You are amazing.

You can’t imagine how many people told me it would be impossible to build a school in Africa in three months. Apparently, they didn’t know about you. They said I needed to get someone rich or famous involved, that they’re the ones with the power to make a real difference. Apparently, they didn’t realize just how much power you have when you’re passionate about something. Maybe you’re not Angelina Jolie, perhaps you’re not Bono or Bill Gates. But you have power beyond measure; just look at what you’ve accomplished.

Admittedly, we’ve only just begun – but what a beginning: 6 months. 350 people mobilized. Nearly $40,000 raised. $1000 grant awarded. 4 classrooms constructed & open. 200 smiling faces.

Now, though, we face the challenges of the road ahead. Over the next 3-4 years, we’ll need to raise over $200,000 to complete the school with more classrooms, its first library, cafeteria, solar power, flushable toilets, a playground and a school bus. Concurrently, we’ll be developing products based on the stories of the children at the school in an effort to successfully prototype our unique approach to story-based pay-it-forward social innovation. These will be no small feats. Having seen what you’ve accomplished already, though, I’m not worried a bit, just excited to see where this journey will lead.

Serendipitously, this week is National Volunteer Week. Since you’ve demonstrated so clearly what you can accomplish when you work together, I’m asking you, this week, to expand your collaboration. Each day this week, I’ll be posting to the blog a 5-10 minute volunteer opportunity. I believe that if we each continue to do a little, together, we have the power to create truly EPIC Change in Tanzania and, after this project is complete, in many other hopeful communities across the globe.

Today’s activity is simple: Immerse yourself in the story. Not only is today the beginning of National Volunteer Week, it’s also “Reading & Commenting Day” in the blogosphere, so today’s effort is about participating in the story that’s unfolding on our blog. Here’s all you need to do:

• Check out our blog. Learn more about this incredible story in which you’re participating by reading a few blog posts. Most recently, we’ve posted this story about Gideon, a student at the school, and this truly compelling video interview with his Dad. Get to know their story, so you can pass it on.
• Post a comment. We’d love your ideas, input, feedback & suggestions, and since our friends in Tanzania keep track of the blog too, they’d love to hear from you. Make yourself heard.
• Subscribe to the blog. If you haven’t already, you can have each blog entry come straight to your email by entering your email here or, if you prefer an RSS feed, subscribe to ours here. This will enable you to easily provide input on an ongoing basis, communicate with those you’re helping in Tanzania and follow the story you’re helping to write.

If you’re not a techie & this doesn’t make sense, or is confusing, please don’t opt out. We can’t do this without you. Just call my cell at 415.630.0631 or call Sanjay at 415.748.2152. We’d be more than glad to walk you through the process personally.

In the spirit of National Volunteer Week, we’ll of course be publishing some great opportunities this week to get even more involved in Epic Change, if you’re interested and able to make the time.

For now, though, I’m asking for ten minutes every day this week, less than one hour.

Are you in?

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PS: If you’ve got extra time today (or are in a long, boring meeting), here’s some extra credit:

• Stumble us. Register for StumbleUpon, and stumble the posts you read; a link appears at the bottom of each post. You only need to register once, and then each time you find an interesting story on our blog, stumble it. By doing so, you publicize our blog, and get more people interested in our story.
• Share our blog. If you’ve got a blog, post a link to our blog (http://www.EpicChange.org/blog). If you don’t have a blog of your own, find a post you really like on the Epic Change blog and forward it to your friends. Let them know that you’re participating – and why.

If you do the extra credit, and you let me know by posting a response on our blog, I shall find some sort of prize for you. It will be good.

Again, don’t hesitate to call with questions!!! 415.630.0631 or 415.748.2152.