Children of Rural Africa (CORAfrica), a non-profit organisation focused on education and community development, is set to celebrate its 20th anniversary on August 5, 2026, with commemorative events holding simultaneously at its headquarters in New York, United States, and in Abuja, Nigeria.
The anniversary will bring together the organisation’s founder, Fr. Peter Obele Abue, board members, volunteers, donors, partners and supporters to reflect on two decades of work aimed at improving access to education, healthcare and livelihood opportunities for children and underserved communities in rural Nigeria.
A key highlight of the celebration will be the unveiling of CORAfrica’s strategic plan for the next 10 years. According to the organisation, the roadmap outlines plans to expand its education, healthcare, agriculture and community empowerment programmes while strengthening long-term sustainability.
Since its establishment in 2006, CORAfrica says much of its work has been sustained through personal contributions from its founder, alongside support from family members, friends, volunteers, associates and individual donors. The organisation noted that this network of supporters has helped fund projects ranging from schools and scholarship programmes to agricultural initiatives, vocational training and community development activities.
As part of its long-term growth strategy, CORAfrica said it is preparing to pursue institutional funding for the first time through major grant applications. According to the organisation, the initiative is intended to strengthen its capacity to expand existing programmes and reach more underserved communities.
The organisation said it plans to seek support from philanthropic and development institutions whose priorities align with child welfare, education, rural development and community empowerment. These include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, Ford Foundation, MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving, USAID, UNICEF, GlobalGiving and the Open Society Foundations, among other organisations.
Founded by Fr. Peter Obele Abue while he was pursuing a doctorate in International Development at Cornell University in New York, CORAfrica was established to help bridge development gaps through education and sustainable community initiatives. The organisation later received non-profit status in the United States before expanding its operations in Nigeria.
Over the past 20 years, CORAfrica has implemented programmes through its Community Education Centre (CEC) model, which integrates education with healthcare, agriculture and livelihood support. Its initiatives have included the establishment of schools, scholarship opportunities for vulnerable children, vocational training, community farming projects and interventions supporting rural communities, internally displaced persons and refugee populations, particularly in Cross River and Benue states.
The anniversary celebration will also feature educational partnership engagements, exhibitions showcasing the organisation’s projects, recognition awards for volunteers, donors, partners, community leaders and staff members, as well as tree-planting activities and other legacy projects.
According to the organisation, the anniversary marks not only a celebration of its achievements over the past two decades but also the beginning of a new phase focused on expanding partnerships and mobilising additional resources to deepen its impact in rural communities across Nigeria.
