Everyone said feed the kids in Africa, but we had to do more

March 23, 2019

“I am Ambassador Doctor Chanita Foster. I am a social change philanthropist and we run Beyond the Game. it is a non-profit organization on the U.S. side and an NGO on the continent of Africa. We feed 1,000 children every day, 365 days a year. We have built a lower level school and have two orphanages and three care points. We teach women’s entrepreneurship and give microloans for women to start businesses in rural areas. We a branching off with the Trinity Girls Network from the U.S. to teach girls STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math). The girls in the U.S. will go to Africa and merge with how it works between the two.  We have a sanitary napkin program where we provide sanitary napkins for girls in rural areas including ZImbabwe, Rwanda, Kenya, Swaziland, and South Africa. Our goal is to manufacture sanitary napkins on the continent so that women can have jobs. It is hard for girls and women while they are having their period. They don’t go to school or church or play with friends. It is a big need.”

“I grew up in Detroit but now live in Atlanta. I have always been a server and knew my purpose from the time I was a little kid. I had to help kids in my class who didn’t have what I did. Girl Scouts was where I really got to serve. I loved visiting the homeless shelters and the old folks’ homes.  As I got older I found better ways to serve. I worked in sports management and managed NBA players. I got to give some of their money to the community or help them with their families facing poverty. I did that for 16 years and started non-profits for some of your favorite NBA and NFL players. I married an NFL player and made him give his money to the community. I took a trip to Africa in 2005 and met my son who was 15 at the time and I adopted him. Everyone said feed the kids in Africa, but I needed a bigger plan. It kept growing and now I am the Ambassador of Tourism in the United Nations for Zimbabwe. I am going to be a diplomat for South Africa.”

“I am Dr. Jasmine Pega and grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa. My first love is entrepreneurship. I am the brains behind how to navigate to the markets so that we can have financial capabilities to implement the projects that Chanita wants to do. We met through a mutual friend. I am a miner and created a space for women in mining. Most mines are owned by men. God told me I have to work with more women. I want to have all of my sisters with me, in case anything happens, they are my insurance. The issue has always been global impact. Chanita has the international side and I have the local African side. We sit down with the rights and wrongs of the problems and we meet in the middle to find practical solutions. She was trying to get one pack of sanitary napkins. I want to build the factory so we can get to 10,000 and do it ourselves. Create a job for the mothers, feed the community, make an economy grow.”

“We are partnering with Forbes8. Americans go into other countries and do what we want to do because we think our way is the best way. Africans need to tell their own stories. I get to find those stories from the smallest entrepreneurs for Forbes8. Those stories are real. Americans can provide money and learning but we have to be culturally aware that it is their land and space or they are going to send you out.”

“Africans have caught up. We now know nothing will be about us without us. We don’t want to be served things on the table. We want to be a part of the process and how the food is prepared.”

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