Moving Day

Finally, it is time for the families to move out of the refugee center and into their own homes. Having met with them last weekend (thanks to our volunteer translator!) I know they are really excited to get started on their new lives. The whole team has been taking care of things like getting the power turned on, organising furniture deliveries in preparation for moving the families tomorrow. You really have to be resourceful with such a huge language barrier; even phrase books fall short when someone can't read in their own language. I'm looking forward to taking them grocery shopping, and will come prepared with pictures of animals and any other useful tools I can find (meat all looks the same in the package)! Over the next few weeks I'll be visiting the families, helping them get acquainted with their neighborhood, teaching them how to use strange appliances, and start getting around on the bus and train. I've already been promised a home-cooked Burmese meal, and I can't wait.

As you can see the donations got off to an auspicious start and then stopped. As I add up my volunteer hours my 'hourly wage' is dropping to poverty-line levels...but I'm still loving it! This kind of work is so much more enjoyable than killing time for a buck, and I know other people would like the option too. So, let's start talking about the business development side of this project. Social entrepreneurship is growing like crazy. My idea is to have an employment agency (or a partnership between existing agencies) that uses its income to help provide temporary help to charitable organisations that cannot afford to hire staff or can only pay a low hourly rate. There could be training sessions to help match staff & organisations, the "for profit" clients could get tax breaks for contributing, or offer volunteer programs to their staff. I would also like to provide job training and work experience to unemployed or low-income individuals through the charities as well. the possibilities are endless, but I'm not a business woman so I'm asking for your feedback, ideas and business mentoring.