The Ladybug Project

Vital Stats

Kim R

Fort Myers, FL

  • people helped1700
  • People Doing It 25

The Problem

I started The Ladybug Project with the idea of using small donations to make big changes in Africa. As a conservation biologist working in the region, I have seen dozens of cases where an individual or a group were held back not because they lacked mental stamina or the willpower, but simply because they lacked the appropriate funding or supplies. The problem, as I saw it, was that normal members of society were not able to get access to international funding or aid/loans, were not able to rise and above their circumstances, and therefore were not able to spark a change in their societies. I aim to change this. Using The Ladybug Project, I aim to advance education in select schools and areas, provide scholarships for underprivileged students, and increase rural health care services. I want to give people the tools to succeed, in a way that doesn’t make them rely on foreign aid and simultaneously allows them to become important members of their communities.

Plan of Action

The Ladybug Project framework was sketched out on waterproof paper when I was working in the Equatoguinean rainforest as a field assistant; since then, I have coordinated with volunteers in seven countries to set up the initial framework of the organization. Launched in March of 2010, I have managed to start completing three of my seven initiatives; one in Equatorial Guinea and two in Madagascar. In August of 2010 we were incorporated and 501(c)(3) paperwork was filed shortly thereafter. We have worked out our logistics and have fine-tuned our supply delivery process. It is our goal to raise $10,000 per year; this is enough money to fund all of our initiatives, and save money for future projects. Fundraising is accomplished via online fundraisers, business sponsorships, and running concession stands at a local sports arena, among other ideas. Since June of 2010, we have raised around $5500; $3500 has already gone back to our project sites. In the future, it is hoped that The Ladybug Project can focus not only on fundraising but on awareness raising as well. Ultimately, it would be wonderful to have a pen-pal or cultural exchange between a South Florida organization and an African counterpart.
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Education
Physical and Mental Health

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