Africa Heartwood Project

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Africa Heartwood Project, founded in 1999 and registered as a NGO in 2008, is a grassroots nonprofit run by passionate volunteers who have worked hard to learn about fighting poverty. We act in partnership with the poor to identify and eliminate specific constraints to their freedoms using sustainable, participatory, results-oriented methods.

Projects:
• Village Clean Water Projects – West Africa: Since 2009 our team has completed 155 successful Village Water Projects, which have served more than 40,000 people. The partnership effort to install a well in each village immediately improves the health and well-being of everyone in the village, even saving lives. In addition to health benefits and resulting increased productivity, the local water source allows for a reallocation of time toward more productive activities, as well as allowing for cultivation of vegetable crops throughout the year through irrigation. It can also provide a source of revenue that will be used to increase the quality of life in the village, including education, medical care, and access to technology.
• Support Program for Orphans in Care of Kin (SPOCK), Liberia: The SPOCK system is simple, and addresses the greatest need of families who struggle financially under the burden of caring for additional children: Extra cash to use for the greatest household need. Through a social worker, each month we distribute money to the female head of household as financial relief for the family scholarship funds to pay for government education and an annual holiday gift. So long as the children are under the age of 18, being cared for full time in the home of the family, and are attending school, they will continue to benefit from SPOCK
• Heartwood Homestead – Liberia, West Africa: The Heartwood Homestead will be the new location for Africa Heartwood Project’s (AHP) headquarters in Liberia, West Africa. Our work at the Homestead will include the Support Program for Orphans in Care of Kin (SPOCK), Village Water Projects, Sustainable Livelihoods for Cultural Artisans, and mico-lending. Financial sustainability will come in the form of the Heartwood Beach Retreat social enterprise and the Heartwood Cultual Arts Center, also located within the Homestead.
• Livelihoods for cultural artisans: Africa Heartwood Project has helped hundreds of cultural artisans and vendors in Ghana, Ivory Coast, Mali, Guinea, and Senegal to become self-sufficient in their chosen trade. The roots of Africa Heartwood Project originate in the cultural and market value of African djembe drums. As these very special and unique drums are made and marketed with help from Africa Heartwood Project sustainable livelihoods are generated for cultural artisans. From helping one group of drum carvers sell 10 djembe drums in 2001, to facilitating the production and export of thousands of drums, the intent of our social enterprise is the same: use renewable resources, local knowledge, appropriate technology and global partnerships to improve the quality of life for those who are willing to work for it.
• Seed to the Sower: Seed to the Sower is the only project we have whose donation income is an investment that creates additional revenue for charitable use, both in terms of additional non-profit donations and gross revenue for the social enterprise.