Compassion International launches revolutionary NFT collection, created entirely in VR
Proceeds from ‘Many Hands’ to provide 32 Haitian students with full-ride college scholarships
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., 20 July 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Compassion International launched “Many Hands,” a revolutionary collection of non-fungible token (NFT) digital artwork created entirely in virtual reality (VR). Funds raised from the fundraiser will provide full-ride college scholarships for 32 high-achieving Haitian youth. The scholarship will cover a full four years of university tuition, a laptop, leadership development training and continuous support throughout the education, starting in the autumn.
“Many Hands” is Compassion’s first ever NFT collection, and the collection’s digital artwork will be sold directly by Compassion through the Ethereum blockchain. Embossing starts today, July 20that 10:30 am Eastern at ManyHandsNFT.com. (Those new to NFTs can join Compassion’s Discord and visit the #nft-101 channel for more information.)
The artist of the collection, Patrick Bezalel, donated his time and talent to create five thousand works of art, all created in VR. Each piece represents Haiti the countryside and villages, along with the realities the country continues to face due to poverty, unrest and natural disasters. Bezalel painted each layer using the HTC Pro VR, where he was fully immersed in a three-dimensional, computer-generated environment.
Bezalel and his wife, Lily, first heard about Compassion more than a decade ago at a conference and were deeply moved by the organization’s work. Since then they have sponsored children through Compassion and they are currently sponsoring two children from Haiti. Bezalel hopes the collection will sell out, adding: “I want to present Haiti in a way that has never been presented before in a VR environment. VR has the ability to immerse you in any space and this art form is my way of immersing and involving everyone in their support of Compassion and their projects. It’s not just about education – it’s hope for the future.”
According to USAID, the majority of Haitians lack access to quality education, citing challenges such as low enrollment and poor literacy. The average Haitian, age 25 or older, has less than five years of schooling; and only 61 percent of the adult population is literate.
Education is essential to breaking the cycle of poverty. UNESCO reports that if all adults completed secondary education, the global poverty rate could be cut by more than half. And yet the majority of Haitians cannot afford to send their children to school.
Abel Joseph, senior manager of program support at Compassion Haiti, sees many young people who have the skills, knowledge and desire to go to university, but not the finances. He explains: “The target group we work with is among the most vulnerable in the country. That’s why it’s so important to help them get that scholarship to be able to go to college. For the development of society, people need to be educated… to learn things for to help themselves, to help their community. Many of them, without this scholarship — end up with no opportunity at all to go to college.”
To this difficulty Compassion answers: “Men apam, chay pa lou.” Roughly translated from Creole, this Haitian proverb means: “Many hands make the load lighter.” And starts at 10:30 am Eastern on July 20th, individuals can lighten the load for 32 Haitian students by minting “Many Hands” NFTs at ManyHandsNFT.com. The project will empower youth in poverty to become teachers, entrepreneurs, doctors, researchers and other members of society who can break the chains of poverty and create a brighter future for all Haiti.
Just ask Esterflie, a 19-year-old Haitian student who will participate in the program. She shares, “I would like to have a career with computers – maybe a computer engineer. Technology is something that is very important to [the] development of a country. My parents are excited for me to have the opportunity to go to college. They are very proud of me.”
To learn more about Compassion’s Web 3 presence, visit ManyHandsNFT.com, join our Discord (where you can ask Compassion staff questions directly through the #support channel), or follow the project at @ManyHands_NFT on Twitter.
About Compassion International
Compassion International is a Christian child development organization that works to free children from poverty in the name of Jesus. Founded in 1952, Compassion partners with more than 8,500 local churches in 27 program countries to deliver spiritual, financial, social and physical care to over two million babies, children and young adults in poverty. Ranked #10 on Forbes’ America’s Top Charities List in 2021, Compassion is a founding member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability and an accredited charity with the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance. For more information, visit compassion.com or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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