I came to Africa for the first time on Oct 13, 2011 to take up my posting with the Bank of Uganda as an Overseas Development Institute Fellow. This also brings me to the city of Kampala where our artisans are located. I have penned down some of my first observation and impressions about Kampala:

“On 13th Oct 2011, my father and I boarded Kenya airways flight KQ 203 to Entebbe (via Nairobi). This was going to be our very first encounter with Africa. I was coming to Kampala to work as an ODI Fellow heading the macro stress testing section for the Bank of Uganda. Dad was coming to see for himself where I am going to live for the next two years and in what type of a society. We had gathered a lot of information from ODI and other places about Uganda, but the doubts and stereotypes in our mind were persisting. Many people in India have extreme stereotypes about this place, (mis)guided by historical events. However, soon after we boarded the flight and in the last two days here, we have realised how mistaken perceptions can be….

Read more at: http://prajakta-reflections.blogspot.com/2011/10/africa-first-experiences-and.html“

I was at the London Development Forum 2011 at the London School of Economics today. A few of us were talking about Million Arts, the social enterprise I cofounded to empower poor women in Kampala. And as it often happens, I was asked, “Why Africa?”

I have no direct connection with Africa. I had never set foot on the continent until Oct 2011. I come from a country, which has more poor people than I could ever be able to help. Yet, to me, helping a small community in far away, un familiar Africa seems no unusual choice for the following three reasons:

 To read more, visit: http://prajakta-reflections.blogspot.com/2011/01/why-africa.html

Hi Friends of Million Arts,

The city of Kampala was shaken by twin bombings on the night of July 11. These blasts targeting Ethiopians and Ugandans watching the World Cup Finals hiked a security alert in Kampala. Thanks for the emails from many of you showing concern. In response, we felt an update was necessary.

One of the bombings happened a few meters from where our artisans live, fortunately the children and artisans are safe. However, the bombings have shaken them, and in such a delicate moment Million Arts hopes that peace of a permanent nature will be restored to this wonderful country soon.

Aaron, who is on-the-ground in Kampala has informed that there is a lot of tension and the government has taken steps to increase security checks and to caution people on crowded places. They have also tightened the borders to as they hunt down the terrorists.

At such a time, tourism is expected to take a beating. Tourists are the only local buyers of Joyce’s paper-bead jewelry in Kampala, and this will mean significant loss to her. The Million Arts team is working hard to sell as many Milart necklaes as possible so as to support our artisans. We need your support, do buy and gift Milart necklaces here  and help us send these kids to school.

~Million Arts Team

Hi all,

Early this month, our artisan Joyce received her earnings from the Milart jewelry you bought recently in Singapore. Some of her kids had been sent out of school as she had been unable to pay school fees for some time. This money came just in time to put her kids back into school.  

We thought we’d convey her heartfelt gratitude in her own words as spoken to me when I saw her in Kampala:

“Thank you, God bless you, I have no words. The children will go back to school tomorrow, I will be able to have some sleep today. I have been moving up and down to find money for their school fees in vain. I am so happy for what you have done to me. I am very happy and may God richly bless you. If I was rich I would slaughter for you something to eat.” 

The Million Arts team would like to say thank you to all you ‘Friends of MillionArts’ out there for your support. Special thanks to those who bought the jewelry at CISCO@25 and otherwise and those who gave some money to add on for the kids to go to school. We are very grateful for your support and hope to receive it in the future too.

~Aaron
(on behalf of Million Arts Team)

“Hey, check out these great recycled paper beads from Africa, aren’t they cool….You have to buy this for your wife”. 
Milart jewelry often gets people (even guys) excited this way! Truly, the overwhelming response at our booth in the recent CISCO@25 roadshow had to be seen to be believed!

 On 19-20th May 2010, Million Arts showcased lovely paper-bead jewelry from Uganda at the CISCO@25 Roadshow at CISCO’s Capital Tower office in Singapore. CISCO (www.cisco.com), a leading communications technology company with a wide range of solutions in network systems and data centers, also has strong corporate social responsibility (CSR) program focusing on social investments and environmental sustainability. 

Million Arts’ booth was a riot of colours – absolutely unmistakable!  Milart beads drew a lot of gasps and the necklaces sold like hot cakes. The experience was invaluable. I have never seen so much demand for single long chains before! Blues & greens were hot favorites and those pieces were all gone on the first day in the first hour! Including the lovely bright green necklace I was wearing myself!! Pretty Milart necklaces coupled with our artisan’s compelling story generated super-strong demand.

The event organizers at CISCO actively helped promote the booth, in some instances, even calling out to colleagues passing by saying “Hey, check out these great recycled paper beads from Africa, aren’t they cool….You have to buy this for your wife”  

All in all, great two days for Million Arts. Those who bought the necklaces loved them, truly appreciated that they were made from recycled paper and could barely conceal their amazement when they found out!  The fact that it came from poor communities in Uganda and went towards the education of fourteen kids in Kampala never failed to awe and motivate them. So, if you missed some of the unique pieces we had, do make sure you get on to our mailing list by dropping us a line at millionarts@gmail.com and stay tuned at the Milart Store. We’ll notify you first!

The roadshow ended with ever-growing possibilities for a continued collaboration with CISCO. We look forward to working with CISCO again and thank them for the opportunity & their exemplary support in empowering women and children in Uganda through enterprise.

~Aparna
(that’s me in the pictures! =))

A decade ago, at the start of the new millennium, we were clamoring about the Y2K problem and all the implications it would have. The Y2K bug was also a reminder of how much computers and “Information Technology” had penetrated human life and that these held the key to development in the new millennium. Sci-fi dreams had become reality and life had become simpler…simpler for the people who could afford such technology. For example, a middle aged woman from a slum in Kampala, would she be able to afford 3G wireless connectivity? My guess is, she wouldn’t, neither would the billion others in the “bottom billion”. Hence, she might be justified in concluding that Information Technology would hold no relevance to her life.

In the latter half of the recently concluded decade, the socially conscious world woke up to the possibilities offered by information technology. I’m sure the woman in question wouldn’t complain about all the awareness the Ushahidi Platform provided during the post electoral violence in Kenya in 2008. I’m sure she appreciates the money Kiva and a thousand other MFIs are pumping into her community. She won’t mind if a hole-in-the-wall project is implemented in her locality. She’s also probably wondering how more and more foreign students are volunteering with NGOs in her neighborhood. She’ll probably empathize with the rural BPOs of India or the moving clinics of China. Today, if she considers what’s behind all this “connectivity”, she will realise technological progress is indeed relevant to her.

My point is that technology, computers and internet are means to a greater end. ‘Connectivity’ is the keyword.

I’ve noticed three kinds of connectivity relevant to most social organizations. I’ll illustrate these types by taking our own Million Arts as an example.

The first type is the Primary connectivity (Primary because no change is possible without this): the connectivity between the change makers and the ones most directly affected by that change. With respect to Million Arts: It’s the connectivity between the team and our partners Joyce, her team and their children. The concept behind Million Arts is quite simple: just bridge the gap between demand and supply in a manner that benefits artisans who are working hard to cross over to the other side of the poverty line. As simple as it is, it wouldn’t have been possible to implement it on a truly global scale a decade ago.

The second type is Secondary Connectivity: Communication among change makers. With respect to Million Arts, it’s the connectivity among the team members. While, I’m writing this blog post in India, Aaron is visiting on Joyce in Kampala, Prajakta is forging collaborations with organisations like SE101Africa of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and Aparna might be implementing a road show with an MNC like CISCO in Singapore. This connectivity enables us to stay updated and work towards one goal. Not a possibility in the older and slower millennium which just passed us.

The third type is the Tertiary Connectivity: It’s the connectivity between the SocialOrganizations and their customers/sponsors: Whenever customers/sponsors come into play, so does money. When money is involved, trust becomes the deciding factor. It’s the connectivity which connects social organizations to their customers/sponsors and enables them to develop mutual trust. With respect to Million Arts, it is absolutely essential for us to have customers who trust us and buy our products with the knowledge that their money translates into real social impact and that the products they purchase are indeed of the quality stated. We build this trust by giving them constant updates through social networks and by taking regular feedback on the internet. God bless the Internet!

All said and done, when our lady from the slums of Kampala goes to church this Sunday, I hope she prays for love, equality and 4G.

Prateik, India
(Follow us on Twitter – @prateik and @MillionArts)

Hi friends of Million Arts! I know you have been waiting for really long to see this blog bubbling with posts, information and discussions of value. And finally today,we begin.

I had been looking out for the right idea to ignite our thinking about social enterprise, Africa and wealth creation. I happened to stumble upon a thought-provoking TED talk this Saturday morning, and I think nothing else would be better to inaugurate the Million Arts blog.

In this provocative talk, journalist Andrew Mwenda asks us to reframe the “African question” — to look beyond the media’s stories of poverty, civil war and helplessness and see the opportunities for creating wealth and happiness throughout the continent. 

One great example of the creative African entrepreneurs Andrew talks about are our very own Million Arts artisans in Kampala, Uganda, aren’t they? These are people with capability, talent and a desire to progress with hardwork  and dignity. At Million Arts, we are empowering them sell paper-bead jewelry and to put their kids through school. You can empower them too, at the Milart store. Buy 1, gift 1 and send someone to school today!

Eager to hear your thoughts! =)

Prajakta =)