Cogitare Foundation

The Cogitare Foundation was founded in 1998 partly on the conviction that certain important and intransigent problems of the victims of poverty might best be addressed through direct intervention and support of local initiatives. From its inception, the foundation has sought to identify or develop programs that provide hands on assistance, mentorin... g, and broad based financial support for indigent people and communities as they work to solve the problems they face. It is not surprising that this philosophy has driven the foundation over the past several years to become more focused on providing specific kinds of assistance directed at individual education and community support. Cogitare is now more sophisticated in its ability to work with other non-profits and government agencies. It is now more agile in its ability to react to new ideas and approaches. The name of the foundation captures in a single word the philosophy that guides the foundation. Cogitare is Latin for "thinking" or, more broadly, "to set the mind in motion. It symbolizes the intention of the foundation to pursue programs and activities relating to the development of the thinking skills required to succeed. It also represents the thoughtful and creative process the foundation uses for developing new programs. And it includes the element of agitation, of shaking things up. Cogitare is not constrained in its effort to address the problems it has identified. It is open to different perspectives and exciting approaches to problems that often appear to be intransigent. In keeping with the spirit of growth through learning, The Cogitare Foundation has evolved significantly throughout its history. It has moved from a national focus to an international one, and today virtually all of the programs are in sub-Saharan Africa. It has moved from the sponsorship of entrepreneurs and the development of businesses to the sponsorship of students and the development of community infrastructures. Underlying The Cogitare Foundation programs are several ...Read More