Can Bloggers make a Difference? (An update from Kenya)
By Charlie • October 24, 2008 • 1 commentYou know, if someone had asked me last year whether bloggers can actually make a difference I might have been a little equivocal - after all, despite the mushrooming growth in nature/bird-related blogs the number of animals and plants in danger of extinction rises every time the data are recalculated. However, after our first foray into fund-raising (and by ‘our’ I mean everyone who reads 10,000 Birds and supported the Small African Fellowship for Conservation) I’m absolutely certain that we can…
And to prove (if proof were still needed) that we can - and that my last paragraph was not just an over-excited blogger attempting to hype his own blog - I’m posting two mails that arrived today, one to me personally (and by extension to all of us) and the other as an open comment on the post I wrote about the Njabini wool-spinning workshop. The former was from Dominic Kimani, recipient of the Small African Fellowship for Conservation, the latter from Sammy Bakari who I met while I was at the workshop.
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“Dear Charlie, This email is my appreciation of all you have done to organise my fellowship and made it a reality. I am glad that they day you came to Kinangop all went well and as planned. I must appreciate the donation of the laptop and the Binoculars. I have composed this email on my laptop. I can now comfortably work anywhere and my education programme comfortably. Initially as I told you I used to carry a television set to schools. All things are really good. I will now be able to communicate without problems. The Binoculars given to me is so powerful that my whole village such a thing has never been seen. I will now be able to do my fieldwork well. On my own behalf, my family and the larger Friends of Kinangop (FOKP) we are so grateful for all the effort dedicated toward my fellowship and all the information now available to the whole world about FOKP and her activities. I cannot find better words to descibe our happiness, but to all of you who contributed something, be it advise or money or anything I say a big thank you. What you have done goes a long way in promoting the education awareness of the longclaw as well as Livelihood. All the money received will be well used for the purpose of Sharpe’s longclaw Education Awareness. I have had a very successful Teachers workshop, we have set a workplan with schools, extra funds received will be used in implementing this workplan. More details will be communicated to you for the blog. The already posted web about Friends of Kinangop is Superb and everybody is happy, I am organising to get all the names of the people involved in the woolsping and the dancers. Please Charlie send our sincere gratitude to all people who have made and put Kinangop in the World map. Thank you thank you!!” (Dominic Kimani, October 24 2008) |
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“First of all receive our gratitudes for getting time to come and see what we are doing. Thank you too for your help and efforts towards the conservation of the Sharpe’s Longclaw. Thats wonderful, you feared that you are not an expert in marketing but I bet you are. The way you have explained the sitiuation is really amazing. I dont know if I would have made it better. I like the comments and obsrvations made by our friends out there and i would like to comment on some. Corey- Why not Deberroo-Yes we can make some smaller items which are shipping friendly like scarf and hand bags and also wallhangings. Beth- Yes we do avail our products to people out there and we welcome visitors very much, carrying a rug with you back home can amazingly easy but that is if it has to wait until you visit Kenya and Kinangop in particular. Where there is will, there is way, I think that shipping may not as difficult as it may appear. This being a conservation initiative contacts with the relevant Government of Kenya department can be made and see if there is an easy way. Charlie- Dominic told me that you wanted the names of those who work in the workshop and here are the names. Peter Komo is the overall head-spinner |
Things are moving on then, and I’m hoping we’ll get the go-ahead to put some new initiatives in place once the relevant contacts have been made and our level of involvement (in what remember is already an ongoing long-term project run by National Museums of Kenya, Friends of Kinangop Plateau, and Nature Kenya) has been clarified.
In the meantime, thanks again for putting your faith in us. When we started this initiative we weren’t 100% sure where it would take us, but with the support you’ve been giving us we’re genuinely doing some wonderful things - and, yes, I think we’re making a difference…
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Interesting. TY for stopping by my blog.