Former Peace Corps volunteer Mike Buckler has teamed up with Village X to offer consumers a Web-based app that provides meal and retail discounts and sends the savings to Malawi and Ghana villagers in Africa.

"The basic idea is that people in developing countries can and should solve their own problems," Buckler told Humanosphere.org. "The key ingredient local people often lack is targeted financing."

The app, similar to Groupon, allows users to buy deals at restaurants and retailers, mostly online and in the Washington, D.C., area. Consumers will find a variety of offers from 15 percent off your dinner entrée to discounts off such things as home decor and furniture. Once a user redeems a deal, they are prompted to donate the savings to one of many projects Village X supports-from water wells to goat farming. Best of all, once users donate they receive updates and images about the project, along with the ability to track its progress.

"After accounting for credit card and money transfer fees, we plan to pass 80 to 85 percent of each donation to the ground for direct project costs," Buckler says. "The rest will be used to pay admin expenses and the salaries of our country representatives-one in Ghana and one in Malawi."

A difficult divorce and demanding legal career prompted Buckler to reexamine his life. He joined the Peace Corps and spent two years teaching in Malawi. He chose many of Village X's projects based on connections he developed while there.

Buckler created the app, in part, out of frustration with bureaucracy-heavy approach of development organizations. He believes supporting projects carried out by local people will have a greater impact.

Since the Village X launch in December, one of its 12 projects has reached full financing: A new water pump was installed for the Malawian village of Mlenga. For the first time, villagers have access to clean water.

The other 11 projects Village X supports have so far earned less than 10 percent of funding goals.