By: Berenice Bryant
The meeting with Scott VanDeusen was very insightful. He was able to give us some inside knowledge on what techniques work within St. John’s and which ones are not as successful. This is important because this way we can avoid putting in so much time and energy into an ineffective campaign. Additionally, he had some good recommendations about turning the raffle offered into a 50/50 type raffle. This would eliminate the struggle of finding prize donations or raising additional funds in order to have prizes. Even more importantly, everyone will be happy with the money prize whereas a male receiving jewelry or a scarf is not as enticing.
Within the team we have not yet mastered communication. Although we have several platforms we can communicate through such as email and texting, not all the members are active in these discussions. I would like to discuss this today with the group because miscommunications and not having everyone on the same page can slow us down. Hopefully, we will be able to resolve this issue to increase our productivity. Otherwise, our team has been working together well in order to accomplish assigned tasks, brainstorm ideas, and set goals that are aggressive yet obtainable. It is important to set the bar high so that even if you do not accomplish your exact goal, you have made it close, which amounts to the best you could have done. We will be busy in the upcoming weeks; in order to set up the semester’s events and promotions, we need to plan them early to account for shipping, delays, venues filling up, and ensure we do not miss opportunities.
One thing I found to be interesting that we discussed in class previously was the idea that microfinance is not a new phenomenon. Eighteenth Century England had a similar system. Ireland also had loans in order to deal with the potato famine; they were even free. Microfinance was much less formal but still, the concept had been done before. In our texts, when referring to the development of microfinance, they are quick to reference Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank as well as other popular MFIs.
Another interesting concept we discussed was what being poor means. One thing mentioned by Dr. Sama was a discussion she had with an individual living in what we would consider to be a ‘poor’ area. This individual mentioned how she had never considered herself to be poor; she rich with culture, family and spirit. This just stressed the importance of not judging individuals based off of preconceived notions and to be conscious when discussing these matters as to not offend any groups. The ‘poor’ are resourceful and have just as much potential as anyone else, just no opportunity to use it. Referring to them more scientifically (i.e. those “below the line of poverty) is much more tactful and better explains whom you are referring to.
