Aggies for Global Education

Amy AldrichAFIL class of 2011

My Project

• Name: Aggies for Global Education (A.G.E.) Project Tunisia

• Mission Statement: “We support education, education supports the world”

• Purpose: Raise money to send to the Elementary School of Mnihla in a less-privileged community of Tunisia while simultaneously educating the local community about the conditions there

Background

Background

• Population: ~11,000,000

• Official language: Arabic

• 98% Muslim, 1% Christian, 1% Jewish

• GDP per capita: $9,500- ranked 113 in the world

• 1 out of 4 Tunisians can not read or write

• Only 490 internet hosts in country- ranked 181 in world! Compare it to the US’s 439,000,000

Source: CIA World Factbook Online

Background

What better time to invest in the future of this great country?

Recipient School

• The Elementary School of Mnihla was selected to receive the funds raised by A.G.E.

• They are currently struggling to purchase books, furniture, and other necessities

Recipient School

The Elementary School of Mnihla

Recipient School

The Elementary School of Mnihla

Fundraising

• Sent out over 30 letters for personal donations

• Visited 17 local businesses seeking donations

• Contacted a Tunisian student association (TUNASA) at the University of Houston

• Requested to visit Aggie Mom’s Club in hometown next week

• Purchased 100 t-shirts to sell for a profit

Fundraising

Budget

• Expenses• $650 t-shirts• $50 print/mail supplies

• Capital (expected)• $1000 t-shirts• $1000 donations

• Total raised (expected)• $1,300

Marketing

• E-mailed Arabic Club, Arab Students Association

• Will talk in all Arabic classes and some INTS classes

• Facebook and flyers

• Trying to sell shirts at Shiraz Shish Kabob some evenings

Goals and Delivery

• Minimum fundraising goal: $500• Hopeful fundraising goal: $1500

• Dr. Salah Ayari (yes, our speaker last week and my Arabic professor!) is hand delivering the money to the Elementary School of Mnihla this summer

• He is planning to attend their June “graduation” ceremony

Challenges

• Loss of partner

• Time management

• Finding investors

• Bank account

Hopefully NOT selling the shirts or receiving personal donations!

Sustainability

• I will be able to continue with A.G.E. next year as my Capstone project for my Arabic Studies minor. Ideally, I will focus on a different Arab country.

• Beyond that point though it will be dependent upon future AFIL or Arabic minor students to keep it alive… I would love to see it continue!

• One young lady, Rebeca Clary, has recently shown a lot of interest in the project and she is applying for the AFIL class next year and is pursuing an Arabic minor

Thank You

شكرا

Questions?