Breadline Africa's Blog http://www.breadlineafrica.org/rss-posts.q Receive the latest posts from Breadline Africa's Blog Inside the mind of...Donald Jackson http://www.breadlineafrica.org/post/2231/inside-the-mind-ofdonald-jackson http://www.breadlineafrica.org/post/2231/ People Online Giving Marianna Boguslavsky 2009-07-03T07:33:11+00:00 Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:33:11 +0000 When I think of Port Elizabeth and technology, the two just don't seem to go together. Most of the top techy guys I have met are either from Cape Town or Johannesburg. Thus I was rather excited to interview Donald Jackson, one of ...]]> When I think of Port Elizabeth and technology, the two just don't seem to go together. Most of the top techy guys I have met are either from Cape Town or Johannesburg. Thus I was rather excited to interview Donald Jackson, one of PE's finer exports, for this month's 'Inside the mind of...' blog post. He is smart, tough, and when it comes to anything technical, he is definitely your go to guy. But enough chit chat from me, here is what the expert had to say:

Can you please tell me a bit about your background?

I have always had a passion for technology so a natural choice for me was to study a BSc in Computer Science at the University of Port Elizabeth. My first formal job was working at a small IT company in Port Elizabeth named i4Africa Information Systems where we did bespoke software development. Currently, I am running my own company, archi.tech consulting, from which I do system architecture, consulting and development with a focus on web and mobile technologies such as SMS, WAP and other platforms.

 What are some of the highlights of your job?

One of the primary reasons I left my previous places of employment were challenges ‘drying up’ so to speak, so I’d say the biggest highlight of my job is constantly being exposed to the newest technologies and the challenges of using them effectively in business.

 What experience have you had with NPOs in connection with your current job?

Thus far my company is only involved with the open source project, Kannel, which is a freely available SMS gateway tool, to which we have contributed numerous patches and improvements. In my personal capacity I am using my expertise to assist some charity organizations with IT training, through the website Greater Good SA.

How would a NPO be able to utilize your website to create awareness and/or raise funds?

Using the tools and software we have available NPOs could definitely create better awareness of their needs by providing mobile content and information about their causes. This could be distributed via SMS or the mobile web. In addition to this with our campaign manager NPOs could setup SMS donation platforms for themselves.

In terms of your experience and your personal opinion, what websites/social media are integral to NPOs?

I think the likes of Twitter and Facebook should form an integral part of any NPO's strategy to raise awareness for themselves. Most people love helping people, so leveraging these social networks can quickly make a campaign go viral. There are also other locally run sites such as Greater Good SA which are built specifically for this task.

Which tech businesses or websites do you think are the ones to watch now?

I would like to put my business on the list but I’ll have to let others judge that one! Forgive me for being so obvious but I am always watching to see what Google does next and am also curious to see if Microsoft’s new Bing search can make an impact. I also believe Facebook with its massive and deeply connected user base has huge potential for adding services, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them launching some sort of financial system, further mobile services and more within the next year.

 
 

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]]> Breadline Africa's trustee turns 90 http://www.breadlineafrica.org/post/2230/breadline-africas-trustee-turns-90 http://www.breadlineafrica.org/post/2230/ People Fundraising Marianna Boguslavsky 2009-06-30T12:31:45+00:00 Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:31:45 +0000 Frances Greathead is one very special lady. Not only is she one of the founders and trustees of Breadline Africa but she is a 90 year old woman who still loves to party. Frances Greathead, descendant of a l...]]> Frances Greathead is one very special lady. Not only is she one of the founders and trustees of Breadline Africa but she is a 90 year old woman who still loves to party. Frances Greathead, descendant of a long line of Norfolk Bedingfelds, recently celebrated her 90th birthday at Oxburgh Hall, the family home which is now run by the National Trust. I was lucky enough to have lunch with her earlier this year and I can definitely say she knows how to entertain in style.

Frances is a woman who has continuously been involved in poverty alleviation issues. It was in 1993 that she decided to set up Breadline Africa to help ease poverty in South Africa. “The ethos is very much that it's better to let the African person decide what they need and then help them,” she says. She believes that you need to do what you can to help, no matter how enormous the scale of poverty is in South Africa.

 Frances Greathead at Oxburgh Hall

 

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]]> The Khayelitsha Music School http://www.breadlineafrica.org/post/2229/the-khayelitsha-music-school http://www.breadlineafrica.org/post/2229/ Fundraising Projects Edna 2009-06-24T09:33:32+00:00 Wed, 24 Jun 2009 09:33:32 +0000 I believe in the healing power of music. Music can stimulate a growing person's mind and can enhance one's faith...two vital aspects in the fight against poverty.  Thus the work that Nkosikhona Nyawula does can be seen as revolutionary in its effort t...]]> I believe in the healing power of music. Music can stimulate a growing person's mind and can enhance one's faith...two vital aspects in the fight against poverty.  Thus the work that Nkosikhona Nyawula does can be seen as revolutionary in its effort to eradicate poverty.

This talented man heads a group called Township Rural School of African Musical Instrument (TRSAMI) which  is a community-based cultural organisation based in Khayelitsha. TRSAMI is focused on providing training on musical instruments  especially to those from the extremely low-income areas. Their aim is to provide teaching of musical instruments for the youth and adults.  They provide marimba lessons for the communities whereby individuals will come and join their music school.  They would also like to extend this to schools so that they could join them as a group.

I found their willingness to share their musical knowledge and their ability to inspire the youth very moving. It gives me hope that this group of young men has found music to be soothing to the soul despite their impoverished surroundings. As the saying goes:

If music is the soul of love, then play on....


 

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]]> Inspiring women http://www.breadlineafrica.org/post/2228/inspiring-women http://www.breadlineafrica.org/post/2228/ Fundraising Edna 2009-06-22T11:43:28+00:00 Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:43:28 +0000 What inspires women to take care of orphaned, abandoned, and mentally and physically challenged children? There are some people out there that would give all their love and care to these little ones. I was fortunate enough...]]> What inspires women to take care of orphaned, abandoned, and mentally and physically challenged children? There are some people out there that would give all their love and care to these little ones. I was fortunate enough to meet two of these inspiring ladies last week, Khuti and Patience, who have opened their homes and their hearts to accept these children.

One of my vivid memories from that visit involves a young child that they have take into their children’s home called Khuti’s Home.  This young girl was in a wheelchair and was smiling and moving her little hands and body. Her body language was so clear, I could see that the love and attention that she was getting from her foster mother was so genuine that she responded with a big smile.

I hugged them and thanked them both as I was moved by what I had seen and I could not stay long so I promised that I will come and visit them again. After all I am also a mother….
 

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]]> Inside the mind of ... Alistair Fairweather http://www.breadlineafrica.org/post/2227/inside-the-mind-of-alistair-fairweather http://www.breadlineafrica.org/post/2227/ People Online Giving Marianna Boguslavsky 2009-06-11T07:39:49+00:00 Thu, 11 Jun 2009 07:39:49 +0000 If you judge a brand by the person who represents it, then my impressions of 24.com would have to be that of professionalism, knowledgeableness and innovation. I had the pleasure of meeting up with Alistair Fairweather, the Social Media Manager for 24.com, to kick off the very first in our series of ‘Inside the mind of….’ blog posts. On a monthly basis, I will be interviewing some very smart techy people and focusing on the way NPOs could use their company’s technology and websites. Luckily for me, Alistair had agreed to give up some of his precious time to chat to me about his career, the way NPOs could utilize 24.com and his deep irritation with people who call Bing a decision engine.

Alistair studied journalism and new media at Rhodes University, worked as a web designer in the UK and upon his return to South Africa, climbed the corporate ladder at 24.com to become their Social Media Manager. Here are his thoughts on NPOs and the online world…

What are the current online trends that are relevant to your company?

That would definitely have to be the real time trend. People communicating in real time – a great example of this being the micro blogging platform Twitter. The continuous real time interactions make for a constantly changing web of trends and topics. The internet is no longer a collection of static pieces of content but something that evolves and morphs on a daily or even hourly basis. The web is increasingly about public conversations and debates – and less about the old model of mass publishing. We are harnessing these trends in our newest project, which is still very much a secret. What I can tell you is that it will use principles from services like Twitter, Friendfeed, Disqus and Squidoo, as well as plenty of our own secret sauce to introduce ordinary South Africans to real-time public conversation.

What experience have you had with NPOs?

I haven’t had that much experience with charities in my professional capacity except for the 24.com Bloggers Who Care initiative. In May 2008, a group of 24.com bloggers started a charity drive to help the needy and one of the events organized was the Midrand Mardi Gras to help a number of local charities raise money.

How would a NPO be able to utilize your website to create awareness?

Our website provides a fantastic blogging platform for NPOs. Anyone (even non techy people) can set up a blog on the blogs.24.com platform and develop a SA wide network of readers. For those preferring other blogging platforms such as Wordpress, we will soon be introducing a new feature whereby you can post a blog on Wordpress and it will be automatically published on blogs.24.com so you will be building an even bigger community around it.

In terms of your experience and your personal opinion, what websites/social media are integral to NPOs?

All charities should have a definitive blogging presence and they should be using social media such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to communicate with their potential and current donors. The great thing about having a blog on 24.com is that our blogging platform comes with a ‘built in’ audience…which is a must, especially for local charities.

Which tech businesses or websites do you think are the ones to watch now?

Well these are just some of the dozens of exciting sites out there…

http://boxee.tv/ - These convergence cowboys make it painless to watch anything you can find online on your TV, as easily as changing a channel.
 
http://www.spotify.com/ - Free and legal music – like Pandora or Last.fm but with a much bigger catalogue and free (ad supported)

http://posterous.com/ - A no-fuss, instant, post-via-email blogging platform with a beautiful clean design. And they integrate into the rest of your social media in a snap – really impressive in its power and simplicity.

http://www.bing.com/ - Yes, that’s right, Microsoft’s search engine. A lot of people have written it off without even trying it, but it has some great features (like comparative shopping with built-in discounts), and it’s really, really fast. I just wish they would stop calling it a decision engine – that phrase is lame.

Well for all those NPOs that were not sure about building an online presence, creating a social network and engaging the community to raise awreness and funds, now thanks to Alistair, you have a great starting point.

 

 

 

 

 

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]]> Road tripping to Nieuwoudtville http://www.breadlineafrica.org/post/2226/road-tripping-to-nieuwoudtville http://www.breadlineafrica.org/post/2226/ Projects People Marianna Boguslavsky 2009-06-02T11:41:00+00:00 Tue, 02 Jun 2009 11:41:00 +0000 It was a sunny Wednesday afternoon when Edna, Catherine and I set off for the sleepy village of Nieuwoudtville. Five hours later, the sun had gone down, the snacks were finished, and we were inexplicably lost. After veering off onto a gravel road, Edna fin...]]> It was a sunny Wednesday afternoon when Edna, Catherine and I set off for the sleepy village of Nieuwoudtville. Five hours later, the sun had gone down, the snacks were finished, and we were inexplicably lost. After veering off onto a gravel road, Edna finally decided it was time to call for directions and half an hour later we arrived at our destination. The village of Nieuwoudtville lies on the Bokkeveld Plateau, where the Cape Fynbos meets the Hantam Karoo, Bushmenland and the Knersvlakte. It is a place of silence, one main road, no restaurants and a bank that is open three days a week. Needless to say we were in bed by 9pm!

One of the main reasons for this site visit was to learn more about the Heiveld Co-operative. This Co-op consists mainly of previously disadvantaged farmers as well as other disadvantaged members of the community that are now part of the small-scale farmers that produce organic Fair Trade rooibos tea. Rooibos is an indigenous South African plan that is rich in minerals, anti-oxidants and vitamins. So not only will you be helping to improve the life of small-scale farmers in South Africa when you purchase this special tea but you will also be helping to sustain the unique culture of the local people (they live in small huts, cook food in big black pots on an open fire and sleep under the stars…what a life).

The highlight of our road trip would definitely have to be the feast prepared by the ladies of the Melkkraal area. They had spent two whole days preparing a traditional African potjie for us and we were incredibly touched by the generosity, kindness and warmth of these women that have to face so many hardships in their daily lives.


 Edna Titus and Marianna Boguslavsky with Katrina

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]]> Bloggers Unite for the Blogger Bake Off http://www.breadlineafrica.org/post/2221/bloggers-unite-for-the-blogger-bake-off http://www.breadlineafrica.org/post/2221/ Blogger Bake Off People Online Giving Marianna Boguslavsky 2009-06-01T11:11:06+00:00 Mon, 01 Jun 2009 11:11:06 +0000 The Worldwide Blogger Bake Off has harnessed the power of the blogosphere as Breadline Africa and the BBO are currently featured on Worldwide Blogger Bake Off has harnessed the power of the blogosphere as Breadline Africa and the BBO are currently featured on  Bloggers Unite. Bloggers all over the world are encouraged to blog about this worthy online initiative TODAY. The Worldwide Blogger Bake Off allows people to improve the lives of poor communities from the comfort of their own home. The Breadline Africa Blogger Bake Off is a campaign that aims to raise funds to alleviate poverty in Africa.

People worldwide are being encouraged to join the Blogger Bake Off, submit their baking recipes and photos, tag other bloggers to do the same and donate online to this amazing cause. The public has the power to contribute online to Breadline Africa’s projects of converting containers into soup kitchens, classrooms and clinics.

The Breadline Africa team raises money from various parts of the world via the internet to support community projects and promote hope and sustainability in Africa.  We are hoping that by partnering with Bloggers Unite we will create the much needed awareness that will serve as a catalyst in the large scale promotion of Breadline Africa and the Blogger Bake Off.
 

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]]> Breadline Africa brief live on Idea Bounty http://www.breadlineafrica.org/post/2204/breadline-africa-brief-live-on-idea-bounty http://www.breadlineafrica.org/post/2204/ Online Giving Marianna Boguslavsky 2009-05-23T10:34:10+00:00 Sat, 23 May 2009 10:34:10 +0000 I'm a huge fan of Idea Bounty. Basically it’s a creative crowd sourcing platform which links clients with briefs and creatives with innovative ideas. Idea Bounty allows clients to reach out to a worldwide creati...]]> I'm a huge fan of Idea Bounty. Basically it’s a creative crowd sourcing platform which links clients with briefs and creatives with innovative ideas. Idea Bounty allows clients to reach out to a worldwide creative audience. The website has attracted a number of high profile brands from BMW to FNB and Castle Lager.

Thus I am very pleased to announce that Breadline Africa is the first charity to host a brief on Idea Bounty as they have decided to mark their sixth month of business with a brief that focuses on helping a really worthy cause. Our brief went live yesterday on the Idea Bounty website and the whole Breadline Africa team is very excited about finding an innovative online fundraising idea that will aid the various projects that we support.

To all the creatives out there...GOOD LUCK! We hope to see some brilliant ideas.

 

 

 

 

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]]> Want to stay in a container? http://www.breadlineafrica.org/post/2187/want-to-stay-in-a-container http://www.breadlineafrica.org/post/2187/ Containers Marianna Boguslavsky 2009-05-19T10:37:13+00:00 Tue, 19 May 2009 10:37:13 +0000

Thought your company stuck you in a small hotel room on your last business trip? Now imagine if you were staying at 41 Berangan. This Malaysian hotel is an 11-room budget hotel with a difference.  Two of the rooms in the hotel are constructed from empty, 20-foot shipping containers. Yes containers. The same containers that Breadline Africa uses to convert them into soup kitchens and classrooms, only now the people of Kuala Lumpur are converting them into hotel rooms! Each features a garden view as well as an attached bathroom and other amenities including air conditioning, internet access, continental breakfast and 24-hour reception.

We at Breadline Africa are all about containers. We started our container programme in 1992. The idea came about when a number of shipping containers became available. This was when Breadline Africa decided to use them for communities who did not have the infrastructure or the funds to build soup kitchens, classrooms or clinics. Seventeen years later we are still going strong…and we are proud to say we have placed over 200 containers all over South Africa!

 

 

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]]> Blogger Bake Off featured in Smashing Magazine http://www.breadlineafrica.org/post/2175/blogger-bake-off-featured-in-smashing-magazine http://www.breadlineafrica.org/post/2175/ Fundraising Marianna Boguslavsky 2009-05-15T09:44:52+00:00 Fri, 15 May 2009 09:44:52 +0000 Well we all here at Breadline Africa think our Blogger Bake Off website is pretty awesome. But we are quite biased. So imagine our surprise and pleasure when ...]]> Well we all here at Breadline Africa think our Blogger Bake Off website is pretty awesome. But we are quite biased. So imagine our surprise and pleasure when we read this Smashing Magazine article. 

The Worldwide Blogger Bake Off website was chosen as one of the top 20 examples of great non profit websites in terms of website design. We are in very good company as some of the other websites that were chosen are charity:water, Oxfam America and Amnesty international. We were rated as one of the more Web 2.0-ish non profit sites with an easy to navigate homepage.

Congrats to everyone involved in creating this amazing website for a great and worthy cause.

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