2009 Holiday Challenge

The Holiday challenge was indeed challenging. It was the grueling self-reflecting process I thought it'd be. The first day of the challenge, I joined and wrote a blog post. Then on the second, invited as many friends to the facebook group and invited them to join the givology group. I'm used to writing about givology, but usually to strangers and new people but I'd forgotten about the many people on my email list that I hadn't directly asked to be a part of givology. It was a good experience in that regard to inform those I care about to take a look at our organization.
The next days past by and I wasn't sure of what to do for a fundraiser. Then I went to a viewing called "What are we doing here?" a documentary about the behind the scenes of western institutions efforts to aid poverty in Africa. The documentary was an eye opener, one that made me believe that it is still important to donate and help but to be critical and smart about knowing where the money goes. Although I didn't collect any money for minifundraiser yet, I did dogsit for my sister's indefatigable puppy which took up my entire weekend. How does this relate to Givology? Well, I see that postchallenge how during the period since I started the challenge, it enabled me to give in ways that I hadn't before. For example, as a college student, time is one of the most precious things to me, but it didn't seem to cost me so much to offer my time when I thought about how much my sister would benefit from it. Also, another example is how I've learned through this challenge the way that I've changed my way of looking at these organizations. I thought before it was okay not to give my money to big corporations because I had heard a lot about how the dollar doesn't directly feed the people or help them and this deterred me away from donating, but I realize that wasn't the only reason behind my distrust. The stories about their unreliability was an excuse for me not to care, or bother to look a little closer at the problem. Before I'm sure someone would have needed to physically undo my fingers from the twenty clutched in my hands, and honestly, would have felt as a loss, but I can say sincerely that this time, it was not at all. I did believe in the cause I was giving to but not mindlessly, it was because I could crtically think and know where the good was going.
As Sarah mentioned in her blog before, education and therefore awareness makes people active and capable of change. We cannot forget that although at times there are unreliable and ineffective methods being used in these NGOs, the problems do not go away. The people in poverty are still people in poverty. Face the issue, realize the power of caring and giving discerningly.

-Eunice

ps. eProps those who came up with this challenge. :)

On completing this challenge, unfortunately a day late, I am very glad to have done this and I it has made me think a little deeper (or at least more consistently) about education. As a nanny, I am around children all day. Their families are at least lower middle class, and for the most part upper middle class and all extremely well educated, with both parents possessing at least a Masters degree if not a PhD, so education is very highly valued. I get to do a lot of tutoring and reading with the kids, and that is one of my favorite parts of my job. Not to sound horribly corny, but watching a person learn how to read is one of the most beautiful, exciting, and rewarding experiences ever. It opens their mind in ways that aren’t really describable. Also, because they are literate, you know that their life possibilities have been immeasurably increased.
For days 2 and 3 of the challenge, I invited friends to join Givology and our facebook account, and messaged students at the Circle of Peace School. While neither of these activities took more than about 20-30 minutes, the repetition of doing something every day and thinking about education (not the school or the projects we have, but education) made it stick in my mind. I work for and think about the Circle of Peace School all the time, often to the frustration of my friends. I get caught up in all the needs of the school, the building project, paying for the orphans’ food and clothing and text books, all the money we need, the different fundraisers we are planning, who I need to email about the diamond raffle, who I need to call about refreshments for the reception, what spreadsheet I need to create, etc., etc., etc. I think I forget why we are doing all of this, or maybe I never really realized. It is so the kids in Uganda can have the same chances and happiness as the kids I nanny for.
The most profound part of the challenge for me was talking with a 10 year old girl about education and educational disparities. She was so perceptive. My favorite comment was that without education, she would not have realized how unfeminist Barbie dolls are. This is so true! At least in my life, my ability to think analytically and critically and to form an argument based on facts that supports my opinion has grown directly in proportion to my level of educational attainment. I went to an extremely conservative private school in Richmond, Virginia, one where the concept of ‘unfeminism’ wasn’t discussed. However, they provided me with the best basic education (reading, writing, analysis, history, science, math) that money can buy. Even though the ideas they taught me weren’t always very liberal or critical, the education they gave me afforded me the chance to think critically on my own and the confidence to come up with my own opinion and argue for it. The most poignant moment for me was when she said she thought she wouldn’t be as happy without education. This is also very true for me.
So, in summation, the repercussions of education are endless, as are the repercussions of a lack of education. The challenge reinforced this point in my mind, and I appreciate that.

So, sorry this is a day late, but I had a crazy week last week and then, honestly, I played in the snow all weekend. It was awesome.
Moving on, for Day 4 of the challenge, I decided to spread awareness by talking to someone about global educational disparities, and seeing what their opinion was. I decided that since basically everyone on this blog is an adult, we should get the input of someone still in grade school like the students we are trying to raise fund for, so I asked a 10 year old girl. She is very mature, intelligent, thoughtful, and creative. I am able to spend a lot of time with her, as I part-time nanny for their family. I had already spoken with her about poverty and other conditions in Uganda, and the Circle of Peace School.
I asked her what she thought her life would be like if she was not educated. She responded that she thought she wouldn't know as much or be educated enough to realize that Barbie dolls were unfeminist (she is very aware of gender discrimination and extremely critical). I thought that was an excellent point, which I extrapolated (perhaps wrongly) to mean that if you were not educated, it would be harder to look at things analytically and critically and form an opinion based on fact, not propaganda. She said she would not be able to vote. Again, a very sharp comment. Not only would you just physically not be able to read the ballot, but it would be harder to get a full grasp of your rights as a citizen (you could not read the constitution or law), to see through political propaganda, and to know of things you can do to make your political opinion heard. If you have never read about Mahatma Gandhi or Martin Luther King Jr. or Malcolm X or Frantz Fanon, it would be far more difficult to have a group self-awareness and consciousness and from there to be able to protest (peacefully or not) again discrimination. She also said that she would not be as happy. I think this is the most telling statement. Can you imagine if never had the pleasure of getting absorbed in a novel? Or finally figuring out a math problem and then seeing how it relates to the world around you? While I feel that in many ways the most important benefits of education come in the forms of better job attainment, critical analysis of socio-economic disparities, and community development, however I know that my life would be far less rich and fulfilling if I couldn't read and wasn't academically stimulated.
I then asked her what she thought her life would be like if her parents were uneducated, and among other things, she responded that she would not have health insurance. While at first I thought this comment was a little off base, the more I thought about it, the more perceptive I realized it was. Often, a lack of education leads to lower income (and lower benefit) jobs, or unemployment. Also, without education, it would be far more difficult to fight and take a stand for your rights as an employ and citizen.
I then asked her what she thought her life would be like if most of the people in her community were not educated. She answered in a similar fashion, about being less aware and less happy. I think that here in the United States, where almost everyone is at least functionally literate, it is hard to imagine a life where few people you know are educated.
I am really glad I decided to ask a younger person, and I thought her perspective was very insightful, yet different. I could not have guessed what she was going to say. I really appreciate her help; she is a very kind and intelligent girl.

While I regret to say that I have not been very active on the website/holiday challenge section until today, I am proud that I say that the holiday challenge has still affected me and given me a greater depth of insight into the power of education. Although I cannot say that I have been participating in all of the holiday challenge events or even discussing/thinking about the holiday challenge everyday, merely joining and doing the holiday challenge has helped me to expand my level of thought and appreciation. From the first day of doing the challenge, while writing my introductory blog, I was forced to examine my life and the role of education within it. While I had previously thought of education as something no more than a forced hassle that took up my free time, really taking the time to examine its effect on me has made me appreciate just how important it is.

The website itself has also shown me that while education is important, there are many in the world who are unable to receive this simple yet opportunity-opening privilege. Taking time to look through the causes and all that people are doing to help expand education to those in need of it has also led me to appreciate the drive and work of others while also helping me to think of ways to help others myself. As a current college student hoping to become a doctor, I am extremely grateful for the education that I have received and will be receiving in the future. I am thankful to the givology website/holiday challenge and the people taking part in all of its events for helping me to realize and appreciate the gifts in my life and for helping to further the cause of education and giving the opportunity for a better life to the minds and souls who need it.

While I feel that the givology website is certainly a wonderful site that dedicates itself to not only making the lives of others better, but the world as well, I do feel that there are improvements that can be made to the website to further facilitate this goal.

One of the things I noticed about the website when I first logged on, was the lack of user-friendliness and seemingly excess clutter. Although the menu bar helps to organize the different features of the website, it is still difficult to navigate the site fully and find what you are looking with ease. One suggestion that I could make is to use a drop-down menu to show the sub-categories of each category instead of clicking on each. While this seems simple, it helps to show all the categories of the site relatively easy and can help speed up navigation significantly.

Another suggestion I could make is to add a highlight feature on the side of the website that emphasizes a different student and/or event each day. While I am aware this feature is already available on the homepage of the website, I feel that allowing it to run continually throughout each page will not only add to the effectiveness of the highlight but will also reach those who do not always check the front page or who are simply looking at one section/page of the website per day.

Another thing that could be added the website is a forum-like feature instead of the journal or blog which allows for quicker responses and/or sharing of ideas with others. Another thought is a running feed that allows users to connect and post immediately, allowing users to share or discuss any projects or things about the website or simply just give praise easily and quickly.

Today, I spoke with my friend, Sara Wong, about the "An Egg Every Day" project. The project is a cause that seeks to provide an egg, a food highly rich in protein and vitamins, a day to students and staff at Guan Ai boarding school in China. The program attempts to create a better life for the 128 students and staff members at Guan Ai by combating malnutrition, an unfortunately growing problem in Northwest China.

During our discussion, Sara and I explored the idea of the project, and were not only surprised at how effective such a seemingly simple measure could be, but were also disappointed with the lack of attention drawn to such simple tasks. A major comparison that we used when discussing this topic was the diet and lifestyle of Americans. While malnutrition is a growing problem in China, obesity has become an epidemic in the United States. These shocking facts not only emphasize how extreme the ends of the spectrum are, but also indicate how changes in our lifestyles, donating some of our food to those in need, can lead to better lives in both cultures. While this program has helped both of us to further appreciate the things we have, it has also driven us to take action and use simple steps to benefit and make better the lives of others in need.

Hello Givology,

My name is Sarah Gordon and I am a recent graduate of the University of Richmond and the secretary of the Givology Spiders. We are working hard to raise money for the Circle of Peace School in Uganda.
I majored in International Social Development and Policy in order to work in the development field in Africa. However, I am currently nannying. This has given me the wonderful experience of watching children grow and learn, specifically learn how to read. While it sounds very cliche, it is amazing how literacy opens another world for people. As soon as children start reading, they start thinking about things in a deeper and different way, and they develop in themselves a greater independence and self-conception. It is truly a beautiful experience. The United Nations declared the right to education a human right in 1948. It differed from many other human rights, in that it did not directly pertain to one's physical livelihood, and thus many feel it is a social right, not a human right. I disagree. Education is essential for the development of a person and is so crucial in determining a person's life possibilities. Education is also crucial on a community wide level, in that it encourages entrepreneurship and innovation.
I am looking forward to completing the Holiday Challenge. Thank you for coming up with such great ideas!

Dear giving team,

My name is Eunice Kim and I am a senior at the University of Richmond. It is exciting to see that givology is constantly coming up with creative ideas for fundraisers. I think the Holiday Challenge is a great one that is incredibly easy to do but one that is very effective. A new beginning of the spring semester is giving me renewed hope for the future of givology, particularly the organization at our school. We have new members on board, who I'm sure will be an asset to building a community at Richmond that cares about children's education. I believe that education is an incredibly powerful too that changes lives everyday, one that every being holds a right to have and is the key to solving many of the social injustice we see in today's world.

I think that this holiday challenge is a brilliant way to help memebers to self-reflect on our experience in education and a way to continue to self-educate. One of the problems I've noticed in myself since starting the chapter at my university is that I find little time to learn more about the process of nonprofit-fundraising organizations and the vast information offered on this website and others about these social issues. This can become a huge problem, when one of the main goals of our chapter is to inform other students about the Circle of Peace School. I need to continue to be updated about the conditions and needs over there and be reflective so that I can do the best to inform and educate others. Precise and accurate information is what we need.
As our networking grows ever deeper and wider and our compassion for those who need our help to receive education can be nurtured and spread through the blessings of high technology, I hope that we will never stop educating ourselves

I am now satisfied that my Givology Holiday Challenge is complete. Although I designed a microfundraiser idea and messaged a student, the activity I enjoyed the most was spreading the word. Givology’s mission is straightforward but exciting. I have so much confidence and enthusiasm for this organization that spreading the word about Givology feels natural. Passion is contagious and I hope the other individuals who participated in the Holiday Challenge felt the same way I have.

Reading student bios and participating in the Holiday Challenge constantly reminds me how important education is to life. Educated students do not just benefit themselves. They are able to spread their knowledge to fellow peers and family members. It can break a cycle of poverty that had been ingrained for decades. By participating in this challenge, I was exposed to numerous ways of aiding these students that I had not considered before. I realized just telling a friend was help in itself. These types of activities help me appreciate this organization, and I hope to participate in next year’s Holiday Challenge.

Hi everyone! My name is Julie Young; I'm 17 and am currently a senior at Georgetown Visitation in Washington, DC. I'm going to be a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania next year where I'll be getting a BS in economics at the Wharton School.

I'm new to Givology but am really interested in it. I worked at a low-income orphanage in Ayacucho, Peru during the summer of 2008 and helped a lot of the students with schoolwork. All the kids were really enthusiastic about learning, but it upset me to see so much potential in a place where it couldn't thrive. I truly think that education is the sparkplug for a cycle of success and I hope that I'll be able to contribute to Givology in as many ways as possible.