimately informing their decision to award scholarships for full-time private education.
- The First Diploma Program ensures that students secure their first diploma while RCG hires staff to provide consultations and resources to their families and caretakers to ensure the student's journey is supplemented with holistic support.
- Finally, the Moonshot Scholarship is a highly selective program for students who have showcased outstanding educational performance and a strong passion for learning to qualify for schooling at the university level.
Systemizing what is typically a lengthy and strenuous selection process provides various opportunities for children and young adults with different abilities and goals. As part of its education initiative, Raise Community Group also constructed the Angela Mathew Center, where many of RCG's programs take place and represent the Group's dedication to sustainable philanthropy.
Pillar 2: Healthcare
RCG's second pillar for helping communities help themselves – and its newest pillar – is providing sustainable healthcare.
In addition to building out its network of community health workers,
Raise Community Group is working on providing comprehensive health guides prepared by its undergraduate volunteers and Aisha Yousafzi, a Harvard Professor of Child Development and Health, expanding healthcare knowledge and improving access to necessary resources in underserved regions.
Pillar 3: Community Development
Community development relies on its sister pillars, yet requires a focus of its own.
A vital element in establishing a communal identity and improving the region's infrastructure, through institutional backing, RCG develops an in-depth understanding of the area in question based on research which includes on-the-ground input from local leaders. From there, comparative advantages of a specific area are identified, and community members are advised on how to take advantage of the resources available, ensuring the longevity of RCG's projects.
The Impact
Raise Community Group's working strategy has already left a tangible mark in many regions, especially in Uganda, where the team's efforts began. From employing teachers to deliver food and education packets to homes during the COVID-19 pandemic to purchasing land and constructing the Angela Matthew Center that houses current and future education programs, to receiving a generous donation of toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes from a partnership with the Benco Family Foundation to teach local children about dental hygiene, both fundamental and progressive needs are being met through their multidisciplinary approach.
Since its founding, RCG has garnered tremendous support from partners and investors from for-and non-profit organizations alike, offering a way for many to join their mission.
Speaking about his vision for RCG's next steps, Joon Yang shares, "Our team developed a set of strategies that are transferable to all kinds of communities in need. For our future, I see us branching into different regions with unique yet similar problems we can help solve. But what's equally as important is developing new partnerships that will collectively scale our growth. That's where the potential of building stronger, more resilient communities really lies."
For more information about Raise Community Group, visit https://www.raisecommunitygroup.org/.
