Peacebuilding Alum Organization Continues to Fight Poverty in Nigeria

The non-profit Muna-Tare Empowerment Center, founded by MA in international Peacebuilding alum Dogara Simon Danbaba '22, has significantly impacted communities in Kaduna, Nigeria, since its founding in 2023. The center distributes motorbikes under a "lease-to-own" program to people in need, enabling employment and educational opportunities for the youth in the community.

Beginning in the fourth quarter of 2023, Muna-Tare Empowerment Center formed a strategic partnership with TeamUP, a U.S.-based non-profit dedicated to helping humanitarian projects in Africa.

The organization started its initiatives with a solid $42,000 fund made possible by 50 American donors. To show gratitude, Dogara made sure each motorbike carried the name of a donor. 

In the first quarter of 2024, the center officially launched in Kaduna, purchasing and renovating a 10,000-square-foot building between a Muslim and Christian community in northeast Kaduna. This strategic location leads the beneficiaries to cultivate interfaith relations. 

The organization expanded by hiring four staff members, raising an additional $2,500, and purchasing one additional motorbike weekly. This growth was made possible by a weekly revenue collection program, paired with a record of very low payment delinquencies.

Media outlets have approached Dogara, which has brought much-needed visibility to the cause. 

Building on the initiative's success in the second quarter of 2024, Dogara launched a Woman Empowerment Program that provided four grain grinders on a lease-to-own basis. This effort aims at helping women generate income by producing and selling flour. 

In the agricultural sector, the center launched a Fertilizer and Grains Exchange Program, “To date, we have empowered over 30 farmers in the last seven months, helping them increase crop yields and improve their livelihoods,” Dogara said. 

So far, the center has positively impacted over 120 lives, leased out 86 motorbikes, and, despite the current challenges in the Nigerian economy, achieved a 95% payment collection rate. 

Looking forward, the Muna-Tare Empowerment Center aims to expand its motorbike program, develop new initiatives such as micro-lending, and explore the possibility of using vacant space for a bakery.