ABOUT GC FUND
GC Fund was created to support the education-based needs of individuals and organizations. These education-based needs can be in terms of tuition fees, training or educational programmes (including art-based events), school uniforms, study texts, materials or feeding to keep a student or pupil healthy. SDGs represented are: SDG 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 17 (Partnership for the Goals)
The fund, under BlankPaperz, began in 2021 and from June 2021 – July 2023, over N1.7 million has been disbursed to support several impactful organisations, events and individuals who are in need.
Below is our timeline of funding activities and organisations that have benefitted from the fund.
Summer programme sponsorship
DCF is a non-profit that has brought affordable education to over 5,000 Nigerian children. The 2021 summer camp assisted children from low–income backgrounds that were lagging behind academically and helped child labourers, street children and drop–outs. In 2021, DCF impacted over 400 children from 6 underserved communities.
A donation was made to the Street Priests' fundraiser in support of sending 50 children back to school in Nigeria.
Donation to Dream Catchers Academy
Dream Catchers Academy is a program of The Dream Nurture Initiative for Girls and Women (A registered non-profit).
GC Fund covered sponsorship for 1 girl
Organised by Girls and Women Technological Empowerment Organisation (GWTEO), Green Tech Girls summer boot camp is a STEM camp program for secondary school girls. The program empowers them to be green energy advocates, climate ambassadors, sustainable environment advocate, bold and confident change-makers in their communities and beyond.
With GC Fund support, the funds covered 1 year of sponsorship of 2 pupils in primary school and 2 students in secondary school, including tuition fees and school supplies.
Organised by WordPlay ⏤ which provides poetry training, mentorship and platforms of artistic expression for students and poets) ⏤ Slam Calabar is Calabar's premier poetry slam open to poets and poetry enthusiasts. BlankPaperz was one of the event sponsors through the GC Fund support.
Wadi Ben-Hirki Foundation works across Nigeria to impact the lives of the less-privileged, marginalized and disadvantaged through humanitarianism and advocacy. WBHF fights for the rights of girls to live and thrive and not just be seen as wives or property. GC Funds supported the foundation's fundraising and project efforts.
Stilt Ng is a peer-to-peer mental health support group with a focus on creating positive outlets for open conversations about mental health issues like depression, anxiety, grief, lack of acceptance, and others. BlankPaperz, through GC Fund supported Stilt's programme of events across three cities (Calabar, Uyo and Port Harcourt) for its Children's Mental Health Week conference.
Our mission at BlankPaperz is to celebrate what young Africans are doing and to amplify (create awareness) of their words and works ⏤ projects, social enterprises, stories, etc. We're proud to be part of the Ibom International Art and Book Festival (28 – 30 July 2022) as one of the sponsors of the event. IBOM International Art and Book Festival will bring together poets, entrepreneurs and more from Nigeria and beyond.
The 2022 YLEAD Virtual Fellowship by iKapture Centre for Development kicked off in a grand style with participants selected from 10 African countries. We partnered with @ikapturecentre in providing scholarships for 10 participants to attend this fellowship.
30 participants were given scholarships from BlankPaperz to attend the workshop. Attendees were young people in Uyo in the emerging stages or mid-stages of starting their social ventures (nonprofits), social enterprises, projects, businesses or growing as communications personnel.
Connect Conference 2023 brings young people closest to the most brilliant thought leaders, entrepreneurs, change-makers, tech experts, creators and professionals of all classes! You’ll get access to a day of insightful learning, networking & growth opportunities in the creator economy. We partnered with Young People Connect Africa to sponsor 30 tickets for young people in Abuja to access the event.