Umoja Foundation: NFT-Driven Philanthropy
The Umoja Foundation is a charity project that leverages unique generative NFTs to fund assistance programs for orphans and the less fortunate.
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Web3 developer Tiffany Stewart launched the foundation with her own funds and now serves as its CEO. The name ‘Umoja', meaning ‘unity' in Swahili, was chosen to embody the spirit of togetherness. Initially, the aim was to set up not just a traditional charity but a vibrant decentralized community to aid the underserved.
The Umoja Foundation is currently collaborating closely with Dasom Ministries, an orphanage in Uganda led by Joel Muwonge. The orphanage is home to seventeen children and is supported by three volunteers who care for these minors and maintain the facility. Whenever possible, the institution extends its support beyond its walls, offering free humanitarian aid to other needy individuals.
Each month, the orphanage incurs expenses of around $8,600 for essentials like food, clothing, medication, and educational services. Beyond these immediate needs, the leadership is also spearheading broader initiatives: they're working on constructing additional living spaces, setting up a water purification system, securing transportation for travel, and cultivating agricultural products to mitigate food expenses. The aggregate cost for these ambitious projects is pegged at $146,000.
To fund these extensive needs, the Umoja Foundation has crafted an exclusive NFT collection named “The Beginning,” hosted on the Ethereum blockchain. This collection ensures direct ownership for the purchaser coupled with a 7% royalty commitment, underpinning the foundation's continual development. The artwork for these unique tokens was co-created with the orphaned children themselves, who brought a myriad of ideas to the table for the team to realize.
The collection comprises 250 unique images. Two hundred of these are available in thirty copies each, while the remaining fifty are one-of-a-kind. Official sales are set to commence on November 28, 2023, exclusively on the NFT marketplace Rarible, with a 17-day minting period. The initial price will be set at 0.06 ETH (nearly $100) per NFT to attract a broad range of users.
The Beginning. Source: Rarible’s official site.
The proceeds from the sales will be directed straight to Dasom Ministries. NFT owners will enjoy VIP access to Umoja Foundation events, priority minting for future collections, entries in giveaways, and a say in the strategic direction of the charity organization. In the spirit of transparency, the foundation's management has pledged to provide detailed monthly reports on the inflows, refinancing, and expenditures.
Furthermore, the foundation is looking to broaden its horizon by initiating a new support scheme that will enable direct contributions towards nurturing the individual talents of each child. In line with this, the team is looking to craft new NFT collections in collaboration with various African institutions in the future.
Truly, this initiative showcases an inspiring use of NFTs for social good.
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