After the short stay at the YMCA in Dar es Salaam, I was introduced to my home for the next two and half weeks. I had mentioned before that they didn't have any running water and the facilities were ... um... different from those that I have been accustom to in the states. The water had to be pulled from a well, which was shared by a few families around the area. It was lifted out of the twelve-foot hole with a bucket on a rope (which can be seen on my youtube video www.youtube.com/omovision). Once the water was taken from the well they had dozens of buckets to use for various things. A bucket by the sink to wash your hands, one for a shower, one to flush the toilet which was at ground level and opened directly to the septic tank, another few buckets were used in the kitchen. Water to drink or to brush teeth was boiled to kill all the bacteria. The use of water was one of the biggest things I had to get used to. It was as if I was camping, which I have done before so it wasn't that challenging. Another challenge was the mosquitoes. Coming from a very wet area in Indiana I know what it's like to have mosquitoes as a constant nuisance after sunset, however there is a high percent of the Tanzania mosquitoes that carry the malaria virus. Because of this my evening scent became, 100% deet. A few sprays of deet, a long sleeve shirt and a pair of pants, both of which stuck to me due to the humidity, I was mostly protected from the mosquitoes... or mozzies as they call them here in Australia.
The home was always full with three daughters two sons, the house girl, two grandkids, and various other guests who would pop in periodically. Privacy was not part of my vocabulary during my stay in Africa. The most bathrooms had stalls which would close but the restroom itself was open or beside an open shower. This was never an issue just something that I am accustomed to and normally take for granted in the US or Australia. The windows had only screens and protective bars to keep the outside out. With the houses closely packed together noise was always an issue. Especially since a bars were littered amongst the homes every few blocks with music pounding until midnight or sometimes later. We slept under mosquito nets and without AC or fans would usually sleep without any form of blanket or sheet. Outside my screen covered window was a bat, which sent out a high-pitched beep from about 10:30pm until 3 or 4am. It wasn't until the third night that I realized the earplugs from the plane would muffle this sound enough to allow me to sleep. However the morning came loud and fast with the crows, chickens, roosters and rush of people queuing up for the dala dala (bus) ride into town... first come first serve.
The school consisted of a dirt courtyard, and half a dozen classrooms. A nursery school meets five days a week and the older kids start at 8am and go until 9pm. With this lengthy schedule I was given 8 hrs of class work a day. 5 hrs of computer classes and 2 hrs of English classes. The computer lab looked more like a computer junkyard. Piles of old computers lined the sidewall with a mismatch of five or six stations that were functioning. PCs from the nineties which in computer time is ages ago were chugging along to pull up word, excel, publisher, typing tutors and one powerhouse of a machine was connected via a 28.8K modem to a mobile phone line in an attempt to bring internet to these kids. It was frustrating to try and explain what the Internet was about when most of the time was spent loading or crashing. The kids were very eager to learn everything they could from me. They wanted to know all about computers and I was surprised to see just how computer savvy they were. Unfortunately the technology wasn't available to them. Hopefully future donations and advancements in technology will give them the tools they need to tap into the vast amount of information on the Internet. If anyone reading this has connections/access to companies or individuals willing to donate up to date technology or at least technology a few years old they would benefit greatly by it. Please contact me, omovision@yahoo.com....
The kids quickly tested me with my knowledge of computers and English. They were really sharp and kept me after class numerous times with their questions. I wish I could have given more. It's sad because these are kids that don't have the money to pay for their education. They have the potential and the desire but not the opportunity. Ezra ministries does it's best to give this opportunity at a lower and sometimes free cost. The most disheartening thing is that the one year of school which they can't afford is under $1000 American. Some of them only have two or three years to complete and they will have gotten their diploma. For the cost of a laptop, a big screen TV, a washer and dryer you could send a kid to school for a year if not longer. How amazing would it be if those of us that have the extra money for the big screen, or state of the art laptop, or a better washer/dryer, or whatever the material thing it is, decided to channel it instead to these kids and sponsor them through school allowing them to get there diploma and be armed with a solid education allowing doors to open for them and one by one step out of the limited poverty ridden life they were born into? I'm not saying or asking for anyone to do this... but think about it... every little bit helps. There are many organizations bringing education to places like Gmboto... (here's one...http://www.justlikemychild.com/ ..... and another.... http://www.sos-usa.org/ ... I'm sure there are many more google it.... :)
what are you doing to help?
Showing posts with label volunteer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label volunteer. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Tanzania Volunteer Project Beginning
I have just returned from a 2 week volunteer project in Tanzania. I spent the time teaching English and Computers to kids at the Ezra Ministries in Gongo la mboto a small village outside Dar Es Salaam. Unfortunately I was not able to update the blogs along the way since the interenet was hard to find and when it was found it was usually extremely slow... so... I'll use my journal to update my blogs.
I arrived in Dar es Salaam on August 31st. I didn't have a visa and was told by the immigration security to pay $50 US. Since I had been in Australia for the last 2 months I didn't have American money. To this they allowed me to duck the ropes to security, pass baggage claim and exit the airport to get cash. I then returned and they stamped my passport. Needless to say not the tightest of securities I have encountered. The first night was spent in the city centre under the YMCA's roof. If there was a star rating for this place it would most likely fall somewhere around one or two points of one star. However, this concrete floor, foam mattress, humid, screen covered window, rusted cold shower, mosquito ridden place would actually turn out to be quite luxurious compared to my host families home. Well at least as far as facilities, but definitely not in comparison to the love and laughter found every moment in my host faimlies house.
The next morning we had a brief orientation learning about safety while in Dar. Supposedly the night is very dangerous to travel alone for a Muzungu (white person). I was then taken to Ezra Ministries where I met Pastor Chi who gave me the details about my assignment. I was to be teaching computers, English and math to kids 14 years and older. Being that my math skills had been frozen in the back of my brain since college 12 years ago, my computer knowledge left in the cubical I worked in 5 years ago and my English.. well if you've read this far enough said, I was a bit worried at how I was going to teach these kids.
I arrived in Dar es Salaam on August 31st. I didn't have a visa and was told by the immigration security to pay $50 US. Since I had been in Australia for the last 2 months I didn't have American money. To this they allowed me to duck the ropes to security, pass baggage claim and exit the airport to get cash. I then returned and they stamped my passport. Needless to say not the tightest of securities I have encountered. The first night was spent in the city centre under the YMCA's roof. If there was a star rating for this place it would most likely fall somewhere around one or two points of one star. However, this concrete floor, foam mattress, humid, screen covered window, rusted cold shower, mosquito ridden place would actually turn out to be quite luxurious compared to my host families home. Well at least as far as facilities, but definitely not in comparison to the love and laughter found every moment in my host faimlies house.
The next morning we had a brief orientation learning about safety while in Dar. Supposedly the night is very dangerous to travel alone for a Muzungu (white person). I was then taken to Ezra Ministries where I met Pastor Chi who gave me the details about my assignment. I was to be teaching computers, English and math to kids 14 years and older. Being that my math skills had been frozen in the back of my brain since college 12 years ago, my computer knowledge left in the cubical I worked in 5 years ago and my English.. well if you've read this far enough said, I was a bit worried at how I was going to teach these kids.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Adaptation Leading to Acceptance (week 2)
The second week was very similar to the first week. We worked around the project knocking down corn, moving roof tiles, bleeding the irrigation lines for the strawberries and whatever else needed to be done around the property in the mornings. The afternoons were spent developing plans for the things we would teach the kids and then of course the 2 hr classes. This week I was mostly in charge of the English classes. For the younger kids we did fruits, animals, and colors on monday, tuesday was using those words in simple sentences, and wednesday we did a word puzzle first translating from Spanish to English then finding the English words in the puzzle. For the older kids we did simple sentences on Monday, then Days of the week on Tuesday then a word puzzle using common verbs.. from Spanish to English. Thursday was Sports day, much of this day can be found on my Kids of Cai Cay video. http://www.youtube.com/omovision And Friday my last day was movie day. The kids all watched Happy Feet in Spanish. Which by the way is not the best of movies.
As I finished out the week, I noticed how routine things got. The little things didn't bother me as much as the first week. I was able to sleep better in my unsupportive bed, partially due to extra blankets I stuffed in the middle. Although Thursday I was up most of the night with stomach issues and a major case of diarrhea, every hour I was running out the door, literally. The meals became tasty and I found the little positives about eating the same thing for two weeks. Going to bed early and getting up early became customary. Laundry by hand wasn't such a chore. The dirt under my nails wasn't so uncomfortable it just was the way things were. The dusty taste in my mouth from the dirt roads and adobe houses wasn't something I focused on. The open shower and camping towel felt soothing instead of cold and miserable. It was amazing to me how quickly I was able to adapt to the environment.
I discovered what I had first perceived as a struggle and below standard living conditions was actually just another way to live. It became more about embracing the environment instead of imposing my American standard upon the way of life in Cai Cay. Who's to say what is the "right" way to live? I believe choice is important and with a better education as well as the improved economics of the area we live, the amount of choice we have is increased. We all have choice some more than others, but more important is acceptance of what is. I'm not saying that the people of Cai Cay, especially the kids would choose to live in the conditions they are living if they had all the resources available to change. All I am saying is that from my Americanized way or my American-eyes I felt sorry for the people in Cai Cay when I first arrived. By the end I still empathized with the way they lived but also understood it wasn't wrong or bad so to speak it was just the way things were. I'm not saying don't help these people or that these people don't need support and help. What I"m saying is be aware of what kind of help we are giving. Are we giving from a place of sympathy or are we giving from a place of love. Do you see the difference? For me sympathy is about one way being better than another and love is about meeting another human being heart to heart.. eye to eye... hand in hand.
Perhaps the separations we see around the world are due to our limitation of thought and nothing more.... what would the world look like if we took those biases, judgements, and boundaries we impose on others out of our consciousness? Is that even possible? Perhaps just having an awareness of that would be the first step to creating a world in which we are all united?
As I finished out the week, I noticed how routine things got. The little things didn't bother me as much as the first week. I was able to sleep better in my unsupportive bed, partially due to extra blankets I stuffed in the middle. Although Thursday I was up most of the night with stomach issues and a major case of diarrhea, every hour I was running out the door, literally. The meals became tasty and I found the little positives about eating the same thing for two weeks. Going to bed early and getting up early became customary. Laundry by hand wasn't such a chore. The dirt under my nails wasn't so uncomfortable it just was the way things were. The dusty taste in my mouth from the dirt roads and adobe houses wasn't something I focused on. The open shower and camping towel felt soothing instead of cold and miserable. It was amazing to me how quickly I was able to adapt to the environment.
I discovered what I had first perceived as a struggle and below standard living conditions was actually just another way to live. It became more about embracing the environment instead of imposing my American standard upon the way of life in Cai Cay. Who's to say what is the "right" way to live? I believe choice is important and with a better education as well as the improved economics of the area we live, the amount of choice we have is increased. We all have choice some more than others, but more important is acceptance of what is. I'm not saying that the people of Cai Cay, especially the kids would choose to live in the conditions they are living if they had all the resources available to change. All I am saying is that from my Americanized way or my American-eyes I felt sorry for the people in Cai Cay when I first arrived. By the end I still empathized with the way they lived but also understood it wasn't wrong or bad so to speak it was just the way things were. I'm not saying don't help these people or that these people don't need support and help. What I"m saying is be aware of what kind of help we are giving. Are we giving from a place of sympathy or are we giving from a place of love. Do you see the difference? For me sympathy is about one way being better than another and love is about meeting another human being heart to heart.. eye to eye... hand in hand.
Perhaps the separations we see around the world are due to our limitation of thought and nothing more.... what would the world look like if we took those biases, judgements, and boundaries we impose on others out of our consciousness? Is that even possible? Perhaps just having an awareness of that would be the first step to creating a world in which we are all united?
Monday, May 14, 2007
Are we really helping the kids?
I have an hour before I head back to Cai Cay and wanted to throw out a few thoughts about what we´re doing with the kids. Over the last week I have been tossing around the question; am I really helping the kids?
It wasn´t until Thursday that I finally came to an answer that I agree with. At first the school and what we were doing seemed very unorganized. As I said before four of us patch together a class plan for the day which is translated through 3 languages before being presented to the children. If that doesn´t feed chaos, how about throwing in the 30 to 40 kids of different ages and different skill levels to teach in two rooms that are only divided by an open archway, creating even more distratction. Needless to say maybe they repeat, How are you or find the dog in the map of the city or can count to 10 in english or spanish for that matter with the younger kids. Is that really what they need?
As I walk down the cobblestone street dodging the cow pies and avoiding the squirely dogs, passing the similing villagers with loads of corn or potatoes on their backs larger and heavier than I am, I wonder is the bits of english or the reading and writing of any language helping these children. Do they even need help?
Jimme the guy from Holland whom I have been volunteering with dubbed us Volunteer Tourists... since we take photos of the children of the landscape of the village and have an out. We will be there for two weeks and we are gone. Just tourists passing through a village buried in poverty. We come in and feed our egos by helping out and resolving whatever guilt we have for living a life of excess with our cars, televisions, computers, and whatever luxury you can imagine. But does it really help? Are we making a difference? Would it be better if we werent there?
Here´s what I came to on Thursday... it´s not the language, it´s not the education although those things will make it easier for the children to step out of that village and opens how much choice they have in their lives. Our little school with 2 hrs to help them each day isn´t enough. It barely scratches the surface of educating the children properly. But it does give them something more and it does offer the world something more. You see, I can look back on each day and my mind is filled with smiles, laughter, and good times. The kids have fun with us... for example the last 3 days I took charge of the children washing their hands before coming into the school. ( they get really dirty in the dusty village and it ruins the books, and supplies if they get dirt on everything..)... so they wash in a large bucket and I towel dry their hands. To make this fun, I have been grabbing their hands with the towel and shaking them dry, sometimes with sound effects and sometimes with a dab on the nose or a wipe on the mouth. They laugh and laugh and one little boy has now made that his greating to me. He puts his hands out in front like in prayer fingers pointing out and slides his hands together with a shooting sound and a smile. I do it in return and we connect. A few of the other boys call me juan encino or something like that from a movie smackdown? I´m not really clear what they are saying but they claim I'm a movie star or something because they have seen an american movie in which I resemble one of the characters..again we connect. A final example or moment was when the kids were working on mother´s day presents... Mario the boy I mentioned who lives in the shed with the guinea pigs was having trouble. I was pulled to sit down with him and help him and the boys at his table. What came out of that time together was that his mom had died. I showed him my angel tattoo on my leg of my mom who had also died and we connected as did many other kids...
So before I babble on for pages... the key to what we are doing is in the moments that we share. The glimpses of connection... the space between the knowledge and teaching when all time stops and we see each other for people for human beings having a physical experience together. We aren´t there to teach english, we aren´t there to teach reading, writing, etc... that is an excuse to open our hearts to different cultures. To see beyond the boundaries of money, education, language, location and know we are changing the world... for every moment we connect with one and other we create a peace and understanding. If these moments were had by each person in the world every day.... I believe we would start to see a difference in our personal lives which would radiate into the world around us for we are all connected by far greater bonds they we chose to acknowledge in our day to day lives...
And finally the ability for me to share this in this blog I hope will inspire everyone who reads this to step through their day with a little more awareness, a little more gratitude and a little more acceptance of those around us... the choice of a better world is in our hands... and while I´m on the subject... check out this amazing organization I stumbled unto yesterday... this guy Yuri... is embodying what I¨m less than gracefully trying to illustrate in my writing... www.aldeayanapay.org
is his website that speaks about his amazing social projects... enjoy...
I´ll be adding more next weekend when I return form another week in Cai Cay...
It wasn´t until Thursday that I finally came to an answer that I agree with. At first the school and what we were doing seemed very unorganized. As I said before four of us patch together a class plan for the day which is translated through 3 languages before being presented to the children. If that doesn´t feed chaos, how about throwing in the 30 to 40 kids of different ages and different skill levels to teach in two rooms that are only divided by an open archway, creating even more distratction. Needless to say maybe they repeat, How are you or find the dog in the map of the city or can count to 10 in english or spanish for that matter with the younger kids. Is that really what they need?
As I walk down the cobblestone street dodging the cow pies and avoiding the squirely dogs, passing the similing villagers with loads of corn or potatoes on their backs larger and heavier than I am, I wonder is the bits of english or the reading and writing of any language helping these children. Do they even need help?
Jimme the guy from Holland whom I have been volunteering with dubbed us Volunteer Tourists... since we take photos of the children of the landscape of the village and have an out. We will be there for two weeks and we are gone. Just tourists passing through a village buried in poverty. We come in and feed our egos by helping out and resolving whatever guilt we have for living a life of excess with our cars, televisions, computers, and whatever luxury you can imagine. But does it really help? Are we making a difference? Would it be better if we werent there?
Here´s what I came to on Thursday... it´s not the language, it´s not the education although those things will make it easier for the children to step out of that village and opens how much choice they have in their lives. Our little school with 2 hrs to help them each day isn´t enough. It barely scratches the surface of educating the children properly. But it does give them something more and it does offer the world something more. You see, I can look back on each day and my mind is filled with smiles, laughter, and good times. The kids have fun with us... for example the last 3 days I took charge of the children washing their hands before coming into the school. ( they get really dirty in the dusty village and it ruins the books, and supplies if they get dirt on everything..)... so they wash in a large bucket and I towel dry their hands. To make this fun, I have been grabbing their hands with the towel and shaking them dry, sometimes with sound effects and sometimes with a dab on the nose or a wipe on the mouth. They laugh and laugh and one little boy has now made that his greating to me. He puts his hands out in front like in prayer fingers pointing out and slides his hands together with a shooting sound and a smile. I do it in return and we connect. A few of the other boys call me juan encino or something like that from a movie smackdown? I´m not really clear what they are saying but they claim I'm a movie star or something because they have seen an american movie in which I resemble one of the characters..again we connect. A final example or moment was when the kids were working on mother´s day presents... Mario the boy I mentioned who lives in the shed with the guinea pigs was having trouble. I was pulled to sit down with him and help him and the boys at his table. What came out of that time together was that his mom had died. I showed him my angel tattoo on my leg of my mom who had also died and we connected as did many other kids...
So before I babble on for pages... the key to what we are doing is in the moments that we share. The glimpses of connection... the space between the knowledge and teaching when all time stops and we see each other for people for human beings having a physical experience together. We aren´t there to teach english, we aren´t there to teach reading, writing, etc... that is an excuse to open our hearts to different cultures. To see beyond the boundaries of money, education, language, location and know we are changing the world... for every moment we connect with one and other we create a peace and understanding. If these moments were had by each person in the world every day.... I believe we would start to see a difference in our personal lives which would radiate into the world around us for we are all connected by far greater bonds they we chose to acknowledge in our day to day lives...
And finally the ability for me to share this in this blog I hope will inspire everyone who reads this to step through their day with a little more awareness, a little more gratitude and a little more acceptance of those around us... the choice of a better world is in our hands... and while I´m on the subject... check out this amazing organization I stumbled unto yesterday... this guy Yuri... is embodying what I¨m less than gracefully trying to illustrate in my writing... www.aldeayanapay.org
is his website that speaks about his amazing social projects... enjoy...
I´ll be adding more next weekend when I return form another week in Cai Cay...
Saturday, April 7, 2007
The Gifts of Fundraising
I found this amazing quote from Khalil Gibran (below) which speaks to many of the things I have found during my fundraising.
Over the last six months I have managed to raise over $5000 for United Planet (www.unitedplanet.org) This was in support of my volunteer projects. What I found was that this in itself was a journey.
At first I was struggling with the fundraising. A few people donated off the bat mostly in support of me and what I'm doing. I sent emails and posted on my yahoo groups and presumptuously expected people to be as excited and enrolled in my quest as I was. This was not the case. I was very angry about people not jumping at my request. I sat with this for a few weeks and decided that my anger was first of all not justified and secondly how could they be enrolled if they didn't know the heart behind my mission? From this I created a website that outlined the basics, (why, when, how, where etc..) Made things a bit more personal and enrolled a few more people, but still not to the level I had hoped.
I thought the next best thing would be to create a huge fundraising event and bridge the gap between people here and the people I wanted to help. This became a huge endeavor of which I didn't have the energy or time to create. Bringing me to my next idea, offering a discounted massage to many people in exchange for contributions. I knew this would bring some donations since I was a successful massage therapist in the past. What I didn't know was the breakthrough I would have.
I worked on my first client in exchange for a donation a week later. Fifteen minutes into the massage I was moved and almost brought to tears as I realized that I was giving by nurturing him to give to me so I can in turn give to many others. It came full circle. It really wasn't about me. It wasn't about me reaching my goal. It was about being an instrument. My intention was to give back to help those in challenging situations around the world. Through this intention a way was made for me to give back, a way greater than I could have imagined; giving to receive to give. I stood over the massage client and found myself in the center of giving and receiving. It was all happening simultaneously. I was able to see first hand how giving and receiving are indeed different sides of the same coin. One cannot exist without the other.
Once I had this breakthrough the rest of the fundraising was easier. I got out of the way and allowed the money to come in. Through my massage work and emails I stepped closer and closer to the goal.
The final breakthrough came in my last email. In it I did two things. One I was very grateful for the amount that I had raised (about $2800 at that point) I was very clear as to what still needed to be raised and the deadline to meeting this goal was defined. Within 24hrs I had over 30 responses to this email and over $2000 in contributions. I was amazed.
It came down to three things: Gratitude, Clarity and Surrender. I remember being happy with the amount I had raised up to that point. Although I wanted to meet the goal I was truly grateful for the contributions I had gotten. Then I was very clear. This is what I need to do and this is when I need it. And finally I hit send. It wasn’t a send and in the back of my mind hoping that I’ll raise money. It was a send and this is it. I did all that I can do. I’m done regardless of what comes out of this, I surrendered. I suppose you could say I asked, let go of my ego, got the hell out of the way and the universe raced in with a huge reply. Granted that’s the metaphysical aspect. The physical manifestation was the support of many loving friends and family.
I look now over the entries in my fundraising page and am inspired at how powerful we can be when we join together. Each person gave with a loving intention to help, to give back, to support creating the result of over $5000 raised for what I believe to be a good cause. In support of an organization with the intention to bring the world closer together, to help us embrace our differences instead of fight about them. To ultimately bring more love to a world that has in the past been blinded by anger, fear, and greed. We are changing that by focusing on the love lies beneath and bringing it to the surface through our service and giving.
Thank you everyone who has been supportive (not only financially) as I embark upon my journey. Each one of you has touched me deeply and given me the courage to keep going despite my perceived obstacles and fears. THANK YOU….
******************
KHALIL GIBRAN QUOTE:
You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.
For what are your possessions but things you keep and guard for fear you may need them tomorrow? And tomorrow, what shall tomorrow bring to the over prudent dog burying bones in the trackless sand as he follows the pilgrims to the holy city?
And what is fear of need but need itself? Is not dread of thirst when your well is full thirst that is unquenchable?
There are those who give little of the much which they have - and they give it for recognition and their hidden desire makes their gifts unwholesome.
And there are those who have little and give it all. These are the believers in life and the bounty of life, and their coffer is never empty.
There are those who give with joy, and that joy is their reward. And there are those who give with pain, and that pain is there baptism.
And there are those who give and know not pain in giving, nor do they seek joy, nor give with mindfulness of virtue; They give as in yonder valley the myrtle breathes its fragrance into space. Through the hands of such as these God speaks, and from behind their eyes He smiles upon the earth.
It is well to give when asked, but it is better to give unasked, through understanding. And to the open-handed the search for one who shall receive is joy greater than giving.
And is there aught you would withhold? All you have shall some day be given; therefore give now, that the season of giving may be yours and not your inheritors'.
You often say, "I would give, but only to the deserving." The trees in your orchard say not so, nor the flocks in your pasture. They give that they may live, for to withhold is to perish.
Surely he who is worthy to receive his days and his nights is worthy of all else from you. And he who has deserved to drink from the ocean of life deserves to fill his cup from your little stream. And what desert greater shall there be than that which lies in the courage and the confidence, nay the charity, or receiving?
And who are you that men should rend their bosom and unveil their pride, that you may see their worth naked and their pride unabashed?
See first that you yourself deserve to be a giver, and an instrument of giving. For in truth it is life that gives unto life - while you, who deem yourself a giver, are but a witness.
And you receivers - and you are all receivers - assume no weight of gratitude, lest you lay a yoke upon yourself and upon him who gives. Rather rise together with the giver on his gifts as on wings; For to be over mindful of your debt, is to doubt his generosity who has the freehearted earth for mother, and God for father.
****
Over the last six months I have managed to raise over $5000 for United Planet (www.unitedplanet.org) This was in support of my volunteer projects. What I found was that this in itself was a journey.
At first I was struggling with the fundraising. A few people donated off the bat mostly in support of me and what I'm doing. I sent emails and posted on my yahoo groups and presumptuously expected people to be as excited and enrolled in my quest as I was. This was not the case. I was very angry about people not jumping at my request. I sat with this for a few weeks and decided that my anger was first of all not justified and secondly how could they be enrolled if they didn't know the heart behind my mission? From this I created a website that outlined the basics, (why, when, how, where etc..) Made things a bit more personal and enrolled a few more people, but still not to the level I had hoped.
I thought the next best thing would be to create a huge fundraising event and bridge the gap between people here and the people I wanted to help. This became a huge endeavor of which I didn't have the energy or time to create. Bringing me to my next idea, offering a discounted massage to many people in exchange for contributions. I knew this would bring some donations since I was a successful massage therapist in the past. What I didn't know was the breakthrough I would have.
I worked on my first client in exchange for a donation a week later. Fifteen minutes into the massage I was moved and almost brought to tears as I realized that I was giving by nurturing him to give to me so I can in turn give to many others. It came full circle. It really wasn't about me. It wasn't about me reaching my goal. It was about being an instrument. My intention was to give back to help those in challenging situations around the world. Through this intention a way was made for me to give back, a way greater than I could have imagined; giving to receive to give. I stood over the massage client and found myself in the center of giving and receiving. It was all happening simultaneously. I was able to see first hand how giving and receiving are indeed different sides of the same coin. One cannot exist without the other.
Once I had this breakthrough the rest of the fundraising was easier. I got out of the way and allowed the money to come in. Through my massage work and emails I stepped closer and closer to the goal.
The final breakthrough came in my last email. In it I did two things. One I was very grateful for the amount that I had raised (about $2800 at that point) I was very clear as to what still needed to be raised and the deadline to meeting this goal was defined. Within 24hrs I had over 30 responses to this email and over $2000 in contributions. I was amazed.
It came down to three things: Gratitude, Clarity and Surrender. I remember being happy with the amount I had raised up to that point. Although I wanted to meet the goal I was truly grateful for the contributions I had gotten. Then I was very clear. This is what I need to do and this is when I need it. And finally I hit send. It wasn’t a send and in the back of my mind hoping that I’ll raise money. It was a send and this is it. I did all that I can do. I’m done regardless of what comes out of this, I surrendered. I suppose you could say I asked, let go of my ego, got the hell out of the way and the universe raced in with a huge reply. Granted that’s the metaphysical aspect. The physical manifestation was the support of many loving friends and family.
I look now over the entries in my fundraising page and am inspired at how powerful we can be when we join together. Each person gave with a loving intention to help, to give back, to support creating the result of over $5000 raised for what I believe to be a good cause. In support of an organization with the intention to bring the world closer together, to help us embrace our differences instead of fight about them. To ultimately bring more love to a world that has in the past been blinded by anger, fear, and greed. We are changing that by focusing on the love lies beneath and bringing it to the surface through our service and giving.
Thank you everyone who has been supportive (not only financially) as I embark upon my journey. Each one of you has touched me deeply and given me the courage to keep going despite my perceived obstacles and fears. THANK YOU….
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KHALIL GIBRAN QUOTE:
You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.
For what are your possessions but things you keep and guard for fear you may need them tomorrow? And tomorrow, what shall tomorrow bring to the over prudent dog burying bones in the trackless sand as he follows the pilgrims to the holy city?
And what is fear of need but need itself? Is not dread of thirst when your well is full thirst that is unquenchable?
There are those who give little of the much which they have - and they give it for recognition and their hidden desire makes their gifts unwholesome.
And there are those who have little and give it all. These are the believers in life and the bounty of life, and their coffer is never empty.
There are those who give with joy, and that joy is their reward. And there are those who give with pain, and that pain is there baptism.
And there are those who give and know not pain in giving, nor do they seek joy, nor give with mindfulness of virtue; They give as in yonder valley the myrtle breathes its fragrance into space. Through the hands of such as these God speaks, and from behind their eyes He smiles upon the earth.
It is well to give when asked, but it is better to give unasked, through understanding. And to the open-handed the search for one who shall receive is joy greater than giving.
And is there aught you would withhold? All you have shall some day be given; therefore give now, that the season of giving may be yours and not your inheritors'.
You often say, "I would give, but only to the deserving." The trees in your orchard say not so, nor the flocks in your pasture. They give that they may live, for to withhold is to perish.
Surely he who is worthy to receive his days and his nights is worthy of all else from you. And he who has deserved to drink from the ocean of life deserves to fill his cup from your little stream. And what desert greater shall there be than that which lies in the courage and the confidence, nay the charity, or receiving?
And who are you that men should rend their bosom and unveil their pride, that you may see their worth naked and their pride unabashed?
See first that you yourself deserve to be a giver, and an instrument of giving. For in truth it is life that gives unto life - while you, who deem yourself a giver, are but a witness.
And you receivers - and you are all receivers - assume no weight of gratitude, lest you lay a yoke upon yourself and upon him who gives. Rather rise together with the giver on his gifts as on wings; For to be over mindful of your debt, is to doubt his generosity who has the freehearted earth for mother, and God for father.
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