I love above talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichi (2009). She
reminds us not to reduce people, even those we may be tempted to feel pity for,
to a single story. People are more complex than that.
My teenage son has started his first job, proofreading
papers, and wants to donate some of his pay. Having heard of Oxfam, he of
course wants to contribute to one of their largest needs, building a well. Since
this requires much more money than either of us will likely have anytime soon,
this is an excellent opportunity for collaboration.
Our plans so far:
Research*
He needs to research what the need for wells actually is.
He needs to learn about how one evaluates various charities,
how responsible they are with money, and how to evaluate their effectiveness.
He needs to decide which charities program he wants to work
with, and learn more details about their well programs, which will include
contacting them directly to learn about their program.
* I would not mind at all if in the course of his research, my son decides a different use of money, such as sponsoring a micro loan would be a better choice. The basic structure of this project would still apply.
* I would not mind at all if in the course of his research, my son decides a different use of money, such as sponsoring a micro loan would be a better choice. The basic structure of this project would still apply.
Presentation
Once he has gathered this information, he is to create a digital
way to present the information and collect money.
He can then present this information in person at our church
(perhaps other places as well, but I’m not ready to think that far), and
digitally to friends and family to request money for his cause.
He is also planning on knitting and selling items at our
local Greek Fest to raise money.
Delivery
Then he presents the money to his chosen organization.
Follow up
He will need to notify and thank his benefactors that the
money has been delivered both in person at the church (another presentation)
and with a digital update.
Oh my, I am a bit frightened by the scope of this project,
but if he can pull it off, it will be an excellent exercise in both leadership
and collaboration. If anyone has resources to make this process easier for us,
I’m all ears!
References
Adichie, C. (2009). The danger of a single story [web
video]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story?language=en
Oxfam International [web page]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.oxfam.org/
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