About this project
Africa's youth population (aged between 15 and 30) make up over 20% of the continent's population and around 40% of the continent's workforce. The usual story we hear is how this explosion of youth is tied to unemployment, civil unrest, and crime. But there is another side to this story.
Whether it's a Ugandan engineer teaching robotics to youth in remote villages, or a Malawian who taught himself to build windmills which now power his entire community, or the Kenyans racing to offer the continent's first pan-Africa mobile banking solution - left to their own devices they are coming up with disruptive innovations, creating new business models that not only employ themselves, but their peers, and creating new ecosystems for trade that boost the continent's productivity.
Economist and Writer George Ayittey refers to such millennial go-getters as being hungry for success and as nimble as Cheetah's (in contrast to the stagnant 'Hippos' of previous generations).
THE CHEETAH CODE explores this emerging African creative class and the mindset of these young cheetahs and entrepreneurs who are changing the future of business in the continent.
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Why am I raising money?
Having approached a number of film studios and publishers, this film does not fit the traditional stereotypes of Africa their audiences have come to expect. Unfortunately, their perception of Africa does not match my experiences in Africa.
This is not a film about the continent's colonial past, scapegoating foreign corporations, or vilifying charities. It's a story about resilient entrepreneurs, business innovators, and the emerging creative class - a story that has been told a thousand times around the world, but rarely (if ever) in Africa.
What can backing this project help me accomplish?
Accessing a camera and crew who can travel with me to 15 African countries are the primary expenses. A camera, the crew, flights, and lodging are the line items there.
I also plan to hold a screening in Washington, D.C. where a number of the USAs largest non-profits, charities and government organizations are headquartered. This is because they still overwhelmingly approach the continent with outdated views. This film, will serve as a step towards changing their perception about what is occurring in Africa, what's possible, and where the opportunities are to work with the continent, instead of on behalf of it.
The rest of the funds will be used to publish copies of the film and book. Which will be self-published and sold through cheetahcode.com. As backers of this project you'll receive all of these items (and more) prior to release.
Questions about this project? Check out the FAQ
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Funding period
- (30 days)