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Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Quench Lingira!
Take two minutes to watch this and then act; you can click the button to the right and have an impact today.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Spring Semester
This coming Spring semester begins on Monday, January 23rd. The break has given all of the members a nice break from class but we're happy to get things rolling again. Spring semester is going to take on a different role than the Fall semester did. Our biggest goal in the Fall was to teach new members about Lingira, about community development, and ready their minds for envisioning new work to be done through EDGE. This Spring we plan on changing gears and opening up the floodgates of ideas for new work over the coming summer. We're moving into research mode. There are new project leaders ready to host members' research and prepare projects for summer as best as possible.
The idea of researching projects has always been a concept that lacks structure. We want people to come up with a project that they are interested in but want them to make it reasonable for Lingira. Ideally the research portion of a project doesn't take days of reading and struggling through the library looking for projects to base your work off of. Actually, the research portion of a project is usually the shortest part. The more important part of the process comes when we refine a project and make it plausible for Lingira. This requires thought from both sides of the world. Our ideas are sent to Lingira for analysis and come back with opinions and thoughts about projects. Our interaction with residents of Lingira before traveling is helpful for preparing projects on the island even before our travelers head out. This way, students or members of the community have an idea of what we are bringing and (though idealistic) create a sense of excitement for them.
Project development will be the base of our semester, but we will be having plenty of other things to do for the campus end. We're expecting some new members in the next couple of weeks with the Spring student organization fair next week (Wednesday the 25th). Later in the semester we will be having our Spring fundraiser event, which is in planning right now, but they tend to be fun events that are open to anyone from campus and the public.
Of course we will be selecting travelers for the summer and preparing them for what is to come. It's a difficult process, preparing someone for a place that they have never been. An important thing to mention is the fact that EDGE has some really great friends in Uganda. We always feel welcome and continue to go back for that reason. Our friends on Lingira are what makes what we do possible here on campus.
The idea of researching projects has always been a concept that lacks structure. We want people to come up with a project that they are interested in but want them to make it reasonable for Lingira. Ideally the research portion of a project doesn't take days of reading and struggling through the library looking for projects to base your work off of. Actually, the research portion of a project is usually the shortest part. The more important part of the process comes when we refine a project and make it plausible for Lingira. This requires thought from both sides of the world. Our ideas are sent to Lingira for analysis and come back with opinions and thoughts about projects. Our interaction with residents of Lingira before traveling is helpful for preparing projects on the island even before our travelers head out. This way, students or members of the community have an idea of what we are bringing and (though idealistic) create a sense of excitement for them.
Project development will be the base of our semester, but we will be having plenty of other things to do for the campus end. We're expecting some new members in the next couple of weeks with the Spring student organization fair next week (Wednesday the 25th). Later in the semester we will be having our Spring fundraiser event, which is in planning right now, but they tend to be fun events that are open to anyone from campus and the public.
Of course we will be selecting travelers for the summer and preparing them for what is to come. It's a difficult process, preparing someone for a place that they have never been. An important thing to mention is the fact that EDGE has some really great friends in Uganda. We always feel welcome and continue to go back for that reason. Our friends on Lingira are what makes what we do possible here on campus.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Quench Lingira
Good day followers!
Despite the lack of action on the blog, EDGE has been doing big things behind the curtains. We're happy to announce our approval for a brand new Global Giving page devoted to healthy drinking water for Lingira. Much of the past semester we have worked with Global Giving in a collaborative project "InnoCentive" that brought together many skilled engineers and community development workers for more enhanced development projects. EDGE has been fortunate enough to be a part of this, working with an MIT-based team that has developed the Kosim Water Keg. Please take a moment to read more on our new Quench Lingira site. This is an exciting opportunity for EDGE, but just as exciting for all of our supporters! All donations directed to the Quench Lingira page will be put directly into that project, where donors will be able to take part in the project and receive updates on our progress.
Now, many of you may be wondering how to help out the EDGE project in other ways instead of just through the Quench Lingira initiative. This, friends, is where our main Global Giving page comes into play. This page focuses on our broader attempt at development work on Lingira Island. It is the base for all of our student projects that will take shape over the course of this coming spring semester. Make sure to take a look at our main page here.
The extended winter break (if you can call it winter) will be coming to an end on the 23rd of January, when EDGE has its first meeting of the new semester. Make sure to stay tuned with us this coming semester. There's going to be plenty to talk about with the upcoming research and travel plans for next summer. Follow us on Facebook if you want some quick updates.
From all of us here with the EDGE Project, we thank you and hope the new year has started off strong!
Despite the lack of action on the blog, EDGE has been doing big things behind the curtains. We're happy to announce our approval for a brand new Global Giving page devoted to healthy drinking water for Lingira. Much of the past semester we have worked with Global Giving in a collaborative project "InnoCentive" that brought together many skilled engineers and community development workers for more enhanced development projects. EDGE has been fortunate enough to be a part of this, working with an MIT-based team that has developed the Kosim Water Keg. Please take a moment to read more on our new Quench Lingira site. This is an exciting opportunity for EDGE, but just as exciting for all of our supporters! All donations directed to the Quench Lingira page will be put directly into that project, where donors will be able to take part in the project and receive updates on our progress.
Now, many of you may be wondering how to help out the EDGE project in other ways instead of just through the Quench Lingira initiative. This, friends, is where our main Global Giving page comes into play. This page focuses on our broader attempt at development work on Lingira Island. It is the base for all of our student projects that will take shape over the course of this coming spring semester. Make sure to take a look at our main page here.
The extended winter break (if you can call it winter) will be coming to an end on the 23rd of January, when EDGE has its first meeting of the new semester. Make sure to stay tuned with us this coming semester. There's going to be plenty to talk about with the upcoming research and travel plans for next summer. Follow us on Facebook if you want some quick updates.
From all of us here with the EDGE Project, we thank you and hope the new year has started off strong!
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Election Results
Hey folks! As many of you may know, we had elections last night for some positions opening up for next semester. As we move into the spring, lectures of Lingira decrease while research for our projects and travelers to take with them will become our priority. This semester has been one filled with information, but we're excited to take our knowledge of Lingira and community development and structure it into projects that could help the island.
The positions up for election included project leaders, a research coordinator, the spring event coordinator, and an assistant director. The project leaders are going to be focusing on themes within a group of students to work on a project fit for Lingira. They will range from humanitarian, human rights work, to agricultural and creative development-based projects. The research coordinator will overlook the project leaders and make sure work is completed on time and presented effectively to the rest of the group. The spring event coordinator, as you may have guessed, will be the primary contact for anything and everything involving what will be an awesome fundraiser next semester. Finally, we've opened the floor for an assistant director, for Paul and I to teach the inner workings of EDGE as a student org and as a non-profit. We're actually taking on two assistants, who both have done some great work for us thus far. Congratulations to you all!
Next week is our last meeting time of the Fall semester. There are many new members who will be studying abroad in the spring. We are sad to see you all leave so soon, but excited for your travels and know you will have a blast wherever you are going! Similarly, we are expecting some globetrotters to return to EDGE. Livy Baldwin and Alisha David, close friends and influential hands and minds for EDGE, will be returning from Italy and India respectively. See you soon ladies!
Make sure to stay tuned for our full semester overview!
The positions up for election included project leaders, a research coordinator, the spring event coordinator, and an assistant director. The project leaders are going to be focusing on themes within a group of students to work on a project fit for Lingira. They will range from humanitarian, human rights work, to agricultural and creative development-based projects. The research coordinator will overlook the project leaders and make sure work is completed on time and presented effectively to the rest of the group. The spring event coordinator, as you may have guessed, will be the primary contact for anything and everything involving what will be an awesome fundraiser next semester. Finally, we've opened the floor for an assistant director, for Paul and I to teach the inner workings of EDGE as a student org and as a non-profit. We're actually taking on two assistants, who both have done some great work for us thus far. Congratulations to you all!
Results:
Project Leaders
Eric Obscherning
Elise Buchbinder
Leeza Gold
Research Coordinator
Mikaela Weisse
Spring Event Coordinator
Laura Miller
Assistant Director(s)
David Haugen
Kristin Harrington
Next week is our last meeting time of the Fall semester. There are many new members who will be studying abroad in the spring. We are sad to see you all leave so soon, but excited for your travels and know you will have a blast wherever you are going! Similarly, we are expecting some globetrotters to return to EDGE. Livy Baldwin and Alisha David, close friends and influential hands and minds for EDGE, will be returning from Italy and India respectively. See you soon ladies!
Make sure to stay tuned for our full semester overview!
Monday, November 28, 2011
Weekly Travel Photo of the Day
I really had no intention of taking this photo. I wanted to get a stylish shot of the stacks of fishing lanterns that you see on the right side of the picture. But, on this occasion and so many others the moment a camera is held up to take a snapshot, its holder is surrounded by curious children. Usually, there is a window of two shots in the village before everything turns into that very charming photo of 15 smiling kids against a background of simple homes, pushing each other around to get to the front of a photo. It's really hard not to feel like the best person in the world in that moment. For that reason, it's important to give context to moments like these. Some start to think that excitement about white skin or flashy technology is personal praise for their noble quest to fight squalor in Uganda. But, one thing that those kids don't need is someone who thinks waving a camera around or just sharing their presence and prayers is development work. That's why we want to do something real for these kids, like finding ways to take the bit hope that a child might feel from seeing something or someone novel, and making it a steady part of their life. Our real challenge will be building excitement, energy, hope and smiles into the community. The quintessence of development has little do with you and everything to do with what remains after you've left.
If you manage to be humble in your work, you'll give more than you ever could as someone who holds reality at a distance. Use photos of kids, like this guy, to imagine what their world is like and why having their portrait taken is so spectacular.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Monday, November 7, 2011
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