Leila Janah knows the value of a dollar. More importantly, she knows the value of three. Janah, cofounder and CEO of Samahope, illustrated what the cost of a cup of coffee means to the impoverished around the world at FORBES’ first-ever “Under 30 Summit.”
For a teenage rape victim in Sierra Leone, $3 is a pair of sterile surgical gloves. When Tiengay Kaiwo was raped by her high school teacher, she was left to experience pregnancy alone. She was forced to drop out of school. Without access to medical care, Kaiwo gave birth without a doctor, painkillers or even a fan to keep her cool in her hot thatch hut. She lost the child on day one. Janah realized that the power of crowdfunding could be used to support philanthropy. That idea became Samahope.
“Samahope is a crowfunding site that allows anyone anywhere to fund doctors who perform life-changing care around the world,” Janah said.
Janah’s site features profiles of specific doctors, including the work they’re doing and their location. You can directly fund the doctor of your choice from Samahope’s website (100% of donations go toward providing patient care).
Samahope has helped with the treatment of nearly 1,000 patients through the support of nearly 8,000 people around the world. The nonprofit has already moved 25,000 people out of poverty, according to Janah.
For Mary Skaggs, $3 was the cost of gas to get to and from a SamaUSA program, which fosters digital skills and provides access to internet-based jobs for low-income Americans. Skaggs retired from a job in the trucking industry in her early sixties. When she was diagnosed with cancer, Scaggs poured her life savings into her treatment. She emerged cancer free -- but penniless. Through the program, she was able to repurpose herself and succeed in the new economy.
Skaggs graduated from the program in ten weeks with two contracts for trucking consulting that each paid over $20 an hour. After a successful surgery, Kaiwo has returned to school.
“Don’t underestimate the ripple effect of what you do,” Janah said. “These kinds of actions ... have toppled empires.”
