about project vita

We will have succeeded when we no longer have a job. 

We have an easy metric to measure our success - we are successful when organizations such as Project Vita are no longer needed. Our core mission is to teach people the skills they need to become self-sufficient and prosperous. We do not aim to provide perpetual assistance, which creates a cycle of dependency and stops development in the world's poorest societies. Instead, we focus on connecting professionals from the West with those in the developing world to share their knowledge to affect change. We believe that building this foundational knowledge is the only way to create permanent solutions. 

Our philosophy is simple: we give people a hand-up, not a handout. 

Many well-meaning people and organizations come to Africa and build schools, houses, and infrastructure for people - but this creates a dependence on the charity of others and does not allow the people in these countries to prosper on their own. There is also a common misconception in the West that people in developing countries don't know how to get themselves out of poverty or are unaware of their situation. This condescending attitude leads many to feel that we can never solve the problems of Africa.

We disagree. We have found innovative solutions to complex problems using cheap, locally sourced, and sustainable materials by working with our local partners. However, to achieve a truly sustainable future, we need to rethink how we aid those living in poverty. Instead of focusing on expensive and time-consuming projects mired in bureaucracy, we spend our resources on smaller, viable, and environmentally sustainable solutions. We can achieve this by directly hiring local workers, providing income, and massively reducing overhead. In addition, we use only locally available materials to ensure local communities can duplicate our results. And we share the knowledge we have freely, so anyone interested can learn to improve the world around them. 

Our mission is to change how charities operate. 

Our unique approach helps encourage environmentally responsible development and a pathway to help people lift themselves out of poverty. We look to our three principles for every project to guide our approach.

Our Principles