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01 SEP 2009
Let's talk about giving
A shorter post, to allow myself take a shorrrrrrt break from that neverended essay... It's cool stuff, too. I came across this post by Lauren Burgoon from Georgetown U. It talked about how people react to micro-philanthropy: https://digitalcommons.georgetown.edu/blogs/msfs-556-spring2009/kiva-birthday/ ...from his own experience. It's not a dry piece of research paper (like the one I'm writing now><) It's interesting to find out that... "It’s not only fun to search for projects that do speak to my interests, but also to see how fast they are fully funded." Yeh we can make it fun to give (ref to that loan use description goes: Buy more meat). The last paragraph is also key to us. I think Givology should try harder to enlarge our community. Good night... -
25 AUG 2009
INDECOS - II
Aug 10 – 17, 2009, Matara (II) People working here are awesome. I admit that I enjoyed being with a group of nice girl friends and gossip around :-PPP The girls are very hard working and they love working here. Everyone get along really well. I have to say female staff is INDECOS’ asset: think about WEP or house visits to parents, these girls are from the local area and can easily approach village families, especially Mums working at home. They are good listeners and advisors. The WEP Manager, a 36-year-old young lady (we think she’s 18), said women would think of them when they have problems. They think the WEP team is reliable. Building up trust is important. Photos 38&39: Girls girls girls:) Needless to say males are of equal importance :-P INDECOS director Conrad is a great person, experienced and kind. We shared and exchanged a lot of ideas, he did teach me what I’d value for life. He wants to save the poor through “empowerment” – a word that has always being mentioned by him. ... -
25 AUG 2009
INDECOS - I
Aug 10 – 17, 2009, Matara (I) INDECOS is a mature NGO in Sri Lanka. Since commencement in 1991, it has completed 60 projects and is now doing 9 projects, big and small. The most impressive aspect, besides her high-motivated staff, is that they stretch out to the local community and give really hands-on coaching to the people – they love, and be familiar with the local people. Photo 33: Mr.Conrad lecturing to 15-year-old village children. Photo 34: WEP team surveying women in tsunami areas. Her full name is “Institute for Development of Community Strengths”. One of her label recent undertaking is the women entrepreneurship development since 2005 (the current project “Women Entrepreneurship Program” – WEP – starts in 2007), a micro-credit project targeting tsunami-affected women. INDECOS is now self-sufficient in providing loans, no longer relying on sponsors. I mentioned this project because it has convinced me that INDECOS is successful at the grassroot level. That weeklong visit to... -
24 AUG 2009
Inside the Mountains - II
Aug 7, 2009, Pussellawa (II) I asked about family incomes. Averagely a working labour in tea fields earns 300 Rupees (rs) a day, working 20 days, they earn 6000rs ($52) a month. When there’s plenty of rain (wet season is from May to November, to my knowledge), they might get more but not exceeding 8000rs ($70). If there are two working labours in the house (father and mother), they can expect 12000rs income per month. The problem is the increasing living cost in this country. Food expense is 200rs per head per day, and in mountain areas, unlike costal areas, they have 4-6 children in a family; some have retired parents to look after. 600rs income per day (both labours) to feed 6 or more people – this leads to very low quality of life. One-labour family is even more difficult. Photo 28: A Grade 5 girl looking out of the window. Photo 29: Paintings on the wall. The "Longing for rain" theme indicates an agricultural society. The school is not in bad condition, among all schoo... -
24 AUG 2009
Inside the Mountains - I
Aug 7, 2009, Pussellawa (I) Holiday break! Well the truth is that I felt sick of the heat in the south, my arms and legs were covered with strange red dots – a long weekend into the cool mountain climate can be a therapy:-P Photos 23&24 It was a coincident that I stepped in Saraswathy Central College in the middle of the mountains. After a 2-hour adventure on several wrong buses (|||), I met a warm-hearted lady on a bus, (finally someone speaks English! Orz-) She told me that she is an English teacher in a primary school, and she is now going to work. “In the mountains?” “Yes, it takes me an hour everyday.” “How is the area?” “Very poor.” I didn’t hesitate and went off the bus with Renuka. This is the mountain area in Central Sri Lanka. Pussellawa, the name of the town, is right in the middle between Kandy and Nuwara Eliya, where prosperous in tea planting, boomed in tourism, yet under poverty among peasants. It is a huge area. I was brought to the classrooms by a teacher. Like many...