We (Nikki Fishman and I) are working towards an event on January 10th 2015, which is provisionally called Dadamac Glocal. It's a bit of a challenge to know the best way to describe it, other than it's going to be a great way to start the new year. Details will be shared nearer the time.
An invitation to join us
We're excited about what we've done in the past linking the UK and Africa. We've been on a steep learning curve, and that made it hard for us to explain exactly what we were doing and why it matters. Now we've taken time to reflect about what has been most valuable. We're ready to tell our story and to invite other people to get involved with us in 2015 (and in the preparations beforehand).
We've helped one changemaker, now we're ready to do more
For years we've been helping John and his team at Fantsuam Foundation (FF) to tell the unfolding stories of their work and the communities they serve. By raising the visibility of John's work we've supported him in making funding bids, in reporting back to donors and in having greater influence.
We've also been learning about patterns of change, how local initiatives fit into the global picture, and how knowledge from one local initiative can accelerate the progress of another.
Week by week, through our online UK-Nigeria Dadamac meetings we've shared the opportunities and challenges of the work at FF.
Dadamac Foundation has also been able to offer direct practical support, sometimes through fundraising, more often through less obvious, information-related help (facts, advice, opportunities, contacts and so on).
Sometimes we've arranged collaborations, and we've been the invisible glue holding the various collaborators togethers, helping them to connect and communicate effectively despite being thousands of miles apart. We've become expert in working with people we've never met. In fact Nikki is now so knowledgeable about FF, and so closely involved through "virtual meetings", that people find it hard to believe she doesn't share my experiences of "face-to-face reality-check meetings" and working holidays in Nigeria.
Local changemakers are experts who deserve support
We know what fantastic work is done on the ground by local changemakers with minimum resources. We're convinced that people who have devoted their lives to their local communities are the experts in what needs to be done. We think it's a tragedy that the resources of top-down projects seldom seem to connect with the existing local initiatives that could maximise their impact.
Support us to support the changemakers
We know what needs to be done to support local changemakers like John Dada and his team at Fantsuam Foundation. We believe that other people would support local changemakers, given the chance. In 2015 we intend to offer that opportunity. We plan to build a bigger team here in the UK to provide more, and better, support not just to John but to other changemakers elsewhere. We need people who share our vision to contribute their time or their money to help us. If you are one of those people, or if you think you can help us to find them, please contact Nikki or Pamela