WED, MARCH 11 2020-theG&BJournal- In line with its mission to give people the power to build community around the world and its commitment to supporting the community leaders who drive change, Facebook is announcing the launch of the Community Accelerator programme which will be available in the following countries across SSA: South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria.
An evolution of the Facebook Community Leadership Programme (FCLP), this six-month accelerator programme provides training, mentorship and funding to help community leaders grow their communities. Up to $3 million in total will be awarded to 80 programme participants worldwide.
Selected community leaders will spend three months learning from experts, coaches and a customised curriculum to create a plan to grow their communities. They will spend the next three months iterating and executing on their plans, with funding and support from their networks.
“Our mission is to empower the leaders who foster community – people who offer support, encourage others and make real change,” says Kiran Yoliswa, Strategic Partner Manager, Communities SSA at Facebook.
“We are investing in leaders because we believe and know they make significant contributions to today’s social challenges, by sharing knowledge and information, and helping people to connect with others that share same interests or passions for a good cause.”
In 2019 the Facebook Community Leadership Programme provided training, funding, and support to 115 community leaders. The leaders reported that their projects impacted over 1.9 million lives through online community support, the use of helpful resources and other activities made possible by the programme.
The 12 community leaders from Sub – Saharan Africa said their projects impacted over 80,000 lives. They included:
- Noah Kadima Nasiali, Africa Farmers Club (Kenya)
- FelistaWangari, 52-Week Savings Challenge (Kenya)
- Pamellah Oduor, Let’s Cook Kenyan Meals (Kenya)
- Asha Mweru, #WomenWorkKE (Kenya)
- Caroline Kihusa, Still A Mum (Kenya)
- TruphosahMonah, Women And Realities of Disability Society (Kenya)
- Anike Lawal,Mamalette (Nigeria)
- MamadouSy, DocteurNakamou (Senegal)
- Gabriel Hoosain Khan, LGBTI community, Human Rights (South Africa)
- LusandaMagwape, Dream Factory Foundation (South Africa)
- Nadine Maselesele, Salt River High Tutoring (South Africa)
- SavioLule Mark, The Youth Hub Uganda (Uganda)
Facebook also announced that it has built new tools to help community leaders add new members and moderate conversations in their Groups. The improved membership management tool improves how Group admins can manage new member requests, and content moderation features make it easier for admins to see important posts and find specific content.
The Community Accelerator programme is one of the many investments Facebook is making in community leaders. The Facebook Community Learning Labsbrings Group admins with similar goals together into a collaborative digital classroom for structured learning, a dedicated Facebook team with experience helps Group admins achieve their goals.
TheCommunityHub, meanwhile, is a place whereanyone can access product education and learn more about Facebook’s programmes. It includes tips and tools for starting, managing and growing a community.
If you run an impactful, established community, ready to grow using Facebook’s apps and have the time and energy to invest in this programme, you canapply here before 10 April 2020 if you are 18 years and older. Community leaders from the selected programme countries, including those without a presence on one of Facebook’s apps, are welcome to apply.
Details about the programme:
- Applicable countries: Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya
- How to apply: visit https://www.facebook.com/community/accelerator/
- Deadline: all applications are due by April 10th. The programme will begin in June 2020.
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