Soft Power Education's notes
That’s right, Soft Power Education has been awarded first place in the EDUCATING AFRICA Pan-African Awards for Entrepreneurship in Education 2008. The competition was run by Teach A Man To Fish and Educating Africa and Soft Power was placed first out of 250 entries from 29 countries. We are very happy to announce that our prize is $10,000 which is going to be put towards equipping our new building at the Amagezi Education Centre.
In addition to the prize money, Shaz and Mel have just returned from South Africa where they attended ‘Education That Pays For Itself 2008′, an international conference on sustainable education. There were delegates from all over the world who were all very impressed with the amount Soft Power has achieved all through the support of tourists and volunteers.
Above:Shaz and Mel receiving accepting the prize in South Africa.
The EDUCATING AFRICA Pan-African Awards for Entrepreneurship in Education 2008 sought to identify the very best organizations rising to the challenges of supporting education across Africa, highlight their ways of working, and to reward their achievements.
Nik Kafka, Managing Director from Teach A Man To Fish said:
“We were knocked out by the standard of entrants from across Africa. This competition set out to prove that the entrepreneurial spirit is thriving in all types of educational projects across the Continent – and we were proved right.
“The awards have drawn international attention to the achievement of some of Africa’s great educational entrepreneurs. We now hope that others will be encouraged to follow their example.”
Entries were assessed against the criteria of entrepreneurship, sustainability, and impact and the aspect of SPE which caught the judges eye was our unique source of funding through our volunteers. Voluntourism is a growing industry and the judges were impressed by the amount we have achieved through our volunteering programme allowing tourists to volunteer from as little as one day through to three months.
This year’s winners:
1st Prize: Soft Power Education, Uganda – a charity that elicits the help of over 1,000 tourists yearly to improve the quality of life for children in primary education helping build or renovate over 370 classrooms, and supporting pre-school and adult learning in local communities.
2nd Prize: Whiz Kids Workshop, Ethiopia – a private production company that produces a television show for children from ages three to six. The show seeks to educate children about personal values such as honesty and justice, as well as preparing them for school.
3rd Prize: Africa Now, Kenya – an organization in Western Kenya with an innovative project teaching entrepreneurial and agricultural skills through the practice of bee keeping. Already established in two schools, Africa Now is expanding its program to six other schools in the region.
For more details on the winners and a full list of all the organisations that received prizes visit the competition website – www.teachamantofish.org.uk
Soft Power Education would like to extend their thanks to everyone at Teach A Man To Fish, Educating Africa and everyone involved in the conference at Eden Campus, South Africa.
Posted in Uncategorized
The importance of agriculture ……
Humanity depends on agriculture for it’s very survival; not only does agriculture provide food and the essential energy, vitamins and minerals, but agriculture is also an economic activity, a source of livelihood and a provider of environmental services. With 85 percent of Uganda’s population living in rural areas and 80 percent of the total labour force dependent on agriculture as a major contributor to their livelihoods, the importance of agriculture in Uganda cannot be underestimated. The recent World Development Report ‘Agriculture for Development’ (2007) also re-asserts the view that agriculture is ‘a fundamental instrument for sustainable development and poverty reduction’. As agricultural productivity is one of the most important determinants of economic growth for developing countries, the decline in agricultural productivity in Uganda has been directly linked to rising poverty levels. Poverty levels in Uganda are said to be increasing, in 2000 34% lived on less than $1 a day, in 2003 this figure stood at 38%. The poorest and most vulnerable of this group are the ones dependent on subsistence agriculture as their main source of livelihood.
Soft Power Agriculture …….
Research conducted for Soft Power in 2007 & 2008 found that households dependent on subsistence farming are experiencing problems of food insecurity as yields are declining and food prices rising. The reasons for declining yields can be attributed to a range of factors. Growing population pressures on natural resources and traditional farming methods mean that soils are becoming overused and exhausted. Deforestation, soil erosion, drought and unpredictable rainfall are further compounding such problems.
As a result of these findings Soft Power has decided to work with their partner schools and their wider communities to disseminate information about sustainable organic farming techniques as a way to improve soil fertility, water availability and increase yields in order to guarantee food security and generate income.
Update: October 2008 ……
I came out to work with Soft Power on 14th Sept, so I have been here8 weeks now. They have been a very busy8 weeks of trying to adjust to a different, but very pleasant way of life as well as trying to figure out a plan for the next 12 months. Currently my role in Soft Power is coordinating, implementing and reviewing their community agriculture projects. This also involves working with the agriculture tutors at the Amagezi Education Centre to look at ways we can develop and maintain school gardens at all of Soft Power’s 22 partner schools. At the moment the content and structure are under review, but by end of 2008 we will have reviewed, researched, and designed a program ready to be implemented for the new term in 2009!
In addition to working with our partner schools and giving knowledge to empower our students, we are also working with community groups to disseminate information and training that will empower and enable them to provide food and generate income from their land to support their livelihoods.
In Kyabirwa, Soft Power has been using a piece of land to train local community members in sustainable, organic farming techniques. The aim was to set up a demonstration garden for the Education Centre that could train community members and also feed the students when they come to the centre. Great ideas in principle – but so far monkeys and grazing animals are the only ones who have benefited! But with a few dedicated community members and some volunteers we are trying to get the garden back up and running. We meet in the garden once a week on a Tuesday morning, before it gets too hot and we dig, plant and carry out general garden maintenance. This time we are avoiding planting the monkeys’ favourites as well as planting some chilli’s, onions and peppers to put them off our crops. At the moment progress is slow, we have just planted maize, beans & cassava, but our long term goal is to develop the garden, train more members and feed the students who attend the education centre.
In May 2008 I was involved with the ‘Enhanced School Gardens’ pilot project as I was undertaking research for my university thesis and volunteering with Soft Power. Since then I have been home, finished my thesis and am now back working on the project. The project aim was to train a group of 15 farmers on the school gardens and then support them in implementing the sustainable methods at their home gardens. Both the school gardens that were worked on are now growing a range of crops, for example, maize, sweet potatoes, beans and tomatoes to feed their students. We are now working closely with Chris Kulabako of St Isaac’s Training Centre who is a local agriculture expert, to complete follow up monitoring and evaluation to see how we can continue providing support to farmers. Not all of the original members are still active or have implemented the methods, but we have 2 very keen groups that want to improve, learn more and further develop their skills. Providing on going support and training to these community members in crop management, basic water harvesting, animal husbandry and agro-forestry are areas we are currently looking into.
The sustainable methods and integrated approach that we are promoting involve a lot more labour and effort that traditional farming methods. Although the benefits are numerous, one of the problems we face is trying to mobilize people to change their behaviour. Not an easy task, but with time it’s something that we can definitely achieve!
Would you like to know howwe are saving tonnes of trees with every classroomwe build?
Wenot only looking out for education but also looking after the Ugandan environment and keeping it green aswe go.
Thanks to some incredible fundraising from supporters Melinda and Steve Robinson from Australia, we have just purchased two new Interlocking Stabilized Soil Block Machines (ISSB). In simple terms, a manual brick making machine, which will help with all of the building projects thatwe are involved in.
Traditional methods of brick making in Uganda comprise of taking a clay based mud and making a square block by hand, they are approximately the same size as any other brick elsewhere in the world. The problem is that because they are made by hand they are not a consistent shape, and they come in a variety of sizes. After making the brick they are then put into a pyramid stack with a gap in the middle where a fire is lit, they cover the top with banana leaves and dry grass (a handmade Kiln process). The bricks are then fired for 96 hours - constantly keeping the fire burning with wood, and are left to cool for 4 days. The bricks are then stored for 4 – 6 months before they are used.
This whole process is –
1. Labour intensive,
2. Bad for the environment because of the amount of wood needed to ‘cook’ the bricks,
3. Makes the building process longer and more expensive as the builders use more cement for mortar and rendering because of the imperfections of the bricks.
The new ISSB machine is an old technology that originated in France over 800 years ago. Kenya over the past 25 years have redeveloped the system because the Government has banned the cutting of timber to fire bricks the traditional way, knowing what it was doing to the environment.
Since 1991, Dr Moses Musaazi, an engineer at Makerere University in Kampala, has developed a technique which, by mixing soil and cement and then compressing the dampened mixture in a mould, produces an interlocking block (twice the size of a normal brick) that is stronger and more uniformly shaped than a conventional brick.
Dr Musaazi says: “Cutting down trees for firing bricks is second to charcoal burning in destroying Uganda’s forest cover. The adoption of this technology will dramatically reduce this environmental damage.
We havebeen looking at these machines for the past 6 years and today we are finally taking delivery of twomachines. The new machines make blocks from a specific soil called murram, cement and water. It takes 2 people to operate and can produce 300 – 400 blocks in an 8 hour day. On top of all that they are also interlocking which saves on cement costs in between bricks. Several teams of Soft Power Builders have been trained in the process in association with The Haileybury Youth Trust.
The benefits of the ISSB bricks:
1. The making of 3000 ISSB blocks will save 10 tonnes of trees.
2. The blocks do not need to be fired
3. Cost saving because of less time needed to make them.
4. Only one bag of cement is needed to make 150 blocks. (cement is incredibly expensive in Uganda)
5. They are double the size of a normal fired brick so you only need to use half the number of bricks.
6. There is no mortar needed between the bricks because of the interlocking system, so mortar is only needed on top and bottom of the brick.
7. Uniformed shape for every brick, which uses less mortar and render – saves up to 50% compared to using fired bricks.
8. Are weather resistant and can be used in the construction of septic and water tanks. (There is a curved ISSB machine which can make curved bricks for water tanks)
9. The bricks are manufactured on site, saving transportation and damage.
10. Bricks are used 4 hours after making them, therefore construction can continue as the bricks are being made.
11. The ISSB system uses Ugandan road base as its main ingredient mixed with cement.
Wewill be using this type of brick in all buildings and water tanks from now on. This will make construction costs cheaper and the buildings and water tanks stronger. The biggest benefit – all monies fundraised for Soft Power Education will now go further!
Make sure to check the website soon for an update on our new buildings using the new ISSB technology.
Posted in Africa, Charity, Uganda
Recession- Proof Free Marketing Tips Video!
You have to be logged in to Facebook to watch this video
Check out this FREE presentation we made @ BarcampAfrica last week:
http://www.facebookfundrai
It will be valuable to your charity or business. Jam packed with strategies for marketing your Facebook Page wrapped up in an *incredible* fundraising a
Sharon Webb of Uganda NGO Soft Power Education 4 min video testimonial here:
PowerPoint version also available here:
http://www.slideshare.net/
Credits to Andres Varela for co- production
Everyone’s talking about us, check out:
Facebook Marketing Queen, Mari Smith
Visit Barcamp Africa here:
http://www.facebook.com/ev
http://twitter.com/barcamp
P.S.
Follow me on Twitter and I’ll follow you
http://twitter.com/facebkf
Other Related Videos
Please watch me!
I made this video for Soft Power as they are our case study charity and a great bunch of kids!
http://www.new.facebook.co
How to Fundraise with Facebook!
Video revealing 7 Secrets of Fundraising with Facebook
http://www.new.facebook.co
SOFT POWER EDUCATION – Education thru Friendship thru Adventure
http://www.new.facebook.co
Testimonial by Sharon Webb of Uganda NGO Soft Power Education 4 min video
Posted in Uncategorized
Recession- Proof Free Marketing Tips Video!
You have to be logged in to Facebook to watch this video
Check out thisFREEpresentation we made @ BarcampAfrica last week:
http://www.facebookfundrai
It will bevaluableto your charity or business. Jam packed with strategies for marketing your Facebook Page wrapped up in an *incredible*fundraisingapp
Sharon Webb of Uganda NGO Soft Power Education4 min video testimonial here:
PowerPoint version also available here:
http://www.slideshare.net/
Credits to Andres Varela for co- production
Everyone’s talking about us, check out:
Facebook Marketing Queen, Mari Smith
Visit Barcamp Africa here:
http://www.facebook.com/ev
http://twitter.com/barcamp
P.S.
Follow me on Twitter and I’ll follow you
http://twitter.com/facebkf
Other Related Videos
Please watch me!
I made this video for Soft Power as they are our case study charity and a great bunch of kids!
http://www.new.facebook.co
How to Fundraise with Facebook!
Video revealing 7 Secrets of Fundraising with Facebook
http://www.new.facebook.co
SOFT POWER EDUCATION – Education thru Friendship thru Adventure
http://www.new.facebook.co
Testimonial by Sharon Webb of Uganda NGO Soft Power Education4 min video
Posted in Uncategorized Fundraising in Facebook is, admittedly, a lot easier for a person who has numerous friends, relatives, group members or fans. This is a primary consideration as a mechanic in Facebook fundraising. The number of contacts you have truly affects the distribution of your fundraising efforts. However, there are still other things to make sure so that one will be able to fully comply with the mechanics in Facebook fundraising. In doing so, the organizer or fundraiser will be able to convey the right information to people who will shell out help especially if they’re convinced of the spirit of the charity or cause.
When one wants to raise money for a certain group of people, it is important for him to provide the immediate, complete background of the project. This can be done through Facebook Notes that should be posted within the request for funds page. Here, one should provide for the setting, the atmosphere and the primary reasons why the scenario calls for charity from people who have way more than what the recipients may have. Given that the text will be placed in Facebook, which is, of course, a social networking site, the tone of the notes will have to be more personalized rather than formal.
After writing down convincing, sincere-sounding notes, the organizer must provide videos or photos that will serve as testaments to the truth and the immediacy of the cause. All of these visuals, together with the notes, will lure prospective donors into giving.
Another part of the unique mechanics in Facebook fundraising is transparency. This is so because the site enables the donors to monitor the progress of the fundraiser’s work. More often than not, it is difficult for people to fake the entire fundraising endeavor given that information about the area and the people who will receive the aid is readily available in the Internet. Also, it is unlikely for someone to loot the funds from family, yes? Comprehensive, transparent data can be pasted on the fundraising page. Here, information and monitoring are all in their proper places. This can help the prospective donors understand the objectives and ideas set forth by the fundraiser.
However, one may ask about the financial aspect of the entire thing. How can one be assured that the money will be sent to the organizer or fundraiser safely?
Fortunately, a very efficient and helpful Facebook application called Coinjars (www.facebook.com/apps/appl
Discover the 7 Secrets to Facebook Fundraising! Get your FREE ebook from www.FacebookFundraisingTip
Fundraising in Facebook is, admittedly, a lot easier for a person who has numerous friends, relatives, group members or fans. This is a primary consideration as a mechanic in Facebook fundraising. The number of contacts you have truly affects the distribution of your fundraising efforts. However, there are still other things to make sure so that one will be able to fully comply with the mechanics in Facebook fundraising. In doing so, the organizer or fundraiser will be able to convey the right information to people who will shell out help especially if they’re convinced of the spirit of the charity or cause.
When one wants to raise money for a certain group of people, it is important for him to provide the immediate, complete background of the project. This can be done through Facebook Notes that should be posted within the request for funds page. Here, one should provide for the setting, the atmosphere and the primary reasons why the scenario calls for charity from people who have way more than what the recipients may have. Given that the text will be placed in Facebook, which is, of course, a social networking site, the tone of the notes will have to be more personalized rather than formal.
After writing down convincing, sincere-sounding notes, the organizer must provide videos or photos that will serve as testaments to the truth and the immediacy of the cause. All of these visuals, together with the notes, will lure prospective donors into giving.
Another part of the unique mechanics in Facebook fundraising is transparency. This is so because the site enables the donors to monitor the progress of the fundraiser’s work. More often than not, it is difficult for people to fake the entire fundraising endeavor given that information about the area and the people who will receive the aid is readily available in the Internet. Also, it is unlikely for someone to loot the funds from family, yes? Comprehensive, transparent data can be pasted on the fundraising page. Here, information and monitoring are all in their proper places. This can help the prospective donors understand the objectives and ideas set forth by the fundraiser.
However, one may ask about the financial aspect of the entire thing. How can one be assured that the money will be sent to the organizer or fundraiser safely?
Fortunately, a very efficient and helpful Facebook application called Coinjars (www.facebook.com/apps/appl
Discover the 7 Secrets to Facebook Fundraising! Get your FREE ebook from www.FacebookFundraisingTip
Social Networking Through Facebook
Through Facebook (www.facebook.com), different people worldwide can gain access to their family’s and friend’s user profiles and thus allow them to interact with them through photos, updates, notes etc. Facebook has become very popular in different parts of the world enabling its consumers to reach more than a hundred million (and soon, 500 million!) from its advent in 2004. With its positive growth, users are also becoming advanced in terms of their Facebook application usage. Some are not only using Facebook for the sake of social connection. These people are particularly interested in giving a good cause to different institutions by creating fundraising activities. And with Facebook’s help, their goals will soon be a reality.
Creating a Good Cause Through Facebook
Facebook has become increasingly advanced in terms of its applications. Especially in the field of giving money to help enrich lives through different fundraising activities sponsored by different charitable groups all over the world. If you will browse through Facebook, there are tons of different applications you can choose from which can aid you in getting awareness of what areas in the world would need charitable help especially if you are a volunteer who would like to aid a charitable institution with their fundraising activities.
On the part of those raising funds for a good cause, the Facebook is not just an effective tool to gain many sponsors, but it is also a way to promote awareness of an assigned charity and thus generate funds for it. Of course, it is not just important to connect with different people, post photos and constantly communicate with them about what you do; but it is also important that you are able to choose the right application to match the different requirements of your fund raising activity. This application should be set well inside the fund raising page to let people access it right away whenever they would be interested to donate money. Take note that your fundraising page should be an all-in-one page so that viewers may be able to have a full grasp of what the fundraising activity is all about and thus direct them to a certain application straight inside your page which will manage the funds that will be sent to that particular charitable institution.
One such application that is very effective in raising funds for a certain charity is Coin Jars (http://www.facebook.com/ap
Indeed, fundraising activities created online are now just at the touch of your fingertips!
Discover the 7 Secrets to Facebook Fundraising! Get your FREE ebook from www.FacebookFundraisingTip
Social Networking Through Facebook
Through Facebook (www.facebook.com), different people worldwide can gain access to their family’s and friend’s user profiles and thus allow them to interact with them through photos, updates, notes etc. Facebook has become very popular in different parts of the world enabling its consumers to reach more than a hundred million (and soon, 500 million!) from its advent in 2004. With its positive growth, users are also becoming advanced in terms of their Facebook application usage. Some are not only using Facebook for the sake of social connection. These people are particularly interested in giving a good cause to different institutions by creating fundraising activities. And with Facebook’s help, their goals will soon be a reality.
Creating a Good Cause Through Facebook
Facebook has become increasingly advanced in terms of its applications. Especially in the field of giving money to help enrich lives through different fundraising activities sponsored by different charitable groups all over the world. If you will browse through Facebook, there are tons of different applications you can choose from which can aid you in getting awareness of what areas in the world would need charitable help especially if you are a volunteer who would like to aid a charitable institution with their fundraising activities.
On the part of those raising funds for a good cause, the Facebook is not just an effective tool to gain many sponsors, but it is also a way to promote awareness of an assigned charity and thus generate funds for it. Of course, it is not just important to connect with different people, post photos and constantly communicate with them about what you do; but it is also important that you are able to choose the right application to match the different requirements of your fund raising activity. This application should be set well inside the fund raising page to let people access it right away whenever they would be interested to donate money. Take note that your fundraising page should be an all-in-one page so that viewers may be able to have a full grasp of what the fundraising activity is all about and thus direct them to a certain application straight inside your page which will manage the funds that will be sent to that particular charitable institution.
One such application that is very effective in raising funds for a certain charity is Coin Jars (http://www.facebook.com/ap
Indeed, fundraising activities created online are now just at the touch of your fingertips!
Discover the 7 Secrets to Facebook Fundraising! Get your FREE ebook from www.FacebookFundraisingTip
What is Fundraising?
Fundraising is a process by which a person or a group of people solicit money for the purposes of charity or other “good cause” type of projects. In fundraising, different sets of activities can be done in order to obtain the desired amount needed for a charitable or institutional project. These activities may be done through sports, seminars, games, contests, and social networking. As mentioned, social networking is a process by which people gathers his or her network where in the selected networks will also create their own which will expand gradually thus enabling awareness. By this, you will not only spread knowledge and word with what you are doing but you will also be able to gain as many friends as possible by sharing the same purpose, and that is, helping other people for a good cause.
Fundraising has been done in several parts of the world to help different people especially the less fortunate ones. But of course, it is not just limited to that. Fund raising can also be done to raise a good amount of money for construction of residential, commercial and institutional buildings or it can also be for the purposes of education, recreation and others. But the most important is, it is for a good cause.
Fundraising Through Facebook
Already mentioned above, fundraising can be done through social networking. In this way, you can use Facebook to do this. To begin with, Facebook is a social networking site that enables different users around the world to connect with their friends, family and other people through the use of the Internet specifically with the interactive and useful applications of Facebook. Because of its growing trend, Facebook has now become a social utility tool that does not only create bridges with different people but it has also paved the way for different charitable institutions to raise funds through their assigned “ebooks” in the Internet.
Indeed, Facebook’s importance has increased positively because of this. On the other hand, because of the presence of these “good cause” type of applications such as Coinjars (www.facebook.com/apps/appl
To have a good kick off with your fundraising activity, it is very much important to create an informative and well-versed Fundraising Page that will point out what the fundraising is for. Try to avoid using Groups since this has a cap of 5000 users only.
Now for your fundraising Page, first and foremost, choose words that are not too trying hard to catch people’s attention. It should be done in an appropriate manner with a good approach. Write your “come on” as a well said social intention coupled with the right words for the main cause of the activity. You may also add pictures to support your statements. In this way, you will not only entice users to join your group and help raise funds but you will also allow them to help you get more ideas with your fundraising activity. The more informative and more social the approach of your Facebook pages pertaining to your fundraising activity, the more that you will get hold of interested people to help you.
You must also use an efficient, legal Facebook application that lets you send and receive money within the website without any fees at all. Take for instance Coinjars (http://www.facebook.com/ap
Indeed, with Facebook, you will be able to not only socially connect with people, but enrich lives and before you know it, you’ve already gained a good social network particularly for those who have a charitable cause in the society.
Discover the 7 Secrets to Facebook Fundraising! Get your FREE ebook from www.FacebookFundraisingTip
