Changemaking Communities

What and Why

A New Era of Collective Changemaking: Moving Beyond the Solo Leader Narrative

At Peace First, we recognize that for too long, the changemaking narrative has celebrated solo leaders—the iconic figures whose passion and determination drive change. But the truth is, no changemaker works alone. Every transformative action is supported by the unseen hands of a community—those who share their wisdom, resources, and encouragement to sustain the effort.

We, too, have been complicit in promoting this individualistic view. But today, we’re committed to changing that story. We believe that real, lasting impact is born not from isolated efforts, but from ecosystems of support. Changemaking thrives when individuals come together—sharing ideas, amplifying each other’s voices, and fostering resilience through collective action.

That’s why we are proud to launch our Changemaking Communities initiative—a bold step to create environments where changemakers of all ages and backgrounds can thrive together. These communities are not just spaces; they are engines of collaboration, designed to cultivate shared values, foster intergenerational mentorship, and inspire collective responsibility for creating a better world.

2024 Project

The Ghana School Project

Changemaking starts with creating environments where individuals thrive together. The Ghana School Project was our inaugural effort to transform a local school into a beacon of collective impact. This initiative represented the heart of our vision—investing not only in individual leaders but also in the ecosystems that nurture them.
Nestled in the vibrant coastal community of Teshie-Nungua, Ghana, Downsview International School has been a cornerstone of hope and opportunity for over three decades. Founded by Mr. and Mrs. Akoto—affectionately known as Grandpa and Grandma—the school embodies the spirit of community care, fostering a nurturing, family-like environment where children can grow and dream, even in the face of adversity.

Through this initiative, we successfully:
  • Repainted and revitalized classrooms, creating a more inspiring learning environment.
  • Provided full-year scholarships to students in need, breaking down financial barriers to education.
  • Hosted a Day of Service, engaging students, teachers, and volunteers in mentorship and community-building activities.
  • Expanded the project’s impact, incorporating health screenings, cultural arts programs, and community engagement efforts.

The Ghana School Project set the foundation for building Changemaking Communities, ensuring that education, resilience, and collaboration remain at the heart of local transformation.

A heartfelt thank you to our incredible partners at Motive8Global for helping us document and share the story of our first Changemaking Community. To everyone who contributed, whether through funding, volunteering, organizing, or sharing this journey—we are profoundly grateful. This project is proof that when we come together with a shared vision, meaningful and lasting change is possible.

Click below to read the full report.

2025 Project

The Building Hope Project

Changemaking takes root when we invest not just in bold ideas but in the relationships and trust that allow those ideas to flourish. Our collaboration with the Building Hope Project (BHP) marks the second community in our Changemaking Communities initiative, an effort grounded in reciprocity, shared learning, and belief in grassroots leadership.BHP, based in Uganda and led by the remarkable David Curtiss, stood out not only for its powerful work supporting young people in the region but also for its founder’s unwavering commitment to his community.
 
While smaller in scale, BHP has an outsized impact, and our partnership recognized that wisdom, follow-through, and deep community trust are invaluable forms of expertise.Through this initiative, we worked side by side with BHP to:
 
  • Refine and elevate their brand identity, co-developing messaging tools and outreach strategies to better tell their story and expand their reach.
  • Collaboratively develop curriculum tools rooted in a local context, while drawing on Peace First’s experience to support youth leadership.
  • Explore and document best practices in meaningful grantmaking, engaging BHP to help shape our understanding around equitable funding.
We also established a brain trust model, recognizing that grassroots organizations like BHP don’t just benefit from support; they have powerful insights to offer. Through mutual dialogue and co-creation, we learned from BHP’s local expertise just as much as we shared our own.But our work with BHP doesn’t end here. We hope to keep working with them to amplify changemaker stories from BHP’s network through our digital platforms, showcasing the power of young people driving change in their own communities.
 
Working with BHP has reminded us that transformative change doesn’t always come from scale, but rather it comes from intentionality, care, and proximity to the people most affected.To other grassroots organizations exploring similar paths: while the tools and frameworks created in this partnership were designed with BHP in mind, we invite you to explore them.
 
We hope they offer useful insights and inspiration for elevating your own work and supporting the changemakers in your community.Together, we’re building a future where impact isn’t measured by size, but by depth of connection and courage to act.