Name of your website?I Am One In A Million: Non-profit charitable organization to build pre-school in Livingstone, Zambia
Your name?
Wendy Stebbins
Your Location (city, etc)
Chicago
Please give us a short summary of your website?
Nonprofit charitable organization to build and administer pre-school for street orphans 3-5 years old in Livingstone, Zambia. Revolutionary pilot program, like beginnings of Montessori. Tailored to Zambian personality,philosophy, values and specific needs. Oprah is a star. Put her star in the sky and it would light up the sky. I am a very little star. Put me in the sky and no one would notice. But there MUST BE a million other small people like me who want to do some little thing. And if we all do one small thing, put us in the sky together and we WOULD LIGHT UP THE UNIVERSE. Ordinary people working together to do an extra-ordinary thing.We don't have to be great to get started but we have to start to be great.I want the website (which still needs work) to reflect this.
What inspired you to launch your own website?
April 2006 I realized I would be spending Chrstmas alone. I could stay home and be totally depressed or do something so over the top that I would not have time to think about myself. I chose to go to Livingstone, Zambia to work with Aids babies and street orphans. There was so much synchronicity before and during my trip that when I came back I felt I was meant to do more. I thought I was meant to build a very small structure, probably medical that when I die will be in place to make a difference. All I had to do was LISTEN so when the Universe told me what it was I would hear it. Two months later, Alvin, the teacher I worked with in Livingstone e-mailed me and asked if I would help him build a pre-school for street orphans. He has worked 10 years with street orphans 7 years old and up and feels it is too late usually. If we are to make a difference long term we must reach very young street orphans who have already seen so much more trauma than any human adult should ever have to see. I returned to Livingstone in September, made a video, visited people, places and things on the inside where tourists don't go. I have gotten behind their eyeballs and that is why our school will be unique. It will be a place that works for this particular population. It is geared to Their needs and realistic possibilities, not what we who have so much feel they should need, learn or do. Much time has been spent in researching this and we are excited to make it a reality. So, I became nonprofit and a website(still in progress but now viewable and donatable)was the natural course of action. The web site shows that sometimes we ordinary people don't think we can do anything because we are not Oprah, Bono, Bill Gates. But if we put our little gifts together we will make it happen. Thank you for your time. You are one in a million.
When did you launch your first website, and what was it?
This is my first web site ever and it is the evolution of my passion to make a difference.
How did you decide on a name for your website?
See above
What makes it different from other, similar offerings?
We are the first, I believe, to take the time first to go, be with the Livingstone, Zambians, from the poorest of the poor, sickest of the sick as well as Government officials, doctors, farmers,etc. to get behind their eyeballs so our program is what they need not what WE think they need. This is a very different population. Another big difference is that we are focused on the little ordinary people who make up the universe to contribute. It does not brag about big funding or projects.We could go to a major corporation and get the funding in a short time. But we are appealing to ordinary people to reach to their higher selves, to give a little, to come together and to shine....to be one in a million.
What is your eventual goal? (To sell it, keep it for income, secure a book or other mainstream media deal?)
The s m o o t h running of our "Little Citizens Of The World" pre-school in Livingstone,to see the fruition of our labors as young people become adults, are self-sufficient, have a stable income and family. How will we know we are successful? When those we have brought along give back to their world as we are now doing for them. We also have a goal of developing an orphanage for these 3-5 year olds and to make the school the nucleus of the community by having adult education classes at night, etc.
How does your investment of time and money balance against your success?
I have invested thousands of dollars of my own money ahd have been successful beyond belief every step of the way. 6 young people want to go volunteer in Africa from seeing my example. I have had the honor of meeting the real heroes of the world, the little children of Zambia, who have withstood the worst possible conditions and lives imaginable but still have joy, humor and compassion always. I have met many Afrikaners and my heart is full every minute I am in Africa and every time I look and see what we as citizens of the world can do to make a difference. The synchronicity speaks for itself: When I was first planning to go to Africa, I had to send $1365.00 USD to the volunteer organization I signed up with which is customary. One night I was working in my office alone. I ran across a safe we no longer use because I lost the keys two years before. There is a slit in it where employees dropped the envelopes with money from clients. I thought "I wonder if there was any money in this before I lost the key". I turned it upside down so the slit was on the bottom and saw a white envelope. With a ball point pen I pulled out 4 envelopes. The money totalled $1365.00. A message from the Universe saying I was on the right path? I put an ad on Craigs list asking for used bats for the orphans. A young man brought me 6 used bats. Each had MY INITIALS (W.S.) penned on the top. I am a successful human being and I will be a success at this. This is my calling so the time and money are a moot point. But in real terms, it has taken little time and little money proportionately.
If you had an unlimited development budget for development, how would you change your site?
If I was given an unlimited development budget, first I would faint. Once I came to and accepted this, I would move there to really get this executed NOW. I would live there to develop the program and be sure to train the teachers and administrators the right way. The challenge is finding local people who can grasp the educational and motivational requirements. I am very good at inspiring people to reach beyond what they thought their capabilities were. But remember, these adults have no experience with life beyond their nose as they were once street orphans and had no opportunities,have PTSD, are not usually adept at creativity,stability, and knowing how to bring out the gifts each child has. Not that they are at fault. It is hard to have these qualities when you are in survival mode all your life, don't eat for 3 days, see your parents die of AIDS,at age 5 are the mother to your younger siblings, are abused, etc. Zambia is the second poorest country in the world. Depending on what statistics you read, the median age is 30.5 or 16.5.
With an unlimited budget, I would build a small supervised home for some of the children because when school is out these street orphans are just that, street orphans - no home. We would also connect with volunteer organizations and implement a teacher assistance/internship from the U.S., England, Austalia and other interested countries who have qualified students.I rose from abject poverty in Vermont myself, and now live on the Gold Coast of Chicago. I "get" these people.In my practice I am known for being good with DC's (Difficult clients), those clients no one can reach and change. I can make it happen and I can keep it growing and improving and be a pivotal change in their lives. If I had an unlimited development budget, I would retire, move their and make it "my baby". It would be a pilot program that once we got the kinks worked out, once it was stable and successful, we would take on the road, to other communities. "Little Citizen's Of The World" preschool.
If your site got really big, really quickly, would you be able to keep up with the demand?
Of course. I own four successful substance abuse centers. I am successful after starting in the basement of my home while raising 4 small children. If you want to grow you have to delegate. I have people hand picked after much thought, very excited to help. And as we re-evaluate this as appropriate we would make changes, increase staff, whatever it takes. I am not doing this to fail or to let these kids down. I will do whatever it takes to handle demand. When we reach the next level, I will do whatever it takes for this new level.What a great problem to have.
What unexpected costs and headaches have you had to deal with?
None at this point. I have been able to easily get qualified, heartfelt people to help with each aspect.
What has been your biggest challenge?
Finding stable, knowing, organized, focused people in Livingstone to follow through, to read my e-mails totally, to do what they say they are going to do when they say they are going to do something if at all. For example, before I went back to Livingstone in September I sent books as the school for street orphans 7 years old and up is building a library. When I got there, they weren't using the books. They were still in boxes. I asked why. They said if they gave one to each child to read they would take them when they left and they would have no books. I suggested they give the books to the children to read and at the end of the session they take the books back for the next time. No one had thought of this. Actually I got an idea from that for our pre-school. Theses orphans have no home so they have no place for their stuff. For each child I will have a carpenter in town who now whiddles statures come and with a child build him a cube on the wall with his name on it.This, and other ideas build on the strengths of the community. Imagine! For the first time in his life a street orphan will have his own place for his own stuff (Sounds a little George Carlinesque, doesn't it?) So, if he reads a book and wants to finish tomorrow he can put it in his place for his stuff. If he finds a rock he wants to keep he can put it in his place for his stuff. The biggest challenge in the future once the school is built will be the consistent, quality administration and teaching as discussed above.
What method has been most successful for promoting your website?
We have only just started so I do not know. The web site needs more work and has to be re-organized so that will come in the near future. Any ideas based on this particular project?
How has running your website differed from your expectations?
Because we are non-profit and therefore depend on a volunteer to do the web site, it is taking longer and the person does not have my vision. But that is what I expected and I have to work with that to make it happen the way it should be and I will.I know I will be great at marketing the site so I know I will get a lot of action. Africa is "hot" (I'm not talking temperature) in the first place. Had a drive last November and just the mention of the word Africa got people involved donating, no questions asked, no income tax receipts wanted.
How long have you run the site already, and how long will you continue to keep it up if you don't enjoy big gains in traffic, income or popularity?
Have just started. Will keep site until infinity I expect adjusting it as appropriate.
If you could have one wish that would make your goals come to fruition soon and with ease what would it be?
That someone would financially sponsor me so I can go over there, stay over there as long as necessary and make this an excellent contribution to the quality of life for these "little citizens of the world". They deserve it. Thank you for the opportunity to share my vision.
What is your website address?
I Am One In A Million: Non-profit charitable organization to build pre-school in Livingstone, Zambia
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