Christmas offers which will help to save you moneyHere is a selection of the most popular offers available in our webshop. Every purchase made at www.buy.at/AVIF will result in a donation to AVIF, don’t forget every purchase counts. Don't forget not only do these offers help you to save money; every purchase you make will raise funds for AVIF. Visit www.buy.at/AVIF for more great offers from over 150 top retailers. | ||||||||
| Forward this mail on to help AVIF raise funds. Please forward this mail on if you think that you know people who would like to receive it. Responsible emailingRemember if someone receives this mail from you, then tells you they don't want to receive a similar one again you must not send them future messages. If you are considering forwarding it on you must do so only to people who you consider would like to receive it and to whom the content is relevant. If you have a formally-managed list you must only send it to those who have expressed that they wish to receive such mail from you. Purchases made through www.buy.at/AVIF are made according to the information and terms provided by the company making the sale to you. Further details on using the buy.at shop are provided on the site. |
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Christmas offers from www.buy.at/AVIF
Sheer innovation
Marie (Summer 2007) just sent these for the memories and the reminder of what we're all doing, and why. Each tells their own story, thanks for sharing, Marie x
... and finally my favourite and the reason we're talking with eRanger.com about utility motorbikes ...
... and finally my favourite and the reason we're talking with eRanger.com about utility motorbikes ...
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Simon's Tour d'Afrique
Good friend & fellow Sifter, Simon, is off to Africa in Jan 2009 to take part in the Tour d'Afrique, an 11,800Km bicycle race from Cairo to Capetown.
"It's going to be pretty tough. Aside from cycling on average 77 miles per day for 4 months, there will be plenty of other challenges. The altitude in Ethiopia (the rooftop of Africa up to 3,500m), temps of 50C, mosquitos, lack of modern facilities" ... Simon says he "can't wait :)"
He wants to raise money for ourselves and the Tour D'Afrique Foundation which donates bikes to aid access.
Simon's donations page is here on his blog. Alternatively simply pass the word around to publicise the trip or if you're able to assist with corporate sponsorship he can advertise your company, details available here. Simon will be "reporting back from Africa regularly with video's, photos and tales of various discomforts from the trip in the hope that his suffering will provide some brief amusement".
We wish you all the best, Simon, and that we were going too !
P.S. For another epic bicycle journey friends Fearghal & Simon are currently riding through France, appreciating the kindness of strangers, on their circumnavigation of the world. Keep up to date here.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Update to Handbook
New enquiries will receive the updated Handbook but we've added some help on Fundraising.
Fundraising promotes the work you are doing, the work AVIF is doing, the work our Kenyan partners are doing and raises awareness of the needs of the children in Kenya. It will also cover your travel expenses! It's not about paying for your airfare, its about getting you into Kenya, onsite, which is essential to the progress of our work.
Fundraising will draw friends and family together around a good cause and is an excellent entry to your CV.
Think carefully about your reasons for volunteering.
Remember these reasons throughout your fundraising.
Network - this means people helping people either financially or simply with advice and support.
Friends, family, everyone you know can help with brain-storming.
Ask all the people on your Christmas List !
Ask all the people on your email list, in your address book !
You can use AVIF's logos and images, as well as our FREE design services.
Get yourself a mature email address NOT wild_child@hotmail.com
Be prepared for people to say NO.
Be innovative.
• Include your name and contact details together with the AVIF's name and contact details so donors know the work you will be doing has been arranged by a committed, REAL organisation. We will give you as much detail about the project you will be assisting with.
• Explain how your work will make a difference to the local community
• Include a short biography of yourself with your picture and reasons for volunteering abroad.
Make a list of companies, organisations, places and people who you think will be interested in your project and send the leaflet to them.
Letter/email writing is an essential element of fundraising.
Large businesses receive hundreds of letters asking for donations every year so you need to make sure it goes to the right person and make sure it stands out. Always address a particular person.
Business will be most interested in the positive contribution to their CSR (corporate social responsibility) and good citizenship obligations, whereas grant-giving organisations also take into account the personal development the experience will bring you as an individual.
Be brief and to the point. One page is enough but keep your reasons for volunteering in mind when writing.
If you know senior members of a company, or you live close to company headquarters, your request will stand more chance of success. Contact employers of your friends and family. Companies will be more inclined to donate money if they have some kind of link with the individual, or Kenya.
Say exactly how much you need to raise and why and ask for a specific donation. Deadlines are also important: give a time limit for people to make a donation.
The bigger the organisation, or wealthier the individual, the more you can ask for.
Offer something in return; a presentation of your experience after the trip for the company newsletter, updating an online blog for donors to read about your progress week by week, company acknowledgement on AVIF website, wearing the company logo on a T-shirt during your trip.
Telephone prospective donors. Many companies may read your letter and put it to one side – they may only be reminded about your request once you phone them to follow up.
Use the media
For help with media contacts, photographs or writing your press releases, contact AVIF.
If you know of any specific publications or contacts you would like to target, highlight them in your correspondence.
Newspapers
Send press releases to the appropriate editor or other media contact. If in doubt telephone, explain what you are doing and ask for the contact details of the most relevant people.
News is about “new” things and people.
Target your local newspapers, specialist magazines, company newsletters, local radio stations.
Create your own website e.g. www.justgiving.com
Put leaflets on your old school/college or on your university notice boards.
Ask your university or employer for their support.
Individual trusts have been set up to help people with worthy causes. Just Google Individual trusts.
The Directory of Grant Making Trusts – check your local library as this is expensive to buy. The CD ROM version is very useful as the directory lists 3,500 grant making trusts with extensive indices including geographical area, field of interest and type of beneficiary.
The Directory of Smaller Grant Making Trusts – covers more than 1,000 smaller trusts and is
useful for small-scale, local fundraising.
The Educational Grants Directory – contains a list of 1,200 local and national educational charities that support students.
Contact us with any questions.
Fundraising promotes the work you are doing, the work AVIF is doing, the work our Kenyan partners are doing and raises awareness of the needs of the children in Kenya. It will also cover your travel expenses! It's not about paying for your airfare, its about getting you into Kenya, onsite, which is essential to the progress of our work.
Fundraising will draw friends and family together around a good cause and is an excellent entry to your CV.
Think carefully about your reasons for volunteering.
Remember these reasons throughout your fundraising.
Network - this means people helping people either financially or simply with advice and support.
Friends, family, everyone you know can help with brain-storming.
Ask all the people on your Christmas List !
Ask all the people on your email list, in your address book !
You can use AVIF's logos and images, as well as our FREE design services.
Get yourself a mature email address NOT wild_child@hotmail.com
Be prepared for people to say NO.
Be innovative.
• Include your name and contact details together with the AVIF's name and contact details so donors know the work you will be doing has been arranged by a committed, REAL organisation. We will give you as much detail about the project you will be assisting with.
• Explain how your work will make a difference to the local community
• Include a short biography of yourself with your picture and reasons for volunteering abroad.
Make a list of companies, organisations, places and people who you think will be interested in your project and send the leaflet to them.
Letter/email writing is an essential element of fundraising.
Large businesses receive hundreds of letters asking for donations every year so you need to make sure it goes to the right person and make sure it stands out. Always address a particular person.
Business will be most interested in the positive contribution to their CSR (corporate social responsibility) and good citizenship obligations, whereas grant-giving organisations also take into account the personal development the experience will bring you as an individual.
Be brief and to the point. One page is enough but keep your reasons for volunteering in mind when writing.
If you know senior members of a company, or you live close to company headquarters, your request will stand more chance of success. Contact employers of your friends and family. Companies will be more inclined to donate money if they have some kind of link with the individual, or Kenya.
Say exactly how much you need to raise and why and ask for a specific donation. Deadlines are also important: give a time limit for people to make a donation.
The bigger the organisation, or wealthier the individual, the more you can ask for.
Offer something in return; a presentation of your experience after the trip for the company newsletter, updating an online blog for donors to read about your progress week by week, company acknowledgement on AVIF website, wearing the company logo on a T-shirt during your trip.
Telephone prospective donors. Many companies may read your letter and put it to one side – they may only be reminded about your request once you phone them to follow up.
Use the mediaFor help with media contacts, photographs or writing your press releases, contact AVIF.
If you know of any specific publications or contacts you would like to target, highlight them in your correspondence.
Newspapers
Send press releases to the appropriate editor or other media contact. If in doubt telephone, explain what you are doing and ask for the contact details of the most relevant people.
News is about “new” things and people.
Target your local newspapers, specialist magazines, company newsletters, local radio stations.
Create your own website e.g. www.justgiving.com
Put leaflets on your old school/college or on your university notice boards.
Ask your university or employer for their support.
Individual trusts have been set up to help people with worthy causes. Just Google Individual trusts.
The Directory of Grant Making Trusts – check your local library as this is expensive to buy. The CD ROM version is very useful as the directory lists 3,500 grant making trusts with extensive indices including geographical area, field of interest and type of beneficiary.
The Directory of Smaller Grant Making Trusts – covers more than 1,000 smaller trusts and is
useful for small-scale, local fundraising.
The Educational Grants Directory – contains a list of 1,200 local and national educational charities that support students.
Contact us with any questions.
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Monday, November 10, 2008
Wise words from the volunteers
After brilliant results from the latest volunteers in Uhundha village, we've been discussing that necessary evil; Money.
I'd like to share some comments that we all need to remember, wise words indeed from Soraya & James, Summer 2007 volunteers. They kindly shared some photos with us too.
I strongly believe in transparency and honesty. AVIF has never been about money, our only wish is to assist in sustainable development. Of course there are costs involved in volunteering in Kenya, which is exactly why we don't charge fees on top, but since it is always a personal choice of the volunteer to travel over, AVIF only serves to make it a successful, inspiring experience for all concerned. Everybody wins.
Soraya explains ".....we paid 1500ksh [US$20] a week for fish or meat to be delivered twice a week and for some salad and tomatoes. I know this is a lot more than what it costs and seems extortionate compared to local prices....but we offered extra because of the small costs that most people don't realise these people incurred just to get food to us...such as petrol/motorbike fare to get to Usenge, and also the fact that if we ever received milk or tomatoes from someone's shamba [agricultural small holding], it was at the expense of them going without as much produce to sustain themselves...and for that reason we were happy to pay extra, and didn't feel like there was anything wrong with the people involved in helping us get local produce benefiting a little financially."
"We were extremely clear after our first meeting that we were not there to give money and everyone seemed to respect that so money never really became an issue". If each volunteer simply hands over money, "the danger is that this lovely community who expected nothing from James and I (and who were truly excited about doing things to help themselves by the time we left) will soon get used to being overpaid/receiving gifts and this would be very negative in the long term so I would be keen to work with you to make sure this doesn't happen - not only because I agree volunteers should not be taken advantage of...but most importantly because the whole point of sending volunteers should be about finding ways to improve self-sufficiency."
"....I think the key is reinforcing that the placement is unpaid, and that volunteers will discuss costs on arrival but not to go beyond that...otherwise it becomes too business like and it shouldn't be about money....in reality, you cannot put a price on how much it costs to keep a volunteer so we did as much for ourselves as possible and gave very discreetly for anything that was provided for us."
I hope volunteers will take this advice.
Many thanks, Soraya
I'd like to share some comments that we all need to remember, wise words indeed from Soraya & James, Summer 2007 volunteers. They kindly shared some photos with us too.
I strongly believe in transparency and honesty. AVIF has never been about money, our only wish is to assist in sustainable development. Of course there are costs involved in volunteering in Kenya, which is exactly why we don't charge fees on top, but since it is always a personal choice of the volunteer to travel over, AVIF only serves to make it a successful, inspiring experience for all concerned. Everybody wins.
Soraya explains ".....we paid 1500ksh [US$20] a week for fish or meat to be delivered twice a week and for some salad and tomatoes. I know this is a lot more than what it costs and seems extortionate compared to local prices....but we offered extra because of the small costs that most people don't realise these people incurred just to get food to us...such as petrol/motorbike fare to get to Usenge, and also the fact that if we ever received milk or tomatoes from someone's shamba [agricultural small holding], it was at the expense of them going without as much produce to sustain themselves...and for that reason we were happy to pay extra, and didn't feel like there was anything wrong with the people involved in helping us get local produce benefiting a little financially."
"We were extremely clear after our first meeting that we were not there to give money and everyone seemed to respect that so money never really became an issue". If each volunteer simply hands over money, "the danger is that this lovely community who expected nothing from James and I (and who were truly excited about doing things to help themselves by the time we left) will soon get used to being overpaid/receiving gifts and this would be very negative in the long term so I would be keen to work with you to make sure this doesn't happen - not only because I agree volunteers should not be taken advantage of...but most importantly because the whole point of sending volunteers should be about finding ways to improve self-sufficiency."
"....I think the key is reinforcing that the placement is unpaid, and that volunteers will discuss costs on arrival but not to go beyond that...otherwise it becomes too business like and it shouldn't be about money....in reality, you cannot put a price on how much it costs to keep a volunteer so we did as much for ourselves as possible and gave very discreetly for anything that was provided for us."
I hope volunteers will take this advice.
Many thanks, Soraya
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Christmas starts at www.buy.at/AVIF
Shop and support AVIF this Christmas.Take the hassle out of Christmas shopping and browse over 5 million products in our webshop. Our most popular retailers include: Every time you make a purchase at our webshop a donation will be generated for AVIF. You could also help AVIF win £1000! If our webshop generates more purchases than any other buy.at webshop we will win £1000! Find out more here. The Perfect Gift for Chocolate Lovers.
Visit www.buy.at/AVIF for more great offers from over 150 top retailers. | ||||||||
| Forward this mail on to help AVIF raise funds. Please forward this mail on if you think that you know people who would like to receive it. Responsible emailingRemember if someone receives this mail from you, then tells you they don't want to receive a similar one again you must not send them future messages. If you are considering forwarding it on you must do so only to people who you consider would like to receive it and to whom the content is relevant. If you have a formally-managed list you must only send it to those who have expressed that they wish to receive such mail from you. Purchases made through www.buy.at/AVIF are made according to the information and terms provided by the company making the sale to you. Further details on using the buy.at shop are provided on the site. |
Monday, November 03, 2008
Afrigator just got Afrigreater
What is AfriGreater?
Africa's best social media aggregator has partnered with Africa's coolest T-shirt company, SpringLeap.com and are giving away t-shirts to their favourite African bloggers. Simply by writing this blog post about our BIG LOVE for Afrigator, we may just win (and of course are promoting their great work).
So wish us luck & have a great day, Justin, Lester & all the team!
Results
I just received a full report from our 2 volunteers in Uhundha village on the shores of Lake Victoria, Bondo district in western Kenya. Wow!
Ben consults for ADAS, specialising in sustainable development and climate change. He just spent 2 months living within the Uhundha community, with partner, Katalin, who works within the European Business Assembly, which supports the development of economic, educational and cultural ties, a skill she put to work in the community. Their joint placement has resulted in a major proposal being submitted to the Bondo Fisheries Department and the European Union to construct a modern fish shed on nearby Honge Beach. "The hard working fishermen there are currently selling fish at very low prices (set by the buyers) .. due to the lack of a modern shed."
In addition, a fish-farming project (aquaculture), served by windmills pumping water inland, has been planned. Moi University is advising the community. Solar cookers were demonstrated and introduced and a fantastic re-vegetation project began with a tree-nursery planted at the Nyayo Primary School.
Ben & Katalin instilled self-reliance and initiative into the community, something we firmly believe in. AVIF has never been financially involved with a host. We provide information and opportunity, and we can do this at no or low cost, which is why we have no need to charge fees. As Ben & Katalin advise in their report, future AVIF volunteers need to continue instilling self-reliance .. "a big culture change for most".
Corruption does exist. It can also ruin a trip, marr your experience & can get under your skin! Volunteers should always check that what you're paying out to help others, WILL ACTUALLY DO THAT.
Lastly, on Ben's advise, rather than paying for a solar cooker, we can now help to distribute the wealth of carbon-trading business in the west, offsetting their CO2 emissions by giving solar cookers freely to developing countries such as Kenya. Utilising the global but locally-ran introduction & training services of SCI this should only improve the effectiveness of an already-fantastic concept.
I'd like to thank Ben & Katalin, and all our volunteers, for all their incredible help and generosity, past, present and future.
Ben consults for ADAS, specialising in sustainable development and climate change. He just spent 2 months living within the Uhundha community, with partner, Katalin, who works within the European Business Assembly, which supports the development of economic, educational and cultural ties, a skill she put to work in the community. Their joint placement has resulted in a major proposal being submitted to the Bondo Fisheries Department and the European Union to construct a modern fish shed on nearby Honge Beach. "The hard working fishermen there are currently selling fish at very low prices (set by the buyers) .. due to the lack of a modern shed."
In addition, a fish-farming project (aquaculture), served by windmills pumping water inland, has been planned. Moi University is advising the community. Solar cookers were demonstrated and introduced and a fantastic re-vegetation project began with a tree-nursery planted at the Nyayo Primary School.
Ben & Katalin instilled self-reliance and initiative into the community, something we firmly believe in. AVIF has never been financially involved with a host. We provide information and opportunity, and we can do this at no or low cost, which is why we have no need to charge fees. As Ben & Katalin advise in their report, future AVIF volunteers need to continue instilling self-reliance .. "a big culture change for most".
Corruption does exist. It can also ruin a trip, marr your experience & can get under your skin! Volunteers should always check that what you're paying out to help others, WILL ACTUALLY DO THAT.
Lastly, on Ben's advise, rather than paying for a solar cooker, we can now help to distribute the wealth of carbon-trading business in the west, offsetting their CO2 emissions by giving solar cookers freely to developing countries such as Kenya. Utilising the global but locally-ran introduction & training services of SCI this should only improve the effectiveness of an already-fantastic concept.
I'd like to thank Ben & Katalin, and all our volunteers, for all their incredible help and generosity, past, present and future.
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