Charity events of the year!

It's been rather interesting trying to get some events organized in Lancashire,UK and I have finally managed to sort out two major ones that are looking good and well under way!

The first is a womens only charity auction called "Sweet and Sexy" which will have free chocolate for all attending, and sexy auction items from Ann Summers as well as local beauty parlors
It's looking good,now all we need to do is get people there
It has a facebook group if anyone wants to check it out and invite someone:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/event.php?eid=311918715023&ref=mf

The second is a student event at Lancaster University in cooperation with KidsCan,a charity for children with cancer
It's called Jailbreak and people attending has to get as far as possible in 30 hours on no money and raise £100 on the way.Last time someone made it all the way to Hong Kong so it's gonna be very exciting.We are splitting the money with KidsCan and help each other get things sorted with paperwork ect

There is a lot of talk of difficult economic times but reading newspapers and blogs it is evident that it can't be as bad as they say-charities are still getting support and people still show up to events of all kind.It's about quality and fun and that's the main idea for both my events

Invite anyone you think might be interested and let's go sweet,sexy and charming for charity :)

People nodding along

I get about 15 google alerts every day. Some of them are relevant and inspiring, and goes into my substantial file of internet pages for future reference, and some are just internet waffle.

Not often do I find anyone that agrees with me on all issues I've raised in this blog, at least not on the internet. Talking to people, especially the UN made it clear that I'm not the only one who is fed up and looking for alternatives to pity and guilt used for fundraising, but few are putting it out there in the media.

And then I found this link in my inbox-

http://www.toryradio.com/2009/08/04/sometimes-i-really-really-dislike-big-charities/

I usually don't get involved in general politics, I don't know who I would vote for as the people I like are not in power,. But here is someone that agrees with me on this, and is not afraid to say so, and it cheered me up so I will share it anyway

Have a nice day everyone

M

A lot of people and businesses find it hard to take time out for doing things like charity work and team-building weekends. Its considered a luxury, and so it is as well, but it doesn't have to be. What if your job, just going about your daily business could help others? What if you could do something you love and see new results?

This is one of the basic ideas behind The Light Project- delegating what people have to spare and making charitable work exciting. Any hobby can be useful to someone, any interest could inspire an idea in someone else and any knowledge can be passed on.

I could go on and on all day but to make my point clearly, have a look at these guys. They make toys, they love it, and they are doing good with it.

That's the spirit! :)

http://www.squishable.com/s/charity

My main inspiration

The way of solving problems requires one fundamental change, a big one, and that is learning that the challenges of our generation are not us versus them, they are not us versus Islam, us versus the terrorists, us versus Iran, they are us, all of us together on this planet against a set of shared and increasingly urgent problems. By understanding those problems, understanding them at their depth, understanding what we share with every part of this world in the need to face these challenges, we can find peace.

Jeffrey D Sachs in the BBC Reith Lectures (07)

For those who need hope

First examine our attitude towards peace itself. Too many of us think it is impossible, too many think it is unreal, but that is a dangerous, defeatist belief. It leads to the conclusion that war is inevitable, that mankind is doomed, that we are gripped by forces we cannot control. We need not accept that view. Our problems are man-made, therefore they can be solved by man, and man can be as big as he wants. 

No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings. Man's reason and spirit have often solved the seemingly unsolvable, and we believe they can do it again. I am not referring to the absolute infinite concept of universal peace and goodwill of which some fantasies and fanatics dream. 

Genuine peace must be the product of many nations, the sum of many acts. It must be dynamic, not static, changing to meet the challenge of each new generation, for peace is a process, a way of solving problems. 

J.F KENNEDY

To give or to give well, that is the question

As I went for a stroll in Lancaster, underneath a very uncertain grey sky, I was approached by a charity, as I'm sure all of us have been. He was outgoing, good looking and trying very hard to be funny. And he reminded me why I started this project, why I can't just go and find a group and work for them. Who has ever felt like they got anything meaningful out a meeting on the street like that? Did you feel anything but a pang of guilt, suddenly feeling like you've forgotten parts of the world, but also a slight annoyance that yo had to be told by a man in a yellow coat?

It might seem stupid to say that supporting a cause in that way is inefficient, it gets them money doesn't it? The good ones get the job done don't they? Sure they do. The point is not that the work being done is not good, the point is that it is so miniscule compared to what could be done if more people understood the situation. In Tanzania men are sitting in the streets, playing games, kicking dust and growing thinner. Its not because they are lazy-lets get that understood first. They are not lazy and they don't spend their money on booze either. What has happened is that there is no innovation, there are no idea that have not been tried out and succeeded, there seems to be so few options. Industry, technology and internet makes our own grandparents feel outdated and nervous, even our parents don't fully understand it, I'm not even sure my own generation knows how to really take advantage of it, but these people where hit by it within a very short period of time, and are now left behind. Its not just about age, younger people, with education and plans for the future also struggle to understand what is going on and how to ride the wave. This is not ignorance, it is not lack of imagination. Its just a world out of their control.

What is needed, what really would be useful and that could change the world is ideas. Money is great, building wells are great, but if you can give people in development countries an idea of how to build a well that fits their own environment then a major battle is won. We can keep stuffing money in, sending and giving by the millions but if there are no ideas, no opening of opportunities for innovation then we will keep wasting our energies. Its a blunt truth but it is true none the less. Yes, some charities do amazing work, they really do, and they are worth helping. But any charity that makes you feel guilty, by quoting you facts and showing you images of starving children do not deserve your money or time. If that is the attitude they bring to any poor country they will do more harm than good, making people dependent on others, not just for food,  but for ideas of how to change their lives. We should not, and can not understand how to best run their country, their schools or even their village. But we can give them the power and the space to take charge.

Anyone who hasn't seen or heard of a millennium village please do so. It is the most successful project the UN has ever had, and it is growing rapidly. the UN might not have been very impressive lately, but this is a project worth knowing something about.

Link: http://www.millenniumvillages.org/about/index.htm

I know it sound like I'm telling you what to do, or not to do and I know I don't have the right. But please consider thinking twice before donating, check out where the money goes, look at the way they talk to people and the message as well as the work. Ask me about t, I'm happy to help you find a charity that really speaks to you, that really matters and that is worth your time, your resources or whatever else you have to spare.

That's the point really of all my work- delegating what people have to spare to the right places. 

Let me know if I can do it for you

HM

Norwegian bliss

As I find my way into White Knight, slowly handing over my other job to someone far more competent and excited about it, I feel a strange urge to not talk about it. How do you tell those who are still looking, still trying, still not in the right place at the right time that you've been given your dream job? I fin it hard. On the one hand I work harder than most, I take one every challenge I get and I look for more things to learn, more things to do all the time. I do deserve the opportunity, but I wish others around me where getting what they deserve as well. 

But it would be worse if I didn't know how luck I am, how blessed I have been. It would have been worse if I didn't listen but paraded good news around. I really don't want to do that, but I am excited and happy and I will share it all here as no one reads this if they don't want to know.

Funny though how some types of friends are only around when things go bad,when they can be the strong one or the better one. Being happy, it seems, is a good way to loose friends. Or some types anyway

I'm home in Norway at the moment and I'm having a lovely time with family. I'll be singing on Saturday, with a really great norwegian artist (Age Steen Nilsen) and my old choire as well as my Dads orchestra. It gonna be awesome! And when I go back I'm gonna miss people here a lot, thanks to everyone I've seen and will see. I miss geekyness and quirkyness and good coffee. And my lovely family. I hope everyone in the UK is gonna treat their dads on Fathers Day coming up. Anyone have a really good way to do that?

Be well,God bless

x

As He moved me

It's been a while since I've taken time out to write something here but these last few days the world has moved underneath my feet and I have to share it, I have to tell.

Some time ago, about a week, I went to Preston to meet the founder of White Knight, a company that does a very broad kind of financial advise, everything to new training and networking to cost analysis and advice. I hope that I could become part of their portfolio, part of what they offer the businesses when they help them. But higher powers had different plans for me

Saturday I spent 7 hours talking to R.Walsh, the founder, and we shared a very special day.He is a wonderful man, very wise and in full connection with God, as well as being an extremely capable business man. And for one reason or the other he really likes me. Unlike most men I have met this week, most of which pay more attention to my skirt or cleavage, he cares only for what I have to offer as a person. I'm hard working, out going, inventive, capable and a fast learner. In addition I know my stuff and if I don't I go find it gladly. And he sees all that, and more potential than anyone I've ever met. We share many views about religion as well, we both would like it to be a major part  in our lives, but still do business to earn money. Fact is that being wealthy enables you immensely, and the sooner you realize the more focused you can be. However, I would not go for the money, secretly being a bohemian, but for what I can do with it and I think many feel disappointed, thinking money in it self is going to make you happy when what you spend it on is just as essential as actually getting it.

And so I feel like I'm bursting, like the world is moving beneath my feet to give room for this new oath that have appeared in front of me and I don't really know how to celebrate enough. Honestly, I have lost a lot of friends and pissed off a lot of family by being who I am, whether that is having hope or simply getting results from hard work, but in this job it will finally pay off to be me, in every single way and I think I will grow and develop to a whole new level given the opportunity.

Many shy away from talk of God, especially if they don't believe themselves, but fact is I would not be anything like me without my sturdy faith. My confidence is not in my own person you see, its in the powers behind me, then ones that enable me and bless me with opportunity. That's why you could ask me anything and I will say I can do it. I will win a Nobel Peace prize and I will make a difference. The day I'm right I will put my hands up and tell the world where it all came from. I'm a vessel, a tool, a great one at that and I will never stop being grateful for my gifts and chances to succeed. Now I will work hard but not stress, I will try but put my faith in higher powers and find some way to share it all with everyone around me

If there is anything I can do for you then let me know and I will gladly put in a good word ;)

Oh,and hearing Jason Mraz' "I'm yours" from a Christian perspective gives the song a whole different depth. I recommend it

x

I'm a woman I am and don't you forget it!

I just got home from Newport (South Wales) where I have had some business meetings, visited some important places for the coach service, like ticket offices and bus stations, and traveled all over the UK with train, bus and taxi for the last 2 days. I'm exhausted, thanks for asking...

But happy. I'm very new at all this coach stuff but I'm catching up and going to meetings I feel like I know exactly what I'm doing, taking phone calls where every other word is slightly strange and setting up meetings with the one executive after the other. I think I'm getting the hang of this and in a months time I will be running two or three buss services between London and Newport and Lockerbie to Dundee. (Google it, always good to know). Big leap from the aid work that I am doing but hey- I'm a woman! I can multi task! 

So at the moment I get up in the morning, do revision, which means turning my lecture notes and essays into brightly colored A3 posters, I send out emails and do a few calls to make sure my team of students gets closer to getting the last £300 in for Tanzania and at the same time I talk to coach operators and bus stations and banks. Some of this is done on a train, going often to Glasgow but lately to Wales as well, some of it in Whetherspoons because thats the hip new trend for business meetings, and the rest either in bed, on my desk or having coffee somewhere with way too much stuff in it.

This makes my week an interesting array of bank meetings, revision lectures, talks with companies that would like to fund raise with me (I've got my first meeting on thursday!) and keeping up to date on African merchandise and its possibly very successful marketing in the UK. Anyone want to join me in the craziness? Honestly- I am exhausted BUT I love it. I really do, I love making plans, arranging and organizing and talking and writing and smiling to people, and thats pretty much all I do. Sometimes I even eat and sleep, which I love too :)

So everyone who knows me- be happy for me, anyone that don't- give me a call, I can fit you in somewhere here too :) Still got some slots open between the orange magic marker and the 6th cup of tea (how british is that?)

Well, that was my little update. My students are doing well with there small tasks, we are sneaking closer to our target, and I am still looking for more charity work to do, after my exams especially, because it mights just get too quiet...

Be well! And enjoy that well earned exhaustion after a good days work- I know I will

The Magic of Openess

According to my mum I've always been an open person, talking to anyone that would listen, and asking questions to engage people in conversation. I still get friends asking me to come along to parties, to make sure people get chatting, and whenever I've met parents of boyfriends it always comes in handy to bother to listen to what they have to say

But it has hardly ever paid off as much as about a week ago, where I came down on a train from Glasgow and started chatting with the guy that shared a table with me. First we talked about computers, as we were both using them and his kept dying on him. But as you do you get talking about work and other interest and my project came up as well as me wanting to offer businesses consultancy to do fundraising. Then he mentioned a launch he wanted to do with his coach company and I took the opportunity to sell my services, he wanted to connect the launch with a charity he supports so it made sense, and he seemed interested.

But I must be a better saleswoman than I expected because after a few emails and phone calls he has decided to give me a job as project manager for his newly developed holiday section. It came up that he has a condition and needs someone organized to do all the bits and bobs he's not good at or doesn't understand, so he offered me the job...

He has excellent contacts and his very hands on and great at what he loves, and now I"m gonna be filling in the gaps.Better still- he wants to employ others with difficulties and unfortunate circumstances, which makes the company something I can put my heart into, not just a job

He also want to train me until I can take over as CEO, him being the owner...

There's a lot of details to be sorted out and things I won't mention here, but simply because I didn't judge him for being a bit awkward and different I have now been given a huge opportunity, especially in this economic climate and its not all down to luck.

You never know who has contacts, or ideas or an opportunity to offer, and being open will at least make it so much easier to seize the day, and might make your dreams come true

Kind of magic I think

Pump it!

I found it! I have been looking for solar powered water pumps for a while, ever since a friend mentioned that they are used all over Germany. The problem with using solar panels in development countries, like Tanzania, is that they often got stolen and sold or they are too expensive to fix if something happens to them. Solar panels seem like such a brilliant thing to have in countries with hardly any rain during the year, energy often being a big problem to run any kind of basic equipment, like pumps for wells. 

But with the tiny ones I've found some of the major problems are solved. The solar panels themselves are so small that selling them is not worth the effort, and with them being so cheap with a little starting capitol most communities can afford one. They can pump a lot of water up from a well they work in cloudy weather when there is any, and the parts are easily fixed. The skills and knowledge to make sure it can run for decades are next to nothing, basic mechanics are know to a lot of the population due to basic technology introduced some years ago

Might seem strange that I get so excited about these, after all I'm not bringing any down with me in September and I'm not really planning on spending time distributing them either. But when I do consultancies with companies and schools I can use these solar pumps as an example of how simple things can make a huge difference, just as I did with the insecticide bed nets last year. Having these sources around I can also try to get big donations from the companies and then distribute them far more efficiently than I can do on my own or with a small team. Every little helps, I do believe that, but when you're just one person then you got to think big and find creative ways to do more.

Here's the link to the pumps,I know there's different ones out there, and I'll be looking so:

http://www.solarkey.com/product_details.asp?classtype=0301&mid=281

wish me luck :)

Epiphany in the night

You know when you have those nights when you can't sleep, when there is something you are suppose to realize or remember but your brain is too sluggish to get there before ruining some sleep first? I don't have many nights a year like that, I mostly sleep pretty well, though I do dream about the craziest things. But when I do have them I end up doing stuff, like watch Die Hard or read a book or write something. Die Hard numbs my brain and can help me sleep again, a book makes my eyes lazy, which makes me sleepy, but the writing is the best way, because then I can sneak out whatever it is that I'm suppose to realize out of my head and go to sleep a little bit happier

See, I tend to have the best ideas in those few nights. Its a shame I don't have more of them. These are the nights I realize that if only I could find a really rich person to set it up we could solve the unemployment crisis. Yeah, its true. AND we can save millions at the same time. Put up a factory, have people making water purifying straws (yes they do exist, here's the website: http://www.vestergaard-frandsen.com/lifestraw-introduction.htm) and then loads would have work and even more would have clean water. Brilliant yes? After a while we can switch to other really cheap, simple solutions, like insecticide bed nets or little solar water pumps. 

I'm sure there are loads of issues with this plan, and please feel free to let me know, but the thing is I feel that for some reason it seems like people can't help complicate things. If you have a huge population without work why not put them to good use? In England it can be things like mentioned above, in poor countries there is urgent need for infrastructure, so get people doing that. I can't seem to fully understand the issue with that, after all someone in power could with a bit of creativity and thinking out of the box find the resources to start such a project, and then the rest will follow, opportunity creating new ones.

This might seem like a young persons rant about things she doesn't understand. Fact is I have great people backing me up. Jeffrey Sachs, a personal favorite, introduced in his book "End of Poverty" an idea called clinical economics, meaning taking a step back and looking at a situation including every aspect of it. Say if you are looking at a country in trouble you would not just look at the economics to help them economically, but you would take into account the geographical positions and resources, religious and cultural traditions, political connections and history. This for me seems like such a simple but brilliant idea, and I kept thinking- why has no one done this before??? I don't know much about financial advice, but looking at all the aspects and the nitty gritty of it surely must make sense to anyone? That's what I would do...

So here's to really simple ideas in the middle of the night. I hope people with a bit more power than me has the same thing once in a while, and if not then just give me some time and I'll take care of it ;)

I wish you all awesome dreams, or epiphany waking hours :)

Why, oh why

The question I get the most often about this project is why- Why bother? Why not be something else and let others do the work. What do I get out of it? I also get that smile, you know the one, the smile that says "poor ambitious girl, sacrificing her future like that". And then of course the look "I wish I could do something like that"

Well, here's the answers, and I've been running them around in my own head for years.

Why bother? Because the solutions are so simple, so easy to get your head around and and it takes a lot less effort to do something creative and helpful than make up excuses not to.

Why not be something else? There seems to be this idea around that aid work, event management and fundraising is only for nannies with nothing else to do, or women who have no families or other commitments. Or worse- girls with ambition but who give them up, or "grow out of it". Well, I'm not planning on being any of those.I love planning events, getting a team together and pull off a great event, I love finding new ways to solve big problems, I love meeting new people, traveling, spending time understanding situation I've never been in, and I love learning new things. It gives me a buzz, it gets me out of the bed in the morning and it makes me excited about the future. 

And since I love this line of work I'm really good at it

But that's the only real difference between me and other people, I love this kind of stuff and some people don't. I have no agenda getting everyone to go down to Africa to build wells or give up half their house for a charity. But I want to encourage a better way of looking at it- what do you have to spare? Some companies have boxes in storage, with t-shirts, school uniforms, books, toys and so on. I have connections to redistribute almost anything. And as a family maybe you have something in the attic to sell on ebay and give that money to a charity you like? Everything helps. 

And if anyone needs advice about charities, what they do, what they are like to work with, or just a good cause to support with guaranteed good results then let me know,I'm sure I can help you out :)

No guilt, no pity, just really good ideas, now thats worth being a fan of

Students and charity gigs

Last year I tried to have a band night to raise money. Not knowing much about sounds systems, bands that would get people to come or how you would tell people about it, I got some help from a few friends in the music community at Lancaster Uni, I figured it was a good start. It went ahead, with a facebook event posted of course and good friends coming to support me.And that was pretty much it. 250 flyers, 100 posters and about 20 people at the actual night. The main mistake was not listening to my gut feeling, I had many ideas of how to get people interested and how to sell tickets the days before, but I figured people who had arranged loads of gigs new better. Don't get me wrong, the help was good when we had to get the bands and figure out the technical stuff, but I learned the hard way that some times you should also go with the ideas you have, even if you are doing something new

Which meant that this year we did things a bit differently. Last year I had no team, this year I have a great one that I got through SIFE (Student In Free Enterprise).Every year the colleges around campus has an end of term party called the Extravs, usually there are themes, drinks, decorations and bands all night. Great fun, many students stay around or come back from home just to attend the best ones. But before you get there some colleges have an event where bands can battle it out for a spot to play at the Extravs- an Extrav Factor. We got in touch with the colleges and arranged with them a deal where we could charge at the door, help with the marketing and get people to the event. They would earn more money through bar sales and find a popular band to have at the Extrav and we could raise some money for our trip, both through the tickets and donation boxes

March 13th we had the first one, in Lonsdale bar, with Heidi Burford, Chris Matthews with band, Lonsdale JCR and Boo Boo Kiddy Fonc playing. As there was a different event on as well that night we didn't do tickets, but had donation boxes at the bar and in the hands of helpful team members and with some of the bar profits we made close to £200, which might not sound like much in the big picture, but with four more gigs lined up and tickets to Tanzania still going for about £400 its half a ticket for a team member to go down in September (Both Chris Matthews and Boo Boo Kiddy Fonc will be playing at the Lonsdale Extrav 2009)

The thing with students is that it can always go both ways. You can get brilliant excited team members ready to do the dirty work to get to the trip and to helping Tanzanians. And you can get people always wanting to do things the easy way, or the fast way or the cheap way, pretty much the less effort the better. I'm sure you get that in any business, but with students there are no threats of being fired or not getting promoted, there is only a shrugging of shoulders and plenty of excuses. I have found it interesting to discover what kind of personalities the ones you can count on seem to have and how you can pick up on those who will give up under stress.I any case I've learned a lot from that, and I'm quite happy about the fact that I seem to have a nudge, a gut feeling if you will, that turns out to be spot on in most cases.

Nothing like a good guess to boost your confidence :)

So, the team pulled together really well, we are ready for the next gigs, and as we are all taking products from Neema Crafts home this easter we are all excited to present our friends and family with elephant dung cards and notebooks, just to see their faces

And I am ready to go network a bit (April 1st) before coming home (April 2nd) to the snow and sunshine in Norway :)

Introduction to the Light Project

Welcome to the Light Project and my blog! This is the first so I will outline the goals and ideas behind my project for everyone to know

I built the Light Project on a few ideas I had in a moment of clearness, at a time in my life I felt like I needed to find some goal to work towards. I'm sure you know the kind, where you ask yourself- what do I want to do? What skills do I have? What do I like doing? What could I make a living from? What do I want to leave behind when I'm done? What do I want to influence?

I'm not one to put down small goals, I go for the big ones, not getting disappointed if I don't get there, but just to make sure I push myself all the way. With my new one I don't think that's going to be a problem- I'm gonna win a Nobel Peace Prize 

On the way I will advertise a way of raising money in the development world that does not include making people feeling guilty. Anyone with a little bit of experience with the recipients of aid will know that pity is not what people struck by poverty needs.It won't help to feel bad, to see the videos of big-eyed children and plastic cups of water. I am NOT at all saying that the work being done by the organizations that use this kind of promotion for their causes is not good. It's great, most of it's very useful and well thought through.I support the work and especially the workers, I just don't agree with the way the money for that work is collected

So the Light Project will not be showing that kind of footage. We will, and are, approaching people differently. For individuals it will be through selling products from Tanzania (the country I chose to support after major research), inviting you along to gigs, art exhibitions, markets, auctions and any other event to raise money in a fun and exciting way. The information about our work will be completely focused on the great solutions out there to battle effects and causes of extreme poverty, like insecticide bed nets to prevent malaria (90% in Tanzania are infected).No dying children or crying parents, you know they exist out there, but honest information about how to help them.If you are interested that is

Now for businesses I have something else to offer, which leads to the career that I am trying to build for myself. I want to help any business, branch or group to do something a bit more exciting than pass around a bucket at Christmas (no offense, its nice, but only patches up your guilt for a little bit). What about everyone bringing something from the attic and having a little auction on a monday night? Or getting a band together from the staff and having a informal gig at the local pub? Or maybe something bigger- like putting products from Tanzania in your shop? Or having a ball? Easter egg hunt? I have a million and one ideas, which means I can tailor any business something they are comfortable with, but that will no matter what create a great work environment and a sense of accomplishment, as well as supporting great causes. Might even do a brand or chain some good to be connected to an ethical cause, we all like that don't we? 

This might seem like a weird way to go for the Nobel Peace. Check out this winner and get back to me:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microfinance

This idea won one, and for good reason. Desperate people do desperate things, conflict erupts far more easily in countries that are all ready struggling. Nothing like death, starvation and illness to fuel the fire of any angry and frustrated person.

If you would like to join me, or just comment, please do.At the moment I have a great team working at the Lancaster University,UK and we are raising money to get four of us down to Tanzania in september, helping Neema Crafts to get their products into the UK market

http://www.neemacrafts.com/

Let me help you to share what you have to spare (Nice and cheesy right)

H.Magdalena