ScholarShop Africa, a non-profit tailored towards providing financial and material support to prospective students in the continent, is getting ready to celebrate 10 years since its founding. One of the individuals who made it happen was Jacob Moore, a Montgomery County-born changemaker who graduated from Southmont High School before doing the same at Wabash College.
Born in Mace, he later joined the Peace Corps after earning his bachelors degree in Spanish. During his service, he saw the unintended side effects of western aid to underprivileged residents in West Africa. He helped form ScholarShop Africa alongside colleagues Buba Sulle Dicko and Ernestine Kom to help address them.
“Growing up, my mother had always been into the social work aspects of meetings and organizations, which was where I developed a love of people and culture,” said Moore. “I was fortunately able to attend Costa Rica for Spanish club during senior year at Southmont, which had opened up an entire world of possibilities.”
When asked about how many students ScholarShop Africa has helped so far, Moore stated that around 1100 students have been supported since its founding in 2016. Those individuals have been able to learn various high-demand skills in sectors like business and computer science thanks to the organization’s support. Despite some external setbacks, the group continues to carry on its mission.
“We went away from our model a little over the past few years due to the ongoing Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon, so we unfortunately had to move from that area,” Moore continued. “Hopefully, over the next five years, we will bring in an agribusiness program.”
WCDQ had the chance to talk with Moore about ScholarShop Africa and his journey thus far. The full interview can be heard below.
In celebration of ScholarShop Africa’s 10-year anniversary, a fundraiser event has been organized to help continue the program’s mission. It’ll be at Nature’s Tea Company in Indianapolis on Saturday, May 23, from 2 until 5 p.m. If you can’t attend, donations can be made online by clicking or tapping here.
To learn more about ScholarShop Africa, click or tap here.
Headline photo provided by ScholarShop Africa.