Projectstitch------"a stitch in time saves nine"

Manners and Etiquette

2010-05-02T12:56:00.000-07:00

Hi all,how have you been.

I will be posting an update on the winners of the competition i posted earlier meanwhile i will be doing a series on manners and etiquette.(resources gotten from
http://www.a-to-z-of-manners-and-etiquette.com/manners.html and personal experiences)

One of the ways we can make an impact in our society is by learning and practising good manners and etiquette.

Manners cost us nothing; yet, earn us respect when we use them.

"Manners maketh the man," is a phrase not used much these days. The basics of etiquette have been largely forgotten by the younger generation.

We seem to take how we relate to people for granted,those that have learned and practise the essence of good manners stand out amongst us.

The older generation may well remember some of the following:

Don't point - it's rude

Don't smoke or eat in the street - it looks 'common'

Don't talk with your mouth full - disgustingly, you may spit some of it out!

Don't shout - Keep your voice down

Don't interrupt - it's selfish and ill-mannered

Don't swear - it impresses nobody (it's the language of low lives and those with a limited vocabulary)

Open doors for the elderly and for women

Hold doors open for whoever is following you in (or out)- don't let it slam in their face

Use please and thank you

Don't gang up on anybody anywhere

Don't talk behind other's backs

Turn away from people, food and the phone when you cough or sneeze

Show respect for those older and wiser than yourself

Without respect and consideration for others, we are nothing but savages

Have you been in situations you wonder why some people act without manners?

Have you ever acted in ways you wish you could change?

Please share your experineces with us.

social enterprise competitions

2010-02-27T04:23:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

It's being quite a while.
Missed everyone.

There is quite a whole lot of information and resources out there for us to learn from.
Each time i search online i come across quite a lot of information that at times i become confused.

On this blog ,i will aslo be providing information from time to time for ambitious young people who have a
desire to make an impact in their local communities ,country and the world at large.

This i hope will bridge the information gap among young people.I believe that by providing the appropriate information and opportunities young people will have a greater impact and better develop their capacities.

In today’s world there’s a whole host of information out there that focuses on youth development and we intend making this information more easily accessible.

Sorry this information is coming late;

Dell Social Innovation Competition

Deadline March 1, 2010. Open to undergraduate and graduate level students from any university or college in the world. Prize US$50K to launch your social venture.

The University of Texas and Dell are looking for college students from around the world who want to improve areas of critical human need through innovation.

Providing a vehicle for taking student innovations from idea to reality, Dell’s Social Innovation Competition is a real-world exercise for perfecting your skills in:

* Project/business plan development
* Pitching ideas to investors
* Building resource networks

In universities around the world, students like you explore countless ideas every day, including solutions to tackle social problems — and help people in need reach their fullest potential. If you have a world-changing idea, the University of Texas and Dell want you to share it by entering The Dell Social Innovation Competition. Register now.

To find out more visit;

http://www.socialedge.org/features/opportunities/archive/2009/11/19/dell-social-innovation-competition-1

I will have posts on other competitions soon;

Are you a past or current winner of any competition?
Do you have information on current or future competitions or essays?
Please do share the information you have with us.

business person who wants to make a difference in the world

2009-04-16T15:11:00.000-07:00

hi all,,

i am business person who wants to make a difference in the world.

i had different ideas {and still have ideas }of how to help and make a difference,affect lives around me.i started talking to people and was quite discouraged with the process i was told i would have to go through......some said i would have to register as an ngo...... and that could be quite hectic.i was told u need a board of trustess,,,,u need this......u need that......and sincerely speaking i was not ready to go through all that.and because of the country where i come from where a lot of people think and believe corruption is the order of the day,,some ngo's are percieved to be established to furnish ones pocket and not for the good of all.

i then came in contact with a friend who explianed and encouraged me to establish a social enterprise .she said i could do my business with the mindset "not just for profit but for the good of all"

projectstitch was born..........

i started researching and reading up on social enterprenuers and was amazed with what i have learnt............

there are so many organizations ......inndividuals who are genuiely concerned and are taking action and doing something to improve the world .

at first i was overwhemled with some ideas and i started thinking.... no thats not what i want.....

all i want to do is something small.....but would grow to be something big and others would be inspired and woul be able to adopt such ideas .i want to start things that anyone anywhere could and would be able to do anywhere and anytime with little or no resources........

today i read the story of Krista Cameron at http://www.changemakers.net/node/21296a

and my first thot was ....thats more like it.........this is an idea we can adopt anywhere .....anytime.......

by organizing dance classes......youths around us have an avenue to expend unused energy......

they explore their creative side........

they ae not idle.......

its a means of keeping fit.......

they interact with other youths which in turn boosts thier communicating skills......

it could eventually become a source of livelihood for them which empowers them .......

they can enter both local and international dance competition which exposes them to other cultures and way of life............

it inspires them to give back to the society .........because they are being taught by volunteers......

and they can see the power each of us has to make a difference in our world......................

those kids you teach now would forever have the memories to cherish and share to inspire others and generations yet unborn.....

u dont need so much to make a difference..............

do you have an idea or you know anyone making a difference.......

pls do send an email to projectstitch09@gmail.com

i will be posting more of such stories ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

social enterprenuers

2009-03-31T02:59:00.000-07:00

hello everyone,
projectstitch09 is about doing what we can now ,,,,,we seek to showcase,inspire ,celebrate train,motivate,build transform social enterprenuers:::::

who are social enterprenuers???????

Social entrepreneurs are individuals with innovative solutions to society’s most pressing social problems. They are ambitious and persistent, tackling major social issues and offering new ideas for wide-scale change.
Rather than leaving societal needs to the government or business sectors, social entrepreneurs find what is not working and solve the problem by changing the system, spreading the solution, and persuading entire societies to take new leaps.

Social entrepreneurs often seem to be possessed by their ideas, committing their lives to changing the direction of their field. They are both visionaries and ultimate realists, concerned with the practical implementation of their vision above all else.

Each social entrepreneur presents ideas that are user-friendly, understandable, ethical, and engage widespread support in order to maximize the number of local people that will stand up, seize their idea, and implement with it.

social enterprenuers are role models proving that citizens who channel their passion into action can do almost anything.
social entrepreneur is someone who recognizes a social problem and uses entrepreneurial principles to organize, create, and manage a venture to make social change.

The main aim of a social entrepreneurship as well as social enterprise is to further social and environmental goals. This need not be incompatible with making a profit, but social entrepreneurs are often non-profits. Social enterprises are for ‘more-than-profit’.

some ideas for social enterprenuers............

1 .Call graphing and mobile user analytics (for NGOs, researchers, scientists)
In the fastest growing mobile market in the world, the person who can correctly analyze the market will have hundreds of companies lining up to buy their reports.

2. Peer to Peer Lending
The promise of websites like Prosper and Zopa are that they allow communities to help each other when institutions like banks and MFIs won’t. The idea is to create some sort of communal hedge fund and allow community members to submit ideas that the community gets to approve funding for. Judging by the response to this post, this idea would be well received.

3.
Book Recycling
There’s a ridiculous amount of books being printed and thrown away in America and Europe. The idea here is to import them and redistribute them to places like African schools and book stores.

4.
Alternative Business Models for Airlines (like RyanAir in Europe)
Groups like RyanAir and EasyJet have perfected the art of low-cost air travel. They do this by charging excessively for excessive passenger luggage and selling the majority of undercarriage space to postal services. They also charge a lot for in-flight purchases like snacks and drinks. Lastly, they allow advertisers to promote their brands on board. All of these methods together underwrite the actually airline ticket allowing users to fly sometimes for as little as 1£ plus taxes.
Can this work in Africa? I’m not sure but the benefits of low-cost inter-continental travel could potentially spur a spending boom of jet-set Africans.

5.This operation would allow people to opt-in to a donation program where instead of their unused airtime minutes getting rolled over into more airtime, the collective minutes would be tallied, given a monetary value and used as a seed fund for African entrepreneurs or charities (although I’d prefer the first). This would require relationships with mobile carriers around the world who would then ask their customers if they want their unused airtime donated at the end of the month.

this idea was posted on http://appfrica.net/blog{ October 28th, 2008 }
did you read the post then?
have you tried any of the ideas?

do you know of a social enterprenuer around your locality? share their work with us,,,,,
are you a social enterprenuer, share your work with us ?