Charities in Nigeria Doing More Than Handouts: Reviving Indigenous Skills Through Tech
Charities in Nigeria Doing More Than Handouts: Reviving Indigenous Skills Through Tech
In a landscape where aid often means short-term handouts, a new wave of visionary organizations is changing the narrative. Charities in Nigeria are beginning to challenge the traditional model of dependency, choosing instead to empower individuals and communities through long-lasting, culturally grounded impact. Among these rising stars, RJB World Foundation stands out, reimagining what a charity can be when it fuses ancient wisdom with cutting-edge technology.
The Rise of Purpose-Driven Charities in Nigeria
For decades, the charity landscape in Nigeria has largely revolved around emergency food relief, medical missions, and donor-dependent models. While these efforts provide immediate relief, they often fail to create long-term, sustainable change. Now, a paradigm shift is underway. Charities in Nigeria are moving toward capacity-building, cultural revival, and digital empowerment. They're addressing not just what people lack, but what they have: rich cultural heritage, untapped skills, and a yearning for dignity.
This is where RJB World Foundation steps in.
Meet RJB World Foundation
Name: RJB World Foundation
Motto: "...where Dreams Are Born"
Legal Status: NGO (Pending registration)
Location: Simawa, Ogun State, Nigeria
Website: www.rjbworld.org
Email: connect@rjbworld.org
Phone: +2348059522376
Founded by Moshood Onabanji, a self-taught full-stack developer and spiritual visionary, RJB World Foundation was born from personal hardship, ancestral connection, and a deep-seated belief that communities can heal through remembrance, language, and access to knowledge.
"We dare to teach physics in Yoruba because intelligence is not linguistic. It's ancestral."
Vision and Mission
Vision: To preserve indigenous knowledge, empower vulnerable children, and bridge ancient wisdom with modern innovation through education and technology.
Mission: To build a sustainable learning sanctuary that combines computer science, ancestral heritage, and multilingual translation, beginning with Yoruba and expanding to other indigenous communities.
The Ancestral Codex School – A Flagship Project
RJB’s flagship initiative is the Ancestral Codex School, a prefabricated educational institution in Simawa designed with two integrated tracks:
- Tech & Innovation: Includes programming, AI, web/mobile development, and digital literacy.
- Ancestral Studies & Yoruba Medium Curriculum: Covers Ifá literacy, translation of academic subjects into Yoruba, and spiritual empowerment.
The goal is clear: teach the next generation how to code, analyze, and innovate—all while speaking the language of their ancestors.
What Makes RJB World Foundation Different?
- Language as Liberation: Translating core subjects like Physics, Chemistry, and Computer Science into Yoruba empowers children to learn in their mother tongue.
- Digital Preservation of Ifá: With 256 Odu Ifá, Yoruba's sacred text, RJB is digitizing and contextualizing spiritual knowledge for future generations.
- Global Translation Meets Local Context: RJB aims to translate global languages like German and Chinese into Yoruba, creating cultural and economic bridges.
Student Stories: From Vulnerability to Vision
Aisha, 13, Simawa: Once on the edge of school dropout, Aisha is now building her first mobile app in Yoruba. She says, “I used to think technology was not for me. But now, it feels like speaking with the spirit of my ancestors through code.”
Tunde, 16: Former street hawker, now a junior developer helping digitize Odu Ifá. He explains, “When I started learning Ifá through computers, I realized it’s not just religion. It’s science, logic, and identity.”
These stories reflect a growing trend among charities in Nigeria: they’re no longer just giving; they're awakening potential.
Impact Stats (as of May 2025)
- Over 10 children enrolled in modular learning programs.
- 3+ translated academic subjects delivered in Yoruba.
- 100+ hours of recorded Ifá teachings digitized.
- 3 local instructors trained in blended tech-indigenous pedagogy.
- Community approval rating: 92% positive (internal survey).
FAQs – Understanding the RJB Model
Q: Who is RJB Foundation for?
A: Vulnerable children, youth, and underserved communities in Yoruba-speaking regions.
Q: How does RJB differ from other charities in Nigeria?
A: Most charities in Nigeria focus on relief; RJB focuses on revival, spiritual, educational, and cultural.
Q: What is Ifá and why teach it through tech?
A: Ifá is a complex Yoruba spiritual system. RJB digitizes it to preserve its richness and show its alignment with logic, science, and storytelling.
Q: How are students evaluated?
A: Through project-based assessments, translation accuracy, and tech skills proficiency, often in Yoruba.
Q: How can I support?
A: Donate via our website @ RJB World Foundation(we accept transfer and crypto{ERC20 tokens, SOL}[please share your the last 6 digits of your wallet and full name to our email for recognition],
or via our giveSendGo account, also our volunteer to translate or teach, or invest in digital tools.
Lessons Learned: RJB’s Blueprint
- Holistic Curriculum: Education must include both spiritual and digital fluency.
- Infrastructure Matters: Prefab buildings work well in remote areas.
- Culture Builds Trust: Language-centered models boost engagement.
- Community Inclusion: Elders, priests, and local technologists collaborate.
Challenges & Road Ahead
- Pending NGO registration delays access to funding.
- Scaling content translation to other languages is time-intensive.
- Limited internet infrastructure in rural areas like Simawa.
Despite these, RJB plans to replicate the Ancestral Codex School model across other regions, starting with Edo and Igbo territories.
Be Part of the Shift
Charities in Nigeria like RJB World Foundation are showing us what’s possible when we go beyond handouts. We’re not just helping people survive; we’re helping them remember who they are.
You can help:
- Donate (even ₦1,500 goes a long way).
- Share RJB’s story.
- Volunteer your skills.
- Partner to fund prefab tech centers across Nigeria.
In the evolving narrative of charities in Nigeria, RJB World Foundation is writing a new chapter, one where code meets culture, and children dream in the language of their ancestors.
RJB World Foundation: ...where Dreams Are Born
📧 connect@rjbworld.org | ☎ +2348059522376