Power of onePower of the Commuity

By Robin Low

Doing Good

• Everyone likes to do good, but have you thought about having real impact in the things you do?

• Donations are an easy way to help, but is the money reaching the ground and causing any real impact?

• Why do we fail at helping?

Power of One• Good intentions is all you

need.• Just Volunteer, you will

impact the community.• I have always believed

that one person can make a difference.

Define help

• Help is any form of assistance.-- Wikipedia

Case 1

• Robin’s Chicken Farms• 200 chickens, chicken coops.• Skills building, breeding, feeding, transporting

and selling eggs.• Crop rotation

Case 1: impact

• Sold eggs increasing daily income from $7 to $50

• Repaid back capital of $2000 in 3 months.

Case 1: results

• After 9 months.• All chickens are eaten, no chickens remain.• All villages back to what it was before.• Except some houses with flat screen TVs

Was there any social impact?

Aid can alleviate immediate misery and that is why we love it. Charity is a human response to all those images that pull on our heartstrings. But are we giving out of pity?

All evidence points to the conclusion that, aid not only has no positive effect on economic growth, it may even undermine it.

“Philanthropy dollar” can only be used once, the “social dollar” can be used again and again.

-- Muhammad Yunus

Dangers of social intervention

• Making life decisions for those we are helping• Is there “Over Helping?”

Celebrities giving in Africa.

• Has any country been saved by foreign AID?• African countries are creating wealth, many

companies are doing well in Africa, but after years of aid, why is poverty not reduced?

Free mosquito nets

• Mosquito net repair and training project in Kenya squashed by the incoming of millions of mosquito nets.

• Instead of importing millions of dollars worth of malaria medicine, we can also grow Artemisinin locally, which can process to malaria medication.

• But we decide to continue endless cycle of dependency.

Curse of Exclusion of Locals in Disaster

Relief and Recovery

Haiti Earthquake

Doctors in Haiti

• Many free clinics from the Earthquake in 2010 are still running.

• Doctors from New York, Vermont, California, Zurich, Berlin are in Port-au-Prince.

• Some local clinics and doctors are sitting in the shelters because they have no jobs.

• This is the real impact for FREE MEDICAL CARE.

Case 2

• Water project in India (With NGO)• Running a few projects on tech in education in

various third world countries.• NGO with water filters want to test in school. • Installed at 2 schools, benefited 500 families.

Case 2: impact

• More than 1000 people have access to clean water.

• Moms collect water to bring home to cook.• Less sick days for kids, kids can focus in class.

Case 2: results

• Project got funding and want to scale to villages.

• Villagers heard about the project, got excited. • Criteria – village with dirtiest water will get a

pump and filter.• Over 16 villages have poison in their wells. • Only have funds for 8 filters and pumps.

Poor People are not Stupid

-- Muhammad Yunus

Lessons that Changed me

• What I learned from the Japan Tsunami

DISASTERS DON’T CREATE REFUGEES, THEY CREATE SURVIVORS.

IT IS THE CONVENTIONAL RELIEF SYSTEM THAT TURNS SURVIVORSINTO REFUGEES.

WHO ARE THE DISASTER SURVIVORS?

DISASTERS DESTROY THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT THE SOCIAL STRUCTURE REMAINS

ARE SURVIVORS HELPLESS OR ARE THEY TOO STUPID TO MAKE DECISIONS FOR THEMSELVES?

WHO KNOWS THE GROUND BETTER? FOREIGNERS OR LOCALS?

SO WHY ARE THEY STILL TREATED LIKE REFUGEES?

IT JUST TAKES SURVIVORS TO TAKE ACTION & ACCOUNTABILITY

EVERYONE CAN PLAY A PART

NGOS AND FOREIGN AID WILL NOT HELP ECONOMIC RECOVERY

DOES COMPLAINING GET ANYTHING DONE?

CAN EVERYONE TAKE ACTIONS AND GET STUFF DONE?

YOU DO NOT NEED TO DO IT ALONE

HUMANS CAN SELF ORGANIZE.IT ONLY TAKES A SPARK

THE BEST TEAM IS NOT THE ONE WITH THE BEST MEMBERS, BUT THE TEAM THAT MAKES ITS MEMBERS BETTER AND ENABLES THEM TO DO MORE.

I SEE AMAZING PEOPLE WALKINGAROUND LIKE REGULAR PEOPLE

Ms Aikawa

I SEE AMAZING PEOPLE WALKINGAROUND LIKE REGULAR PEOPLE

I SEE AMAZING PEOPLE WALKINGAROUND LIKE REGULAR PEOPLE

Dr Suda

I SEE AMAZING PEOPLE WALKINGAROUND LIKE REGULAR PEOPLE

SO HOW DO YOU BECOME A HERO

1. FIND YOUR TEAM

2. TAKE ACTION. LEARN BY TRYING

Power of one – Power of Community

1 person can do it alone or start a movement to inspire others to do it with them.

My experience in Japan allow me to share ideas with Nepal to rebuild Nepal

What defines us all – Is how we rise when we

fall.

RELIEF B2BHELPING BUSINESSES RESTART

FAIR PAY FOR LOCAL VOLUNTEERS

MARKETS OF HOPE:ENABLING ENTREPRENEURSVS. CREATING REFUGEES

A GLOBAL MARKETPLACE OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FROM DISASTER AREAS AND DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES

DISASTER RECOVERY WITH DIGNITY, INCLUSION, GENERATION OF WEALTH AND OPPORTUNITIES

FROM DONATIONS TO PURCHASES,FROM BEGGARS TO MERCHANTS,FROM ONE TIME TO SUSTAINABILITY

LOCAL INNOVATION ANDGLOBAL ENTREPRENEURSHIPYour very own competitive advantage

WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT, MAKES US BETTER

Never Help!• Engage • Enable• Empower • Connect

It is not just what you have done, it’s what’s your impact.