ActionAid Australia’s Project TOTO (The Overseas Training Operation) launches search for next Australian to send overseas.
ActionAid Australia has launched a nationwide search for a second community-minded Australian to send overseas in an effort to shine a light on the causes of poverty.
The anti-poverty agency, with operations in over 40 countries across Africa, Asia and the Americas, is planning to send up to 10 people to a selection of its community projects to set up blog outposts, with the next going by Christmas.
The plan is for each blog outpost to provide a window into the realities of poverty and injustice in that country, region or village.
Setting up blog outposts involves training locals to use the internet and familiarize them with social media tools such as Twitter and blog writing, with the hope that those who are trained use these tools to tell their stories.
“By giving poor communities a voice through social media tools, we are giving them a new medium through which to claim their rights, while giving outsiders an intimate view of the realities of poverty,” says ActionAid Australia CEO Archie Law.
One of Australia’s most popular bloggers, Stilgherrian, has just returned from Tanzania after trialing the blog outreach program. His task now is to create a “how-to” manual for future expeditions, so future bloggers can overcome the challenges he faced.
“You can’t just dump one single piece of modernity into the poor rural environment and expect everything to work,” says Stilgherrian after visiting a school in Kilimani village, Zanzibar. “The school’s new computer room had no computers. Or electricity. Or desks. Or chairs.”
As well as the manual, the blogger will receive one-on-one support from Stilgherrian. However, unlike Stilgherrian, the next blogger doesn’t have to be a blogging or development expert.
“What we’re after in the next outreach blogger, is someone open-minded who loves adventure and isn’t afraid to get their hands dirty,” says Mr. Law.
“We’re looking for someone who can relate to people from different cultures and has empathy with the challenges poor people face.”
“Project TOTO aims to drive real-time insights, for example, what life is like inside a refugee camp, how a community deals with security fears, the journey of displacement of people as a result of war, how Australian companies operating overseas are affecting local populations, recorded through the eyes of the average Australian,” added Mr. Law.
Those wanting to nominate themselves or nominate a friend will need to register their interest at http://blogs.actionaid.org.au/toto/ by 30th August 2009.
ActionAid is relying on donations to make Project TOTO a reality and is seeking $10,000 to cover the costs of establishing the next blog outpost – including sending the blog trainer and purchasing the required equipment.
What can you do to help?
- Nominate someone as the next outreach blogger – http://blogs.actionaid.org.au/toto/
- Donate to Project TOTO – http://www.everydayhero.com.au/project_toto
- Follow the Tanzania outreach bloggers – http://blogs.actionaid.org.au/tanzania
