By Jasmin

Back in September 2008 I made a decision to raise $10,000 for a Filipino microfinance project for Opportunity International Australia.

It still seems like a lot of money to raise, when I consider demands in life like everyone - a young family, part time work, community - but I figured I could at least make a commitment to having a good go at it. I started by setting up a blog and a website for people to donate online. I tried to find out whatever I could about microfinance projects - loans to the entrepreneurial poor to build their small businesses - and published it on the blog, created slides on slideshare and created Youtube videos using tools like Animoto. I let my online community know what I was trying to achieve.

I never counted on the generosity of people around the world - some complete strangers - who donated over the web. I never expected that a local business Incentive House would donate $1300 towards the cause through a blogging project . And while I still have around 60% of the goal to raise by the end of June ($10,000 creates a Trust Bank - a 2 year program for up to 30 entreprenueral poor) I am grateful for the generosity of individuals who have chipped in so far and joined in some creative online projects to help raise awareness for this great program.

If you feel like you would like to do something to make a difference - just take the first step. Set aside some time. And let people know what you want to do. One of the best rewards for volunteering apart from the end result, is the community you meet. You never know how things will turn out, because there are many wonderful people who will join with you along the way.

This story's about: Community and Culture - Posted: 7 May 09

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