"I love that you've brought this to attention. An extensive database of uncommon but resistant and hardy plants/foods could be developed and organized by climate. Ease of growth and processing should also be taken in to account. I will try to…"
A crash course in changing the world.
This guy is a TRUE inspiration!
I just found this article about Liberian Alfred Sirleaf - the 'Blackboard Blogger' - who has found a very inventive way to distribute news in his home country, where many people can't afford to buy newspapers, a TV or go on the internet. His idea really impressed me.
His project is called Daily Talk. Every morning before the rush hour he writes news on blackboards fixed to his shack in the city centre of Liberia's capital, Monrovia. Dressing up in a shirt and tie despite the hot weather, he receives news from his contacts all over Liberia via portable radio. Occasionally he receives photographs on his mobile phone which he prints out at the internet cafe next door and sticks up next to his articles. He reports on anything of interest to the people, from areas not even covered by a newspaper.
Sirleaf doesn't charge for this 'street newspaper' service. He sometimes accepts donations and receives phone cards and taxi rides from grateful customers. He does odd jobs to earn a living for himself and his wife and two daughters, but finds this a struggle. However, he has never given up or lost sight of how important Daily Talk is to his fellow countrymen and women, in a country still struggling to its feet after 14 years of civil war, rampant poverty and illiteracy. Sirleaf dreams of owning a van with screens mounted onto the back, which he could drive around the country to remote areas to deliver his news.
I'm amazed at how he does so much with so little and against so many obstacles, and at his unbreakable spirit.
His project is called Daily Talk. Every morning before the rush hour he writes news on blackboards fixed to his shack in the city centre of Liberia's capital, Monrovia. Dressing up in a shirt and tie despite the hot weather, he receives news from his contacts all over Liberia via portable radio. Occasionally he receives photographs on his mobile phone which he prints out at the internet cafe next door and sticks up next to his articles. He reports on anything of interest to the people, from areas not even covered by a newspaper.
Sirleaf doesn't charge for this 'street newspaper' service. He sometimes accepts donations and receives phone cards and taxi rides from grateful customers. He does odd jobs to earn a living for himself and his wife and two daughters, but finds this a struggle. However, he has never given up or lost sight of how important Daily Talk is to his fellow countrymen and women, in a country still struggling to its feet after 14 years of civil war, rampant poverty and illiteracy. Sirleaf dreams of owning a van with screens mounted onto the back, which he could drive around the country to remote areas to deliver his news.
I'm amazed at how he does so much with so little and against so many obstacles, and at his unbreakable spirit.
Views: 20
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Comment by Wintermute on March 30, 2010 at 10:27pm
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That's a really cool story. It would be interesting if he could create a network of others who would do the same thing in different parts of the country. That way the news could reach more people.
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Comment by Riko Kamachi on March 30, 2010 at 10:33pm
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I think that is part of his plans. I would *love* to know more about this guy. He really needs the support to drive his project forward... it's both amazing and saddening that he's been doing this for ten years now and is still using blackboards and relying on the goodwill of strangers to keep going.
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Comment by Turil Cronburg on March 30, 2010 at 10:40pm
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This is wonderful! I'd love to see this done everywhere!
I once had a small (front yard) "Backyard Wildlife Habitat" that I created using the concept from the National Wildlife Federation, and put up a bulletin board on the side of the house where I listed all the wildlife that showed up. And I encouraged others to write down the wildlife they saw. It was a lot of fun to have that kind of community news right there in my yard.
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@Riko--Maybe we can help him out. Try and find some form of contact, I bet we could raise enough money to help make his service more wide spread.
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!! Just look at the EVOKE map and their are two EVOKE agents who operate inside of Liberia.
Peggie Scott
Eunice Dahn
Who knows, maybe they even know him?
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@Turil: Wow that sounds like a really good idea. What kind of response did you get? Who posted items on your board?
@Wintermute: That's possible. Liberia's a big place, though!
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I got a lot of positive response, and one negative response. The cranky neighbor complained to my landlord and we got kicked out, and within hours of us leaving the landlord had a guy rip every single living thing out of the yard, leaving nothing but dead dirt. The landlord was a bit crazy.
Most people didn't post stuff on the board, but once someone wrote that they saw a "squirrel eating strawberries" which was cute because I was wondering who was eating the strawberries...
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...wow. Some people really are strange! I don't know why anyone would rip out a garden :/ Maybe the cranky neighbour was complaining that you were attracting vermin or something daft like that? What a shame. But I bet you put some ideas in the people's heads who saw what you had done. The garden is gone but the idea lives on! Corny, but true :P
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Yes, many folks in the city are terrified of wildlife. It's not surprising, given the idea of "modern" things being artificial, and nature being unpredictable. But I think this idea is slowly being replaced with more respect and admiration for a more diverse world.
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I really hope so!
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