Jacobs Employees Raise $2,400 in Support of BFA Board Member-led Project for the DRC

BFA Board Member Niclette “Nicky” Mundabi launched a container project for the DRC in 2021, aimed at shipping a container of French books to support girls’ education. Through her friend Olufunke Bankole, who is originally from Nigeria and a supporter of BFA, she met Jitendra Gutha and Gabrielle Sobel at Jacobs in Atlanta.

Jacobs is a company that provides technical, professional and construction services for a broad range of clients around the world. Nicky met with Jitendra and realized that there were possibilities to align on the DRC project with the goal of perhaps making it an annual event at Jacobs. Jitendra and Gabrielle worked with BFA to launch a fundraiser, leading the project with a passion and dedication, and making presentations on BFA and the DRC project to their colleagues. Some Jacobs team members came to volunteer at the Georgia warehouse!  The company ultimately raised $2,400 in employee donations and employer matches for Nicky’s project in support of girls’ education. They hope to have created enough awareness to garner more support for future projects.

Said Nicky, “We are excited to partner up with Jacobs through its workplace employee giving program and volunteer efforts at our Books For Africa warehouse here in Atlanta, Georgia. It highlights that we can make a profound difference in the lives of others through collaboration and support of literacy and education. Women make up only 28% of the workforce in the STEM fields and Jacobs’ support of girls’ education in the DRC, where 52% of young girls are out of school, is the kind of action we need to take to improve representation, especially throughout Africa.”