A Wandering Sole

Sole Purpose: Kenya Video Show Update

// November 14th, 2010 // 4 Comments » // Kenya, Philanthropy

Last week, I spent an amazing seven days in Germany. What was intended to be a sightseeing trip to Berlin turned into a road trip/adventure with my dear friend Stella that I met while volunteering in Kenya. We were roommates at the orphanage and shared many of the same visions for the project and a similar outlook on life. She took an interest in the boys that I assist there, and after I left, she followed up with them. Thanks to her, I have photos of the Video Show project! (more…)

Sole Purpose: Baan Dada Children’s Home (Thailand)

// October 6th, 2010 // 9 Comments » // Philanthropy, Thailand, Volunteer

Lush landscape in Huay Malai

Note: In Thailand I never once heard the word Myanmar. It was always referred to as Burma. I believe the U.S. also supports the name Burma and out of respect for Burmese refugees,  I will do the same.

When I was looking for a volunteer project in Thailand, I started by skimming the guidebook. I read about a couple of projects assisting Burmese refugees in two border towns. While these projects were not a good fit for me, it sounded like there was no shortage of NGOs in these areas. I narrowed it down to the area of Sangkhlaburi due to time constraints and transport options. (more…)

Cards for a Cause: Deadline is THIS Thursday!

// September 21st, 2010 // No Comments » // Philanthropy, Thailand, Volunteer

Get ‘em while they’re hot! Kids from Baan Dada Children’s Home, where I am currently volunteering, have worked very hard on making these cute Christmas cards. The cards are an annual fundraiser for the home and if you send these to your friends and family, you’re guaranteed to be the hot topic at Christmas parties! The cards cost $1 each: the child who made the card will receive $0.15 and the remainder goes to support running the orphanage. There are also Easter cards, Valentine’s cards, and birthday cards available, so if you fancy stocking up on birthday cards to have them on hand you can do so as well.

I will ship them once I’m back in the States, and you will have them on your doorstep by the end of November- just in time to send out for the holidays! If you are interested in purchasing these cards, please email me with your name, address, and how many of each type of card you would like. Check with friends, family, or neighbors who may be interested.

Each card comes with an envelope and a little slip telling you which child made the card and. You can keep the slip for yourself or include it in the card for the recipient to see what a nice person you are!

My email: awanderingsole@gmail.com

The deadline is THIS Thursday, September 23 at 5pm EST. Please let me know if you have any questions!

Sole Purpose: Big Brother Mouse Books (Laos)

// September 12th, 2010 // 14 Comments » // Laos, Philanthropy

Before arriving in Laos, I read about an organization in Luang Prabang called Big Brother Mouse. They distribute books that are written in both English and Laos, and I think it is a great idea. When I arrived in Luang Prabang I was looking for a bookshop or book exchange for myself. I asked around and never got a straight answer. One young man even told me that they weren’t any bookshops in Luang Prabang. Why would he think this in such a small town? Because for the most part, people in Laos don’t read books for fun. I can’t blame them… try finding books written in Laos. They’re not common, and the only bookshops I actually did find sold English books and were geared for tourists. Big Brother Mouse is a business started five years ago by an American gentleman who recognized the lack of books in Laos. The organization delivers books to villages and also sells books to tourists to hand out. (more…)

Sole Purpose: Fundraising Update & Reflection

// July 31st, 2010 // 2 Comments » // Philanthropy, Travel Review

Dead Sea Marathon- Running past a bedouin herding his goats

As the halfway mark has come and gone on my trip, I thought it was time for an update on Sole Purpose fundraising and donations. (more…)

Sole Purpose: Back to School Foundation (Malawi)

// July 6th, 2010 // 4 Comments » // Africa, Malawi, Philanthropy, Volunteer

Garden and Tutoring Center

Wow! I feel so out of touch after being offline for nearly a month except for the occasional Montage Monday posting. Frankly, internet hasn’t gotten much better but I was excited to share with you about my latest volunteer post. I spent 25 wonderful days in Malawi, well nearly wonderful (ahem, Ilala Ferry ride). The first two weeks I was volunteering with the Back to School Foundation in Monkey Bay on Lake Malawi. It is a fantastic organization focusing on secondary education, and I only wish I had more time to spend there.
(more…)

Sole Purpose: Questscope (Jordan)

// May 28th, 2010 // 2 Comments » // Jordan, Philanthropy

Sole Purpose is the fundraising portion of my website geared towards education and microlending. I run, you donate, I find awesome projects, and together we raise awareness for the amazing work that people are doing to improve others’ livelihoods.

Amman, Jordan

You may be wondering how I find these projects, and the truth is, it varies. (more…)

Sole Purpose: Video Show (Kenya)

// May 18th, 2010 // 3 Comments » // Kenya, Philanthropy

You may have read my urgent appeal for donations almost two weeks ago for my first micro-lending project. I am so thankful for the positive responses, and the $150 that has been donated since. So now, I’m excited to share more details on the project and where it’s at as of today.

The Project:

Sole Purpose’s first micro-lending project is for a Video Show in a rural village. It will essentially be a small movie theater, showing DVDs as well as airing what comes on television. Since most people don’t have tvs out in the villages, Video Shows tend to do a pretty good business. They charge 5 Kenyan shillings per showing, unless it’s a big soccer match (such as the World Cup coming up) for which they can charge 10 Kenyan shillings.

Who are the recipients:

You may have read two earlier posts that mentioned a boy I called James (concerning food theft and my first visit with him). His name is actually John (age 18)  and he has two brothers Patrick (age 15) and Onesmus (age 22) (there are more siblings but these are the three involved in the Video Show).  At the time of writing my previous posts, I had reasons for protecting his privacy. It turns out it is not an issue, so even though I have/will confuse some readers, I will start referring to him as John. John and Patrick are sponsored by Watoto Wa Baraka, which is how I first met them in 2008. These three boys are some of the most intelligent and hardworking people I know.

John, Onesmus, and Patrick: the first recipients of a Sole Purpose loan

Sole Purpose: I Need Your Help!

// May 7th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Kenya, Philanthropy

Okay, first you can smack me. I’ve been doing some work for the fundraising side of my website Sole Purpose and have yet to update you. I have already made a donation to a charity focusing on education. And I will be sure to go into a lengthy explanation in the near future! But for now, I have an urgent request. Sole Purpose has two main focuses: education and microlending. I have stumbled upon a really great opportunity to utilize my fundraiser for a micro-lending project and am scrambling fast to get the funds together! I will keep this short and to the point but it is a small business for 3 brothers in a rural village in Kenya. These boys are orphaned and the money earned from this business will be put into savings accounts to send the boys to secondary school and university (as well as assist them in paying for current living expenses). Here is why I am in a rush for the money: the boys are opening what is called a Video Show. It’s like a small movie theater in a rural area. It is one room with a tv and a dvd player and can hold anywhere from 20-100 people (depending on size). They typically charge 5 shillings per person (or about $0.05) and can show movies or what’s on tv. Most people do not have tv here in Kenya, yet they are huge soccer fans. If the boys can get the Video Show up and running before the World Cup, they will draw a huge crowd for it and they can charge 10 shillings per person for the games. I mapped out the start-up expenses, operating expenses, and expected revenues yesterday. I went into town to look at tvs today, while one of the boys went to check on a place to rent for the business. For the tv, dvd player, benches that need to be built, some dvds, antenna, business license, and first month’s rent and electricity, I expect it to be around $500. Obviously, this would be a lot for them to pay back, so I have proposed to donate half out of my travel fund and lend them half from Sole Purpose, which they would pay back on a payment schedule.

The boys wills sign a contract, as I have laid out some specific stipulations:

1. They are not allowed to work in the Video Show except to monitor it on the weekends (such as taking the money to the bank, buying or exchanging dvds). They need to focus on their studies, and they still have things at home to do- working in the field, cooking for themselves, etc.

and

2. More than half of the money must be put into savings accounts for education. I believe I’ve worked out exact percentages, but again, this plan was only hatched a few days ago, so I need to finalize them.

If you’ve read my Sole Purpose page, I’m appealing to you for a $5 donation. If you can’t give $5 at this time, give 5 minutes of your time and spread the word via email, Facebook, or Twitter. This project will help 3 very smart, hard-working boys get an education that they deserve. I feel it’s one of the most important, if not the most important project I will do on my trip. Once I have gotten the items and the final details together, I will write a more in-depth post telling you all the specifics and more about these wonderful teenagers. Thanks for your help!

Where to donate: www.giveforward.org/solepurpose

Please contact me if you have any questions at awanderingsole@gmail.com

Sole Purpose: The reason behind it and why I run

// January 23rd, 2010 // No Comments » // Philanthropy, Pre-Trip

Sole Purpose is an umbrella for charities and ideas that I am most passionate about. It is the fundraising sector of A Wandering Sole and plays a huge role in motivating me to run. Through Sole Purpose, I raise money for Education, Microlending, & Short-Term Needs, and distribute it in the countries that I visit.

Why $5?

The idea came to me in 2008, while spending 6 weeks volunteering for an orphanage in Kenya. I took a 5-day leave from the orphanage to visit a few of Kenya’s National Parks. Upon my return, I discovered that one of the children sponsored by the orphanage had not been to school for 3 days. Why you ask? Because his shoes were stolen, and in Kenya, No shoes= No entry into school. The resolution was a matter of my walking 30 minutes to the next village, tracking down the shoemaker and commissioning a $5 pair of dress shoes to be made. That’s all it took to get him back into school. In his case, the situation was out of his control. His 8’ x 8’ mud hut was broken into, and his shoes were stolen. I consider this money to be some of the best $5 I have ever spent, as I can’t imagine a child being denied education over a $5 pair of shoes. There is a bounty of worthwhile causes that only require $5. Yet even when something requires a bit more money, say $100 for a microloan, then all it takes is 20 people contributing $5. It’s simply the idea that by pooling resources, change is inevitable.

I am firmly grounded in the belief that small donations can drive a grassroots effort to make a significant impact, which is why Sole Purpose is founded on the premise of giving just $5. I have heard too many times (and I’m a member of the guilty party) how someone didn’t donate to a cause because they couldn’t give much money- not because they didn’t believe that the cause wasn’t worth supporting. A large donation is not a precursor to playing a meaningful role in improving someone’s life.

You can make a contribution at www.giveforward.org/solepurpose and follow the fundraiser on the Sole Supporters page. Be sure to check out my Running Log to see the crazy places I’m sure to discover on foot!