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December 23, 2009

All I want for Christmas is less poverty

All I want for Christmas is......actually I want a million things, not really for Christmas or for myself, but for the world. At the top of my list is the alleviation of poverty.

I know, I know, that will be a long time coming or "nah soon come" as my Caribbean family would say. BUT, there are many ways that as individuals, we can play our small (or large) part in poverty alleviation - through giving. I love the idea of giving rather than increasing personal collections of STUFF.

With the help of technology, we can easily give to people near and far through organizations like Kiva, Tia Foundation, and Doctors Without Borders, SheaYeleen, ACCION, the list goes on and on...

Each of these organizations provide solutions against poverty or provide access to health care (which is intricately linked to poverty - if you can't work due to illness, then...well you get it).

Kiva for example, offers unique gift certificates which allow the recipient to make a micro loan to entrepreneurs around the world and once repaid your happy giver can decide to lend again and again. What is not good about that?!!?

Find a way to give, of yourself. Personally, it is my favorite thing to do.

Happy Holidays! I cannot wait for the new year!!!

-Stacy

2 comments:

  1. Google does good...giving $20 Million to Charities. http://www.google.com/advertising/holiday2009/

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Stacy,

    I just stumbled across your blog a few days ago, and have been an avid fan since. There are several reasons for this, among them your clear passion for design. I share this interest. In fact, i'm putting together a plan to start a business like yours, albeit in Ghana (which is the other reason for which i took to your blog so much). I find your experiences priceless and, at times, hilarious (like the Kenyan lady describing your products as un-African. I feared mine, too, would be branded as such, since i have a thing for the modern and minimalist. And yet, you're absolutely right that works from Africa should not be limited to raw, unfinished goods. That, in my view, is a misconception.

    I have a few entrepreneur-to-entrepreneur questions that i should probably send to you offline, but will go ahead with anyway:
    1. How did you identify and select your suppliers?
    2. What kinds of supplier agreements did you draft?
    3. Do you shop the market periodically for suppliers, or are you going with a handful of trusted hands?
    4. Did you start with a grant or via personal savings?

    As you can see, I'm bogged down by a fierce legion of unanswered questions, and a good dose of trepidation towards leaving the familiar (Corporate America) and diving into the unknown (entrepreneurship in West Africa).

    I eagerly await your response. You just won yourself an avid reader!!

    ReplyDelete

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