Maser Foundation has launched a volunteer programme in Nigeria with plans to scale across Africa. The move signals a strategic shift in how the organisation approaches community work on the continent.
Founded by businessman Prateek Suri, the foundation is moving beyond financial support alone. It will now recruit volunteers from diverse backgrounds to work directly with communities.
Students, educators, healthcare workers and community leaders are among those being targeted. They'll engage in ongoing projects across five key areas.
Women's empowerment, education, healthcare, humanitarian assistance and community support form the foundation's core focus. These pillars guide all its interventions across the region.
Suri chairs Maser Group and leads MDR Investments as chief executive. He says philanthropy must transcend monetary contributions alone.
"Success isn't just about financial achievements," he told the organisation in a statement. "It's about the positive impact people create for others."
According to Suri, his passion for charity developed over time. Childhood visits to blind schools and community centres shaped his worldview significantly.
He only grasped the value of those encounters much later in life. By then, he'd already built businesses across multiple nations.
Volunteers joining the initiative will shoulder substantial responsibilities. They must identify community needs, execute projects, track results and offer recommendations for improvement.
Building a Pan-African volunteer network remains the long-term vision. Nigeria represents the pilot before continental expansion begins.
No timeline exists yet for spreading beyond Nigeria. The foundation hasn't disclosed how many volunteers it plans to recruit either.
