Ray often says his crypto business took-off after he chatted online with Nigerians when his businesses were still based in New York. “When I went online and talked to Nigerians about finance, I realized how deep their problems went. It was a matter of survival for some of them, and right away I wanted to help them.”
Not only did crypto make their lives easier, it also drove wealth creation. “These guys took the crypto I gave them and hacked it in ways I couldn’t imagine. They taught me a lot about how crypto could be used to help people.”
It didn’t take long for Ray to give back to the communities that helped ignite his business in Africa. “I really wanted to help the people in Nigeria, and building schools are a great way to give back.”
In 2020, Ray’s team started work on their first school in Nigeria – and it was a big project. The community of Sanga, part of Kaduna State in central Nigeria, lacked resources and had limited school infrastructure. When the approval was announced in September 2021, Ray said, “Sanga is in dire need of quality learning spaces and this school is an honest representation of the impact crypto can have on societies.”
In addition to a school for more than 100 students aged 3 – 6 years, the project included a solar-powered, state-of-the-art water filtration system. The school was also designed to be used as an adult education center in the evenings.
“This is not just a school,” Ray said when the school was opened. “It’s an important part of the community. It’s a focal point. It’s a big part of a better future.”