Phentermine For Sale, Wow. What a whirlwind few days. Order Phentermine, I'm in San Francisco for two conferences - BarCampAfrica, which I attended on Saturday and Social Capital Markets 2008, where I'm blogging now before the first session starts in about an hour, order Phentermine online c.o.d. It's fabulous to be back in the City. Australia, uk, us, usa, canada, mexico, india, craiglist, ebay, I thought I'd quickly post my perspectives after BarCampAfrica, although some of the conversations we had are still sinking in. The conference was held at Google and gathered about 150 people from several continents to discuss issues and ideas related to Africa - it was billed as "building the connections between people and opportunities in Silicon Valley and Africa." Attendees represented many different perspectives, but most seemed to believe, as we do, that investment in Africa may be a significantly more successful path for the continent ahead than pureplay charity.

Media Coverage of Africa

Perhaps the most interesting conversation in which I participated was a discussion, with representatives from YouTube, Google, the Commonwealth Club and NEED Magazine - some from the US and some from Africa - about media images of Africa, Phentermine For Sale. While we could all agree that a more positive media portrayal of Africa was an essential element in moving the continent forward, order Phentermine no prescription, we seemed to disagree about the causes of the stereotypical imagery and coverage that seems to dominate Western media. Buy cheap Phentermine, While some insisted that Africans (yes, I know, this is a radical oversimplification of a vastly diverse continent) themselves must protest negative imagery and storytelling and insist on approaches that depict "the whole truth, where can i find Phentermine online," others insisted that media consumers or old-school media producers drove common portrayals. Phentermine over the counter, Still others in the room, including me, suggested that aid organizations and NGOs have much to gain from perpetuating hopelessness and fear, buy no prescription Phentermine online. One very bright contributor actually went so far as to say that aid organizations have no choice but to propagate such imagery to raise support for their efforts. Phentermine For Sale, I couldn't disagree more. Phentermine for sale, Unlike some, I believe hope is a strategy...and a winning one at that.

Personally, purchase Phentermine online no prescription, I believe that images and stories that emphasize our differences and disparities only serve to divide us, Where can i buy Phentermine online, while stories and photos that evoke our common hopes and humanity bring us closer together. I believe we have far more incentive to help those to whom we feel personally connected than those whom we consider radically different from ourselves. Empathy, Phentermine from canadian pharmacy, IMHO, Buy Phentermine online no prescription, is a far more powerful motivator than sympathy. I'd love to get your thoughts on the topic, Phentermine For Sale.

The discussion reminded me of an incident that occurred during our most recent trip to Tanzania. As we were requesting photo releases from the parents so that we could include their photos in our marketing and fundraising efforts, purchase Phentermine online, one of the parents insisted to Mama Lucy that it never be implied that her daughter, Buy generic Phentermine, Faith, is an orphan. She's not, buy Phentermine online cod. Mama Lucy was saddened by the feedback, Where can i order Phentermine without prescription, because obviously she would never misrepresent the truth, and knows we wouldn't either. Phentermine For Sale, It is, however, a vivid portrait of how skewed our media coverage of the African world has become. Imagine fearing that your child would be portrayed as an orphan - when you're a parent who works hard to provide the best possible life for your kid.

The Missing Middle

According to the New Yorker, order Phentermine from mexican pharmacy, "It’s easy for really big companies in poor countries to tap the markets for funding, Phentermine over the counter, and now, because of microfinance, it’s possible for really small enterprises to get money, where can i order Phentermine without prescription, too. Order Phentermine online c.o.d, But the companies in between find it hard. It’s a phenomenon that has been dubbed the 'missing middle.'" Because SMEs (small & medium enterprises) can be the engines of economic growth in developing countries, it's critical that this segment of the market grow and flourish, where can i buy Phentermine online. Few lenders, Buy Phentermine without prescription, though, focus on this segment of the market, as Epic Change does by providing loans that exceed typical microfinance loan amounts, Phentermine samples. Our first loan, for instance, was $35,000, far greater than the average KIVA loan of just $458 - an amount which some would argue is not nearly enough to move an individual out of extreme poverty, let alone an entire family or a community, Phentermine For Sale.

At BarCamp, Online buying Phentermine, I anticipated meeting many more organizations who were evolving in the macro- or mezzo-finance niche but Linda Jenkinson, founder and CEO of WOW investments which is currently operating in Senegal, was, order Phentermine from mexican pharmacy, I believe, Buy cheap Phentermine, the only person I met there whose model attempts to address this critical gap. That said, while her model attempts to provide financing to profitable small-to-medium businesses, purchase Phentermine online no prescription, the Epic Change model aims to fund similarly-sized ventures that are not-for-profit, Rx free Phentermine, making our approaches radically different. While in the case of WOW, repayment will come directly from the profits of borrower-run businesses, purchase Phentermine online, our repayment model requires building partnerships with manufacturers and distributors who will produce and sell goods infused with the stories of our borrowers. The profits from the sale of these goods will be used for repayment.

The Power of Storytelling

At the conclusion of the conference, Tom Rielly of TED shared the story of William Kamkwamba, a young man from Malawi who, when he was only 14, built a windmill from a picture he saw in a library book that provided electricity to his home and village. Phentermine For Sale, If you haven't seen this short film, you need to.

The presentation underscored for me the power of hopeful stories and of heartfelt personal connection in bringing about change. Tom's passion for William's efforts as he told the story was palpable.

Connection

It was an incredible experience to have the opportunity to connect with so many thoughtful individuals so passionately committed to evolving the conversation between Africa and the rest of the world. The diversity and talent of the people present was humbling, and I was proud to be a part of this inaugural event. As just one example, Sanjay raised his hand during one of the panels and Emeka Okafor, Program Director for TEDGlobal2007 and TEDAfrica (yes, that TED) approached him to hear more about our ideas. That's huge, Phentermine For Sale. We had the opportunity not only to contribute our ideas in a pool of some amazing individuals, but to learn from some of the very best and most innovative in our field. Thanks to Ellen & Kaushal for all their work organizing a tremendous event.

PS: Check out the children on the header of the BarCampAfrica blog - notice anyone familiar. Yep, they're our own Pius & Glory and their images were requested as positive, hopeful images of African children. To say I was honored for our imagery to be recognized as particularly positive is an understatement - thanks to one of the organizers, Kaushal Jhalla, for requesting the photos to be used both on the blog and at the event..

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