A generous donation of 1 BTC (about $31,832.78) has aided in the construction of two new schools in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. An unidentified donor with “deep roots in South Africa” is said to have made the donation, after discovering the Built With Bitcoin Foundation earlier this year and speaking with Yusuf Nessary, Director of Philanthropy at the foundation.
The Built With Bitcoin Foundation is a humanitarian organization backed by Bitcoin and its investors. Its aim is to use Bitcoin funding to uplift communities by providing clean water, access to quality education, sustainable farming, and other humanitarian causes.
According to Coinbase, currently, 1 BTC, or Bitcoin, translates to R492,252.52 or 118,842,310.77 Ugandan shillings.
A primary school, nursery school, three libraries, and three literacy and numeracy centers have all been built thanks to the funding. It was also utilized to purchase desks, chairs, stationery supplies, and books, as well as pay 10 community educators to work closely with the school’s 720 students.
The anonymous donor is said to have collaborated closely with Yusuf Nessary, the Foundation’s Head, to ensure the project’s success.
Nessary said, “Many of the children in the schools in Port Elizabeth fall well below the national averages for literacy and numeracy. This project is special because it provides all the structures and tools for the children to succeed.”
The Built with Bitcoin Foundation has so far built 10 schools (eight in Africa), seven solar projects, and several water and farming systems around the world.
Ray Youssef, Executive Director of Built With Bitcoin, said, “Africa has a very special place in our heart as we built our very first school in Rwanda in 2017. Since then, we’ve built schools in Nigeria, Kenya, and El Salvador, serving thousands of students and community members, all through the power of Bitcoin. We are proud to complete our eighth school on the continent in South Africa and continue our mission of bringing education and support to the communities that need it most.”
In addition, he says, “The projects provide jobs for community members that are trained through the Masinyusane Development Program, a non-profit organization dedicated to the upliftment and development of disadvantaged South Africans.”