About this project
THE FILM:
"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."
An old and wise Chinese proverb describes the premise behind YouthBank, an organization that our documentary team is following over the course of this year. YouthBank is a social enterprise start-up whose mission is to take kids off the street in developing countries and make them financially independent. I am also an entrepreneur and filmmaker, and the YouthBank team is one of the most interesting start-ups I have ever encountered. Led by a Canadian, the team consists of young people from across the world, with the majority of them residing in the US. Through a unique partnership between local residents in Lagos, Nigeria, the group launched their first program with 6 street-youth in August 2009.
We are trying to capture the stories of these youth as they progress through the program, and really see how their lives are changing as a result of it. These youth were coming from a past of an extremely unpredictable nature, to a potential future where they are not only business owners, but they are successful employers of other Nigerians.
THE FUNDING:
We have made one trip out to the Lagos site, and plan to make at least a few more. So, this is where all of you can help to support the film and get the message out about this great organization. We are looking to raise $10k, which will be used for the following:
* Purchasing flip cameras so the street youth can capture candid moments on the street and in their homes
* Covering additional trips for our production crew
* Cover marketing of the documentary when it's released
* Premier screening event
* Documentary website
* Limited DVD production
Check out our great rewards for your donations. We hope that you can help us capture this truly incredible story. Together, we hope to spread awareness of this micro-finance model that can be implemented in other developing countries and have a lasting impact.
For more information, check out: www.youthbankfilm.com
FAQ
Have a question? If the info above doesn't help, you can ask the project creator directly.
15
Backers
$7,842
pledged of $10,000 goal
0
seconds to go
Funding Unsuccessful
This project reached the deadline without achieving its funding goal on July 24, 2010.
Pledge $5 or more
1: For this token of kindness, we'll send you a digital love letter and group photo :]
Pledge $40 or more
2: We'll send you all of the above, plus a signed copy of our DVD
Pledge $85 or more
3: We'll send you all of the above plus a reusable, canvas tote bag (one of my favorite things!)
Pledge $150 or more
4: You'll get all of the above plus an original signed print from www.LucidaFotos.com
Pledge $200 or more
5: You'll get all of the above, plus a credit in the film!
Pledge $350 or more
6: You'll get all of the above. In addition your donation will purchase clean water for the entire YouthBank center for 1 month-- this includes all the fellows and staff (11 people).
Pledge $650 or more
7: You'll get #1-5, plus your donation will provide lunch for all the fellows and staff for 1 week (11 people).
Pledge $1,500 or more
7: You'll get #1-5, plus you will be listed as an Executive Producer in the film. Your donation will also provide electricity for the YB center for 6 months.
Pledge $2,500 or more
7: You'll get #1-5, plus you will be listed as an Executive Producer in the film. Your donation will also provide lunch for an ENTIRE MONTH for all the fellows and staff (11 people). Note: Each additional $2k is another month of lunch for the entire center.
Project By
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I love stories and I especially love when they are about real people and real experiences. I am a photographer, filmmaker, entrepreneur, civil servant...and in everything I do, I find myself trying to understand, capture and improve these real stories I encounter.
I'm now working with 48th Floor Films to document what happens when the lives of young people living in poverty in Africa have the opportunity to get a business loan and pull themselves towards independence and financial freedom. International organizations have proven that micro-finance models work in tightly knit, small communities for adults. But do micro-finance models like this work for young people living on the streets in one of the biggest Mega-cities in the world?
I certainly don't know the answer to this, and I'm not sure anyone does. In the words of Radner, "I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle and end." We don't expect this documentary to be easy to accomplish, and it will most likely be a story with many ends left undone and unanswered. But we're not expecting a nicely packaged story. We're expecting to capture the real ups and downs that occur in the best stories and real stories of our time.
Some of our links:
www.lucidafotos.com
www.48thfloorfilms.com
www.publicstuff.net
