Last week I sent this message

Message: I am working with a group of young college graduates from Uganda who are trying to find learning materials that they can make available to the incredibly poor children in Uganda. Right now they are looking to form a non-profit organization to publish materials that they would donate to schools along with the personnel to assist in using the materials.

There is a discussion/working group that is forming at http://www.ned.com/group/ugandab ooks/ and I would welcome your input and participation there.Would you be interested in making your materials available to them at no cost?

Sincerely,

Linda Nowakowski

Lecturer

Faculty of Management Science

Ubon Ratchathani University

Warin Chamrab Ubon Ratchathani 34190

Thailand

I look forward to hearing from you.

I got the following response a few moments ago:

Hi Linda,

My apologies for not getting back with you earlier. We recently moved our office to North Carolina and have fallen behind in answering email.

Yes, we can make our materials available at no cost to legitimate groups. When they have the non-profit set up let me know and I will set up some passwords for them to access our materials.

Thanks,

Richard Pressinger

Their website.

Hi linda, thank you for your efforts.

I think the link to the website Linda mentions is this:

http://tampareads.com

Thanks, David. My mind has been else where lately....can't imagine why. Christina and Norbert are headed back to Uganda via Bangkok and Ethiopia tomorrow and I am headed out to 6 weeks of work with the Karen children in western Thailand.

The use of Developing Partnerships:

Poor project for poor students in uganda requires partnership and collaborative activity among various organizations. The resources that two or more groups bring to a particular problem are usually greater than one organization can harness on its own. ‘Resources’ represent far more than money. Partners can contribute staff and volunteer time; information, knowledge and expertise; contacts and networks; space, equipment and other forms of income- in-kind. In addition to pooling resources, partners can develop creative solutions - especially if the partnerships represent different sectors - that groups working on their own may not have considered.

Another advantage of collaborative work is that many organizations target the same group through their respective programs and interventions. A designated group, such as students or teachers, can be reached relatively quickly through existing programs directed towards these groups. Finally, partnerships embody a clear and important message: Poverty reduction and job creation are concerns of the entire community. All sectors are responsible for addressing these problems, preferably through a planned and coordinated approach that combines resources and expertise in new and sustainable ways.

Dawn sophos wrote to kasinja:

I had the opportunity to meet a science teacher at a workshop I attended last week. I spoke with her about your book project and she appeared very interested. I have e-mailed her a link to your thead. I also asked that she share it with the other science teachers she knows. She started a project at our local schools "Science Out of the Box" She and a group of teachers go to the schools to conduct science experiments using inexpensive, commonly found objects that can be transported to class rooms in a box (hence the name!) I hope I will in some way support your worthwhile goal! All my best, Dawn

Hey Guys, i emailed Timothy Anderson, the President & Founder, World Computer Exchange Executive Director, World Computer Exchange - Canada about providing our organisation with computers and printers. He replied me and sent 25 implementation questions to be answered. So guys provide your email adresses so that i can mail them to you. Thanks

Why don't you just post the questions here?

Last night I talked with Kasinja. I'm afraid I promised to work on some stuff and then did other stuff tonight.

Linda's point is a good one. But I understand that it takes a bit of practice to get in the habit of collaborating online.

Kasinja asked me if I had read the constitution the organization submitted. I had--rather quickly. But I don't have a good legal mind and didn't have any specific suggestions. Something I did mention to him is that I saw the Board was basically a management structure internal to the organization. I suggested that it would be good to have a Board of Advisers. Kasinja thought so too and suggested I head one up. But I had in mind a Board local and in country.

I know that it is a bit of a pain to do that because in order to have a meeting there is money involved, for refreshments and stuff like that. But still it seems a good idea to have people involved in education, law, business management, professional organizations, etc. It's important to have some who can offer outside advice and also guide the organization to resources and connections which can help the organization thrive.

So what is a good strategy for forming a Board of Advisers? How can Space plan and organize a good Board? Any suggestions?

While a board can offer advice and oversight, in my experience the board of a small org usually exists for two primary reasons. Doing the orgs work (a working board), or fundraising.

A board of advisors is a great idea, but Kasinja would be well served to post the list of items here, and get in the fast track of learning to collaborate online. In other words, get advice from great people online now, rather than into the process of organizing a BOA when the outcome is in essence giving the same advice. Just a thought.

Thanks linda for your initiatives.