As 2013 draws to an end, I’ve had the crowdfunding blues a bit.
I’ve joined the crowdfunding team in the past year or so, but only as a contributor. Here and there, I’ve pitched a few pennies toward projects launched by friends of mine. Mostly I do philanthropy the old-fashioned way. I write checks. I buy copies of my books and donate them or give them away.
Mostly, I tell stories. Sometimes those stories inspire other people to give their money to help spread reading in Ethiopia. So what possessed me to try raising money through crowdfunding?
http://www.gofundme.com/Painting-Joy-in-Ethiopia
Mostly, I encourage people to put their money toward administration and staff–the things I support with my own money–because, as friends and I agree, it’s the UNFUN money to raise and administration, when it’s good, makes everything shine.
Volunteers can’t be volunteers without someone to guide and coordinate them.
But late in 2013 I lost my heart to a project. School Power through Painting Joy.
Part of the pittery pattery of my heart for this project is that pity makes me squirmy. I’ve seen it do screwy things with families and communities even when intentions are good. And as an Ethiopian friend said this fall, when she hears a lot of people talk about projects in Ethiopia, she starts feeling smaller and smaller and smaller. But collaboration? Sharing what we love across boundaries. That makes us all bigger.
Stephanie is joyful and she shares joy where she goes. Even though she says she hates fundraising, she’s good at it because people tend to follow the energy. I want her on our team always.
I love the way Stephanie returns from Ethiopia with stories and pictures that help us all see the impact of our hard work. I want her telling the stories of southern Ethiopia and the Ethiopia Reads schools and libraries there. Her team this time has three other artists, one American and two Ethiopian who will build on ancient beauty and traditions to talk about what’s strong in southern Ethiopia including Kololo School.
The project also has my heart because I grew up in southwest Ethiopia. Young men worked in our house to earn money for school supplies because they were getting a shot at school for the first time. They were like big brothers–even to teasing us and threatening to cut off our ears if we misbehaved.
I’ve known some of those guys all my life.
Now I see girls in Kololo School who are 15 years old sitting with the little kids.
As one of the teachers at Kololo School says, in this rural area 12-year-old girls are forced into marriage. But when a woman is educated, all of her children are, too.
I’ve discovered crowdfunding isn’t as easy as it might look. So far, it’s been my sweet family and friends that have mostly helped out.
But wherever the support has come from, it’s coming in! Crowdfunding is teamwork. Here at the end of 2013, I’m full of love and admiration for my own team and the team that will be traveling. I can’t wait to see where their travels and adventures in southern Ethiopia take them.
Bring on 2014–with VCFA residency and new writing and teamwork.
