Tanzanian dancers entertain visiting students from Kennesaw State University, Georgia.

Three Kennesaw State University undergraduate students who are part of The Canterbury Club and the university’s Students in Free Enterprise team are in Tanzania this week as guests of Bishop Mdimi Mhogolo and the St. John’s Anglican University in Dodoma.

Michelle Slifcak, Travis Allen, and Arvin Ross are producing a series of videos with students at St. John’s, about the traditional Wagogo dance and singing of the village of Majeleko.

The video is available for pre-purchase on the crowdsource site Indiegogo, and 100% of the proceeds from the sales of the video will go directly to the dancers in the village. Indiegogo is one of the world’s largest crowdsource platforms, and this is the first time that Anglicans have cooperated with each other to enable other Anglicans to earn money to supplement their income using this new social media approach.

The partnership is four-way: Kennesaw State University in the Diocese of Atlanta; St. John’s Anglican University in Dodoma, Tanzania; the Diocese of Central Tanzania; and finally, and most importantly, the village of Majeleko – a remote community without electricity and other amenities, but with a thriving Anglican parish. Bishop Mhogolo is providing stewardship and oversight of all the funds.

Crowdsourcing represents a brand new way of earning money. Folks around the world now have the ability to tap into the internet and sell something of value with very few barriers to entry. Any one with access to the web can offer goods or services, and those interested in supporting such initiatives can do so with a click of their mouse.

“What’s exciting,” said KSU management professor Gary Roberts, Ph.D., “is that this is an entrepreneurial project where the members of the village actually earn money based upon something of value that they have to sell — their dance and singing. This series of videos would make an excellent Advent or Christmas gift. They are attractively priced, starting at $15, and will be available for download around December 20, 2011.”

—Gary B. Roberts, Ph.D. is professor of management and entrepreneurship at Coles College of Business, Kennesaw State University, Georgia.