Hello my loyal readers!
I am still around, and the excuse for the lack of update? well, the lack of activities. The month of October so far has been a lot of GRE studying, money-begging to fund Books For Cameroon by the end of October and preparation for graduate school applications.
Concerning the project: we are making very good progress. With just $2k left to go, we hope the project will be funded by the end of the month. Actually, we have to. We don't really have a choice since I received an email from Peace Corps Washington with pressure to get things off the ground. Since this is very much an all-or-nothing project, we really need your help! Don't let the $9k we've raised go to waste! Spread your Christmas cheer early this year. Rumor has it the decorations are already up in some part of the States? Donate today!
This past week I visited the schools in Batié, and aside from one school that doesn't quite have a room ready, the rest all have at least a room, and some even had the shelves built. I was really impressed by the engagement of the school staff. While the challenges are still ahead in successfully implementing the project, I can already envision the rewarding feelings in the end.
Last week was Mid-Autumn Moon Festival for the Chinese, so I went to spend it with my Chinese family. I am quite sure I celebrate more Chinese holidays here in Cameroon than I did in the United States... Just two days before the holiday was China's 60th anniversary of the current government. My Chinese family has no other channel but CCTV - the State-run television- and it broadcasted special programming for both of the holidays.
After watching all weekend worth of CCTV with coverage of the celebration and also holiday programming, I began to think of China as this wonderful, heaven-like place, and why wouldn't all of us want to spend our lives there? Until I got home and was reading articles on the uncensored world-wide-web. And then I realized I was probably being brain-washed.
Yesterday was October 10th - the independence day of Taiwan. A day in my childhood when we didn't have to go to school and can watch fireworks. I was not at the Chineses' this weekend, but I can almost guarantee there was no coverage of the 10-10 holiday in Taiwan on CCTV.
As a Taiwanese/Chinese-American living in Cameroon, I don't have any particular strong feelings regarding the Taiwan/China politic. However, during times like this, I do get slightly lost and not sure which side I'm suppose to be "rooting for". This is precisely why we need global citizenship!
On an unrelated note, I had created a personal online portal for all the virtual contacts that I've been making via social media tools. Asian Polyglot will be the blog where I talk about everything outside of my Cameroon activities. But for the time being, they will overlap somewhat. Feel free to take a look!
Showing posts with label social media. Show all posts
Showing posts with label social media. Show all posts
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Freedom of Speech & Social Media
Today is September 19th, and Phase I of the Books For Cameroon project still needs $4,699. Just a month ago, on August 18th, I began tracking the progress, and on that date, we still needed $8,570. I am quite pleased with the progress and hope we can raise the remaining $4k by the end of September.
It hasn't been easy raising funds, but I am glad to see the hard work paying off. Since I am stuck in a village here in West Africa, the Internet is my only tool to promote the project. My desperation drove me to employ desperate measures that included posting a message for on all 600+ "friends" on Facebook and 1,000 or more people with open comment walls on Peace Corps Connect.
The Peace Corps network was really useful and I received some really positive and supportive responses. However, I did receive an email from the person in charge of PC Connect asking me to limit my posting to appropriate groups as some people thought my message were spams. I was really discouraged by this email since this was an important network of people and I felt I was being accused on unfair ground. Frankly, I saw it as an infringement on my right to free speech.
This brings up an important issue on the ever-growing world of social networks and technology in terms of marketing. On Peace Corps Connect, members have the option to leave their profiles public, and their comment boxes open for all. But they can also choose to moderate their comments, or set their profile page to friends-view only. I utilized this tool and posted a generic comment on all members who left their comment boxes for public access. I saw this as analogous to people putting fliers into one's mailbox advertising for one thing or another. People receiving it has every right to either pay attention to it, or throw it away, which they can do by deleting the comment. Not to mention the message was about a Peace Corps project, not inappropriate content or trying to sell things.
Anyway, rant over.
On a much more positive note, through my rampant posting of messages, I reached a RPCV from Cameroon. John was very glad I had found him through Peace Corps Connect and became very involved in advertising the project through his own social network. Also providing me with a plethora of other Cameroon RPCVs from his era. Through the power of multiplicity, I was able to reached so many supporters through just one person.
Besides provide me with essential network, John also made a hefty contribution through the websites that he created. These educational websites share the same vision as my Books For Cameroon project, and I'd like to take this opportunity and share them with you.
Time4Writing.com - Online writing courses from elementary through high school
Time4Learning.com - Home-school/after-school/summer learning curriculum
Vocabulary.co.il - Vocabulary Learning for K-12, ESL & Test Prep
SpellingCity.com - Vocabulary & Spelling Games
http://learning-fun.blogspot.com - Blog on learning & fun resources for kids
It hasn't been easy raising funds, but I am glad to see the hard work paying off. Since I am stuck in a village here in West Africa, the Internet is my only tool to promote the project. My desperation drove me to employ desperate measures that included posting a message for on all 600+ "friends" on Facebook and 1,000 or more people with open comment walls on Peace Corps Connect.
The Peace Corps network was really useful and I received some really positive and supportive responses. However, I did receive an email from the person in charge of PC Connect asking me to limit my posting to appropriate groups as some people thought my message were spams. I was really discouraged by this email since this was an important network of people and I felt I was being accused on unfair ground. Frankly, I saw it as an infringement on my right to free speech.
This brings up an important issue on the ever-growing world of social networks and technology in terms of marketing. On Peace Corps Connect, members have the option to leave their profiles public, and their comment boxes open for all. But they can also choose to moderate their comments, or set their profile page to friends-view only. I utilized this tool and posted a generic comment on all members who left their comment boxes for public access. I saw this as analogous to people putting fliers into one's mailbox advertising for one thing or another. People receiving it has every right to either pay attention to it, or throw it away, which they can do by deleting the comment. Not to mention the message was about a Peace Corps project, not inappropriate content or trying to sell things.
Anyway, rant over.
On a much more positive note, through my rampant posting of messages, I reached a RPCV from Cameroon. John was very glad I had found him through Peace Corps Connect and became very involved in advertising the project through his own social network. Also providing me with a plethora of other Cameroon RPCVs from his era. Through the power of multiplicity, I was able to reached so many supporters through just one person.
Besides provide me with essential network, John also made a hefty contribution through the websites that he created. These educational websites share the same vision as my Books For Cameroon project, and I'd like to take this opportunity and share them with you.
Time4Writing.com - Online writing courses from elementary through high school
Time4Learning.com - Home-school/after-school/summer learning curriculum
Vocabulary.co.il - Vocabulary Learning for K-12, ESL & Test Prep
SpellingCity.com - Vocabulary & Spelling Games
http://learning-fun.blogspot.com - Blog on learning & fun resources for kids
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
The Power of Social Media
The realm of social media is one among many things I never thought I would learn during my service in the Peace Corps. I have always enjoyed being connected to the greater world. Even when I didn't have easy access to Internet, I still diligently updated this blog to share my experiences with the world. My blog led to encouraging messages from many readers. At a time before my projects took shape, I was glad to still achieve goal III of the Peace Corps.
Months later, I was convinced to explore the world of Twitter, and became connected with a plethora of interesting people. My interest in social media really took off when Laurent Enzo François emailed me for an interview for his blogs in English & French. I talked about the irony of living without running water yet have Internet access. Through the interview, I began to realize I can use this connection to the world to promote my projects.
I am still new to the fascinating world of social media. After my vacation in June/July, I began exploring ways to utilize this new tool. Through Twitter, I connected with a friend from college. We hadn't talked in a long while, but since she is a PR expert, I turned to her for help with writing press releases. Later, she gave me the great idea to collaborate with classrooms and comes the creation of Classroom For Cameroon, and Campus/Community For Cameroon. Colleen talked about her experience helping Africa from her little home in St. Louis in her blog.
Last week, I read an inspiring article about Beth Kanter and her effort to raised over $3,000 within 90-minutes to send a girl to college in Cambodia. The idea was similar to mine - to motivate many people to make a small contribution. The difference is Beth has been building up her social network over the past 5 years, and I've only been on the scene for the past 5 months. Nonetheless, I was inspired. $3,000 in 90 minutes? There should be no reason why I can't raise $8,000 in 30 days.
Everyday, I am learning the struggle that comes with fund-raising, social media, and the like. Perhaps along the way, I offend a few people when I bombard the world with updates about my project. But the important thing is learning to not take it personally. After all, I am building libraries for African kids, not selling people things they don't need. Some days I have nightmares about not getting the project funded and I will leave Cameroon not building even one single library. Yet other days like today, I face the project with great optimism. With just 30 days to raise $8,000, it's lucky that those optimistic days occur far more frequently than the nightmares.
Months later, I was convinced to explore the world of Twitter, and became connected with a plethora of interesting people. My interest in social media really took off when Laurent Enzo François emailed me for an interview for his blogs in English & French. I talked about the irony of living without running water yet have Internet access. Through the interview, I began to realize I can use this connection to the world to promote my projects.
I am still new to the fascinating world of social media. After my vacation in June/July, I began exploring ways to utilize this new tool. Through Twitter, I connected with a friend from college. We hadn't talked in a long while, but since she is a PR expert, I turned to her for help with writing press releases. Later, she gave me the great idea to collaborate with classrooms and comes the creation of Classroom For Cameroon, and Campus/Community For Cameroon. Colleen talked about her experience helping Africa from her little home in St. Louis in her blog.
Last week, I read an inspiring article about Beth Kanter and her effort to raised over $3,000 within 90-minutes to send a girl to college in Cambodia. The idea was similar to mine - to motivate many people to make a small contribution. The difference is Beth has been building up her social network over the past 5 years, and I've only been on the scene for the past 5 months. Nonetheless, I was inspired. $3,000 in 90 minutes? There should be no reason why I can't raise $8,000 in 30 days.
Everyday, I am learning the struggle that comes with fund-raising, social media, and the like. Perhaps along the way, I offend a few people when I bombard the world with updates about my project. But the important thing is learning to not take it personally. After all, I am building libraries for African kids, not selling people things they don't need. Some days I have nightmares about not getting the project funded and I will leave Cameroon not building even one single library. Yet other days like today, I face the project with great optimism. With just 30 days to raise $8,000, it's lucky that those optimistic days occur far more frequently than the nightmares.
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