History: Jango Project
Empowering Communities through Education and Development
The Jango Project is a non-profit organization with a remarkable history, founded by an individual who served as a Peace Corps Senegal health volunteer starting in 2016. The founder, Conor Byrnes, arrived in a small village with the desire to make a positive impact on the lives of its people.
During his time in the village, Conor became deeply attached to the community, witnessing both their struggles and aspirations. And after leaving 6 months early to pursue higher education, Conor made a promise to continue working with the community, once the US Peace Corps decided to close the site.
Determined to honor his commitment, once the Peace Corp’s site was closed, Conor sought to identify the most pressing needs of the village. Through discussions with the villagers, it became clear that early childhood education was crucially absent. The majority of children in the village faced challenges in understanding and communicating in French when they began formal schooling, which all takes place in French.
In response to this need, Conor embarked on a mission to establish a preschool, locally known as "une case de tout-petits". This preschool aimed to provide cultural education, day-care services, nutritional lunch distribution, and preparation for the public school system.
From Berlin, Jango Project began budgeting and crowd-funding for the preschool project. Overcoming various social and financial obstacles, the first preschool was built by 2018, and another one followed suit in 2022. These schools, fully recognized by the government, were locally managed and provided daily lunches to over 70 students between the ages of 4 and 7 years old.
The success and fulfillment derived from these projects encouraged the founder to establish the Jango Project as a formal organization. He, along with his family, registered the project as a 501-c3 non-profit organization in December of 2022. The Jango Project's mission expanded to encompass projects and programs supporting children's healthy development in developing countries, focusing on education, nutrition, and the environment.
Beyond the borders of Senegal, the Jango Project ventured into new territories. One of their notable initiatives involved building a playground in Kenya's slums, entirely constructed from recycled materials. Collaborating with a local partner met in Paris, the project aimed to provide children with a safe and enjoyable space for play and recreation.
As the Jango Project looks ahead, it is preparing for a relaunch with more professional fundraising campaigns. The organization is actively seeking trustworthy partners with viable ideas to expand its work. The focus remains on areas where there is strong local need and support have already been established, including Dakar, south of Marrakech, north of Mumbai, rural northern Senegal, and outside of Nairobi, Kenya.
The Jango Project's approach, based on the People First Impact Method (P-FIM), reflects the founder's deep commitment to community-driven initiatives that address the specific needs and aspirations of the people they aim to serve. Through empowering communities and fostering children's healthy development, the Jango Project envisions a future where every child has access to quality education, proper nutrition, and a sustainable environment, regardless of their circumstances. With the founder's dedication and passion, the Jango Project continues to make a profound difference in the lives of numerous children and communities worldwide.
