An Open Letter To Groupe Nduom's Mr. Richmond Keelson

Dear Mr. Keelson,

I was taken aback that you thought I had come to seek CSR funding from Groupe Nduom.

On the contrary, it is Kofi Thompson who is doing the giving in this instance: I have brought your company a unique value-proposition that will not cost your company any money, but will rather enhance your company's already stellar CSR credentials as a dynamic and creative entity, contributing its quota to our collective nation-building effort, yet further.

I am no begger, Mr. Keelson. I would rather starve than beg. Thanks.

This is the gist of the proposition:

My family owns 14-square miles of a freehold upland evergreen rainforest property in the Akyem Juaso section of the Atewa Range - in an area designated a Globally Significant Biodiversity Area (GSBA)  by Conservation International after a rapid assessment survey it conducted in the Atewa Range, in 2006.

We intend  to protect our part of the Akyem Juaso section of the Atewa Range upland evergreen rainforest - part of which has been destroyed by illegal gold miners and illegal loggers - by building what will be the world's longest forest canopy walkway (1,000 metres long with 19 bridges), as a centrepiece attraction in a conservation-through-ecotourism initiative to transform the local economy into a green and sustainable one anchored by ecotourism.

We will raise funds for it by initiating a crowdfunding campaign  on GoFundMe - the draft of which I have already prepared.

With respect, actually, it is rather me who wants to teach your company a new way of contributing its employees' skills-sets, in helping to transform rural communities with ecotourism potentials through crowdfunding projects for those communities, in their spare time, as corporate team-bonding exercises.

That is the nature of the value-proposition I am bringing to the table, Mr. Keelson. It is a unique and brilliant concept - even if I say so myself.

The first thing to do is for the team to visit our property, to see what it is actually like themselves on any convenient weekend they choose. We will then arrange a minibus to take them there and back to Accra again, on that  particular weekend they select to visit the area.

Once they see it, and can consequently envision  the transformative impact  of what we seek to do, and understand how we will raise money in a crowfunding campaign together on the GoFundMe platform, we will brainstorm the campaign strategy together.

It is an exciting corporate team-bonding exercise that will give Groupe Nduom the capacity to leverage online crowdfunding as a new way to do CSR projects without the company spending its own money to do so.

If I were to walk away with this win-win CSR opportunity for Groupe Nduom, and take it to an agile team elsewhere that is more receptive of the idea, and  which then opts to collaborate with us to build the canopy walkway, I am afraid you will forever be remembered in your company as the man who - like the guy who missed the opportunity to manage the Beatles when first approached because he did not recognise their potential - failed to grab a unique opportunity for Groupe Nduom when he was approached by Kofi Thompson with the idea.

As we speak,  I have a team - led by a Mr. Mbroh who will accompany us on the scoping visit to the site -  standing by to build the canopy walkway once we raise the money for it.

When we raise the money, it will be the Groupe Nduom team that will recieve and keep that money (every pesewa of it)  and disburse it as and when they see fit - depending on the stage construction work has reached, from time to time - until its completion.

Kofi Thompson will not have access to any of that cash for your information. I have held back from crowdfunding in the past because I was searching for the perfect reputable company to do the project with. Simple, really.

I have not brought you trouble, Mr. Keelson - just an opportunity for your already bright and ascendant  star to shine some more in the eyes of your colleagues as an innovative guy.

Thanks.

Kofi.