A few months back I took up a challenge known as NikkiP 30 Day Blogging Challenge over at Ethnic Supplies blog I took longer than the 30 days the challenge was supposed to last. But I did finish and this post is all about what I learned from the experience.

The challenge was interesting, fun and a great way to learn about blogging as well as being disciplined.

What I learned from the challenge

1. how to use and apply key words in a post
2. constructing a killer headline
3. where to look for inspiration- things to blog about
4. using social media to promote posts
5. how to write posts for the benefit of the readers
6. and how to use tags in a post

I found the 30 day blogging challenge an easy way to grow my blog and it meant I often didn’t have an excuse not post something.

I am now psyching myself for the next change which is the 30 day facebook challenge

You too can take part in these challenges by signing up at http://www.30daychallenges.nikkipilkington.com/

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In my last post I was on my way out to Uganda from where I am writing. But before I left I had a telephone conversation with  one of the sponsors of the VILLAGES IN ACTION and CEO at Business Fights Poverty asking if I would represent his company at the conference and in return he would cover my airfare! This is someone I met by joining his online forum!

Team ORANGE

I have written about how the actual day went over Ethnicsupplies.org therefore this post will deal with the Social Media story in relation to the conference

There were several people involved in bringing this conference about and the actual idea came about from a conversation on Twitter and I was pleasantly surprised to meet at least 7 people in person, in Masindi, people I had been “talking to ” on Twitter and Facebook for nearly two years or so but had never met in person.

But the real story of the day call it a miracle if you will is the power of  technology to narrow the world quite literary.

SOLOMON, THE SUPER GEEK CHECKING OUT THE WIFI INSTALLATION

Orange™ Uganda  co sponsored this event and provided free WIFI on the day which enabled folk from 6 continents to experience the event on several social media platforms right from their living rooms/offices.

A camera crew was hired to record the event and were linked into the Ustream account of BUSINESS FIGHTS POVERTY an online forum hosted by  NING. the final analysis indicated that 570 people across the globe had tuned in/visited the video stream and those that tuned in were tweeting about what they were watching.

At the event itself at least 8 of us were tweeting about the event whilst some had a running commentary on facebook.  Those following the event on twitter were able to ask questions of the panels and tweeted the panels answers to the questions.

We took advantage of the free high speed WIFI and uploaded photos on Flickr,

Ning , facebook and video clips on twitter and this served to bring the event alive for those that were not there in person

SOME OF THOSE WHO TWEETED AT THE EVENT

What is amazing about all this is the fact this was going on in the middle of a field with no electricity   or telephone line as you can see from these behind the scenes photos from TMS RUGE MEDIA

I understand from the organizers PROJECT DIASPORA that the entire source of funding for this event came from Social Media sources/contacts. I am not privy to the exact costs involved but I doubt very much if they got much change out of $17,000! how about that for crowd sourcing

I don’t know about you but this for me is the biggest Social Media story of year, if you have one that beats this one lets hear it

In my last post I told you about my quest to get to  the Millennium Villages conference, which has since been renamed VILLAGES IN ACTION .  As promised I am back with an update.

As well as raising the necessary BA Air Miles I also wanted to test the whole concept of #crowdsourcing so I will start with feed back on that. The post was tweeted and retweeted at least 44 times! I was truly touched by this.

@SarahArrow and @afriquanwoman took this a step further and wrote blog posts urging folk in cyber space to help me you can view Sarah’s post here and Afriquanwoman’s here

After all this tweeting @Nikkipilkington put me in touch with her twitter contact @KSukalac who had BA miles to donate next my good friend and fellow blogger over @africanontheblog,  @STM95 got in touch she too had in excess of 28000 to donate, if I wanted them

@uusoksa didn’t have any air miles but she sent  a donation of £25 by way of helping me out

At this stage I had enough Air miles I needed to get to Uganda and the next step was for me to call @British_Airways and arrange the transfer of those miles into my account. I was not prepared for what I learned when I called@British_Airways

1. I could only have 19,000 miles transferred to me
2. I would be responsible for the cost of the transfer £140
3. The surcharge fees would still apply £220-£250 of it
4. I would still need to top up the fair as my own air miles would not make up the total that is required to get a free   flight
5. @British_Airways would not waive the transfer fees

At this stage it looked like all was lost but one thing for sure, I had proven that Crowd sourcing or cyber  begging works!

In the days that followed all the twitter activities, I  got an an order for 30 raw silk scarves from my online shop.

Which enabled me to raise enough money for my the ticket and had to do with my networking, building and maintaining those relationships.  I can now get to Uganda!

May I take this opportunity to thank all those who rallied around, I do appreciate the love!

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I love Twitter and other Social Media platforms because they allow me to connect, collaborate and keep in touch with all manner of people from all over the world. I also learn a great deal from others, but it would appear that I am not alone, even Nick Clegg  British Deputy Prime Minister has been at it, it being CrowdSourcing

IDA HORNER

I recently came across Paul Smith’s story, a man that decided to travel half way across the world by relying on the generosity of people or precisely his Twitter followers. You can read about how he got on here . I was so intrigued by his success that I decided to put this to the test myself.

My challenge is to get to Uganda for the Millenium Villages Conference using @British-Airways miles donated by folk on twitter

My British Airways Air miles Account is 29688427 and I need to raise 50000 air miles.

I will provide an update of how I can get on so drop by!

In the mean time if you have had success with what I am trying to do kindly share your tips

Spring is here and one of the things that most of us do at this time of the year is spring clean. So armed with with a feather a duster I set about dusting down my book shelf.

This exercise revealed that I have two copies of a book called  HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE by Dale Carnegie. One of the books had an old BA boarding pass for a flight from Stockholm in 2007! I used it to bookmark a page.

I decided to forget the dusting and reading that page again and before I knew I had read the whole chapter. The gist of it is that we are all interested in what interests us and if you want to arouse one’s interest you have to talk to them in terms of their interest.

Having read this chapter I put the book back , continued dusting and rearranging the books and when I was done I logged into my account over at Ecademy to catch up with what was going on. My in box had the greatest surprise of all.

It contained two messages and I nearly fell off the chair whilst reading one of them. It was from someone that I regularly communicate with on line and is familiar with my work over at Ethnic Supplies . Here is what it said word for word

How are things in China? Do you know anyone who produces reasonably quality solar panel components for shipping? A colleague of mine is looking at a large infrastructure project to provide power to homes and schools in rural areas in third world countries. As well as obtaining help with sourcing the components, we would need help with checking any cargo before it is shipped in respect of quality and other risks. I should add that this is at the germ of an idea stage, so please do not invest too much of your time for the moment. Sometimes these projects do not get past the funding stages in which case we would struggle to reimburse any costs.

I sat back and said out loud WOW! Suddenly the chapter I had just read in Dale Carnegie’s  made a whole lot of sense.  Although this is someone that I already know he gave me no reason at all to be interested in his business venture because, let alone help him even if I could

• dispensed with the  usual pleasantries or hello, how are you!
• As someone that knows me and I have spoken to a few times he is aware that I work in Africa, why was he asking me about China?
• why did he assume that I know about solar power components
• but this is the sentence that left me dumb founded I should add that this is at the germ of an idea stage, so please do not invest too much of your time for the moment.

He left me feeling  WHAT DOES ALL THIS GOT TO DO WITH ME? Does that sound familiar?

If you were advising this person to rewrite his email so that he didn’t leave the reader asking what it’s all got to do with them, what would that look like?

I would be interested in your views on this.

Aren’t those the reserve of the great and good.. Super stars, Barrack Obama and such like??

I can’t remember when or how, but I stumbled across this website and I learned that even I could have a fan page. I downloaded their free book and read it cover to cover in under 20 minutes, and hour later I had set up a fan page for Ethnic Supplies Ltd!

I invited a few friends/contacts to join and some did. I then asked myself a question that some of you reading this may be  asking themselves. How do I keep my fans interested so they stay and how do I get new fans?

Enter Nikki Pilkington with a blog on 10 things to post on a fan page, I don’t kid you when I tell you what a God sent this list of things was. I followed this list religiously and the fans grew from 72 to 274 today.

I have found having a fan page useful for another reason, I have not gotten round to putting together a newsletter for those folk interested in my work. I have therefore used the fan page to bring them up to date with what is happening at Ethnic Supplies. I do like the idea as fans can join or leave as they see  fit. In addition the fan page allows  for a two way   interaction between the readers and I on anything I have posted and i use this as feedback from the fans.

One thing that I had not counted on when I set up the  fan page was that a Senior producer at BBC Radio 4 and BBC World service would turn to Ethnic supplies Fan page for research for content of a programme about Rwanda.

But that is what happened last week. An email came through and here it is word for word

I’ve noticed from your Facebook pages that you’re in negotiations to do business in Rwanda. I’m travelling to the country in a few weeks to make programmes from BBC Radio 4 and BBC World Service and as part of my research would be very interested to hear how you’re getting on. If you’d be interested in having a chat please give me a call or drop me a note.

Well you can guess my reaction to that, and several conversations later and the BBC man has agreed to include the co-op we are working  with in rwanda in his week long programme and also give us a slot to present a UK perspective.

Something else happened too, we were struggling to get infront of buyers with our wares but when my colleague mentioned that our artisans are due to be part of a BBC documentary, the  doors started to open, quite literary!

So have you got a fan page or do you think it is a waste of time? If you don’t know how to set one up Nikki Pilkington and her team offer such a service and in fact they will maintain it for you, if you are too busy to do it yourself and here is how you can contact them http://www.nikkipilkington.com/contact-us

As usual I would be interested in your views on anything raised here

Penny Power the founder of Ecademy on Ida Horner

I first met Ida at the Weybridge Ecademy meeting and was drawn to her by her sense of purpose and her drive. Ida, as you will read, it passionate, determined and very aware of the contribution she can make.

Penny Power the founder of Ecademy had this to say

What has inspired me about Ida is her ability to slowly and calmly build a network of advocates around her. I meet so many people who know, admire and like Ida very much but she does not make a noise just for the sake of being heard.

Ida can teach many of us how to be patient, how to work strategically on a mission and how to always leave an impression that is positive.

Ida is a 21st century Social Entrepreneur, she knows how to collaborate, she knows how to build an online reputation and she knows how to position her business in a way that all her stakeholders can share in the success, if Ida is successful the ripple effect is tremendous.

I wanted to write my story so far and share how it all came about. In December 2006 I left England for a holiday in my home country Uganda one thing led to another and this holiday changed my life as I knew it for ever.

The beauty of the landscape 

I had a long standing invitation to visit a former colleague who had moved to Kenya as her husband had been posted there for work so I called on her for a whole week. When I got back to Uganda I had an invitation to a New Year’s Eve party by Lake Bunyonyi Kabale in SW Uganda. I had never been to this part of Uganda so I agreed to go. We had fantastic time, partying etc. The following day I asked my cousins if they would show me around the village.

The poverty of the people

I was shocked by what I saw, the poverty in the place was worse than anything I had ever seen. I could not reconcile the beauty of the landscape to the poverty of the people. This part of Uganda is very cold, so there were children walking on the country roads, with no shoes, runny noses, women carrying water on their heads, with rags for clothing.

We found some women weaving baskets

When we got to the top of the hill, we found some women weaving baskets and we started talking to them about their lives, and one thing they had in common was that although they had husbands who worked as casual labourers, they never got to see their husbands’ money, so it was up to them to ensure that the children in particular had food.

Contemplating what I had witnessed

I was in a contemplative mood as I left this village and headed back to the city for the rest of my holiday. Life had not changed for most of these people, the women were my age group, but looked so much older and most had no formal education. I wondered what would have happened to me if my father had decided not to put me through the education system because of my gender.

When we got home I had a heart to heart talk with my father who was very ill at this stage (he had just had a cancer diagnosis). This would be the last time I would have such a conversation as the next time I saw him he was in intensive care and died within hours of my arrival.

Back in the UK

I came back to the UK, with a view to doing something to help the women I had met, both in Kenya and Uganda. I was overwhelmed by how privileged my life was.

“I didn’t have to worry about where my next meal would come from, or being bitten by malaria causing mosquitoes, never mind accessing clean water by simply turning on a tap!”

Something on my mind

I went back to work, as a Housing Manager in Paddington, with feelings of “Oh well, that is not my life now, it was just a holiday, forget about it” But for some reason, I could not settle back into my role, I was in charge of a team of 7 staff, they too noticed this in me, and I wondered if it was because I had been away for a whole month. My boss irritated me amongst other things, but the last straw was a long running dispute between a Leaseholder and a tenant, the local politicians got involved too.

My thoughts turned to the folk I had left behind in East Africa. I thought to myself this has to be some of the most expensive council housing in the UK and the occupants are arguing over where a bench should be located etc!

Something I needed to do

When I got home that day, I wrote my resignation letter and handed it in the following day. At this stage I had no real idea what I was going to do but I knew that there had to be something better out there. I felt a strong sense of relief, until I started telling my family and friends what I had just done; some thought I had lost the plot for walking away from a well paid job. I must admit so did I, but once that letter of resignation was in there was no turning back.

Something in my heart

On my first day as an out of work person, I revisited that weekend’s copy of the Telegraph, and in it there was a copy of those free booklets, on International development, I read about what individuals were doing to help the poor, and at the end there was this sentence,

IF YOU THINK YOU ARE TOO SMALL TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE TRY SLEEPING WITH A MOSQUITO!

A new direction

There was my answer of what I was going to do. I would go and use my skills of working with the poor in London on the poor of Africa. But it would not be about charity, it would be something that would enable the women to earn money from their work and this money would go directly to them.

What’s in a name?

I had some lovely bags that I had bought from a Malagasy woman in a market in Nairobi, as well as baskets and other bits and pieces from my holiday. I took these to a shop in Weybridge Surrey to get their view as to whether there was a market for such things. The shop owner said there would be as they were very well made, and gave me some price indication but told me there were all too ethnic for her shop.

With that in mind Ethnic Supplies was born!

As a civil servant I had no idea of running any sort of enterprise or where to start and a quick search on the internet lead me to my local Business Link in Woking. I was put through a programme lasting 10 weeks where I learned about marketing, sales, accounting, PR, website etc

My journey to Ecademy

The programme ended with an invitation to a Business exhibition at Kempton Park by Business link where I got to attend various workshops. Back then I had a real fear of anything techy and as I selected which of the workshops I should attend I made a mental note to avoid any workshops dealing with IT.

Looking back this doesn’t make sense at all as those are the very workshops I should have attended so I could learn about ICT By a bizarre twist of luck that is exactly what happened.

Whilst searching for a workshop on Marketing I ended up in the wrong room where the workshop was ICT related. I got in just in time to hear the facilitator say “Google loves Ecademy and Craig’s list” and he went on to ask who in the audience was signed up to either.

I realised I was in the wrong room and left but made a mental note to look up those two “things” (didn’t know what they were back then) when I got home. I did and signed up to both.

Shortly after signing up to Ecademy I went off to Tanzania to meet the first group of women I would work with, and on my return I went to Madagascar. It was whilst I was in Madagascar, that the value of Ecademy sunk in. I posted a blog about what I had seen and before I knew it, people were offering to send blankets, children’s clothing etc.

The friends I have made

Over the last two years I have made some good friends here on Ecademy and sadly some have left. I have had my hand held quite literary. I am grateful to Nathalie Jamois in particular, who helped sort out my website and pointed out the groups I should join on Ecademy, who to follow, Peter Blanchard, who helped with tips on sales and marketing, how to ask for a referral, David Nunn and the Weybridge Ecademy group, these folk are simply great, Emma James, the Ask Linda Ecademy group and some new found friends Ces Loftus, Suhad, Christine Miller and Carolyn Williams.

My Twitter Story

I don’t know when or how I @ethnicsupplies got into Twitter but frankly it doesn’t matter. However what does is the ability to connect with others that Twitter provides. I have no doubt folk will debate the inns and out of Twitter for some time to come of as we say in Africa until the cows come home but I would urge you not to dismiss it.

My Twitter story starts with a post sent by Ed whose Twitter handle is @chiefmoamba. Ed posted a Tweet in which he mentioned an Africa gathering in London. This is someone I didn’t know and I can’t even remember how he became my “Follower” or me his. He politely answered my questions one of which was how I could get hold of tickets to the Africa Gathering event in London.He informed me that the tickets were sold out and asked if I would mind leading on one the seminars! Phew! All of this in just a few minutes of exchanging what is technically text messages!

Having reviewed the details I asked him what on earth I would talk about as the whole gathering appeared to be about ICT. Well those who know me will not be surprised by this. He suggested that I could talk about my work at Ethnic Supplies. That is easy enough I thought, so I agreed to join them. Here is how the actual day went.

Africa Gathering

sincerely had no idea how much I relied on ICT in the running of Ethnic Supplies. What happened next following my appearance at the Africa Gathering knocked me for six. An email arrived in my in box, I along with the other speakers at that event were invited to submit a paper for a conference on Ethics, Roles and Relationships in Interaction Design in Development and given a deadline of May 10 2009.

Ethics, Roles and Relationships in Interaction Design in Development

I had the usual doubts, will I come up with a good enough paper to submit and even if I do, will it be good enough to be selected etc… One thing was certain if I didn’t submit a paper I will never know what the outcome would have been or would be. I therefore sat down and wrote a paper and sent it off and waited for the results that were promised on 24 May. Right on time the results were in on 24 May my paper had been accepted and this is what they said:

Reviewer 1 

Accept. This author, who is not a part of the traditional ‘community’ of HCI4D, brings similar insights about listening to people impacted by development is critical to success. I think that her perspective would be very interesting – that we could learn from her experiences and vice versa. I also think that there is a potential for interesting collaboration as well. Although she does not explicitly mention ethical issues, they are implicit in what she has written.

Reviewer 2 

Accepted, The author has clearly has done some serious thinking about the relevant work. I agree that we can learn by engaging with this person.

I could not believe my eyes and was glad that I had taken the time to submit the paper. I started to reflect on the power on Twitter as well as that following leads through. Whilst at the Africa Gathering I met three important people who were also running seminars. One of those people was Dr Chris Hutchison a lecturer at Kingston University. He ran a seminar on the University’s Africa project and sat in on my seminar too.

We had brief conversation afterwards, he introduced me to his colleague Catherine we and agreed to meet up to continue the conversation. May was a busy month for us all and it became near impossible to meet. I had a work assignment that took me off to Uganda, and then there was the BBC Gardener’s World Exhibition during the second week of June. When this ended in the belief that the “fortune is the follow up “I dropped Chris a line with possible dates of meeting him and Catherine.

It transpired that he was speaking at a conference in Latvia. I also learned from him that there was a conference at the University on 26 June 2009 and I would be welcome to be one of the speakers, which I promptly took up and my topic was – Representation and Interpretation – focusing on how Africa is portrayed in the popular media.

At the conference I learned from Chris that he had been made head of the University’s Africa Project. He and Catherine were currently working on a project in South Africa and want to explore ways of promoting financial independence for the women. Chris asked if I would consider collaborating with them on this particular project by including them in what I do at Ethnic Supplies Ltd. Discussions are still under way.

The most exciting connection on Twitter was with a fellow Ugandan who lives in Texas and whose Twitter handle is @tmsruge. Like me Teddy is working to help a group of women and children access western markets with their wares. We have decided to join forces. I have recently sent off the samples of the work of the women’s group he is involved with to MONSOON ACCESSORISE having met them at London Fashion Week, and I am waiting for feedback.

So where am I with Ethnic Supplies

I sometimes feel overwhelmed by it all, and there have been times when I have questioned my mental health and felt like walking away altogether but I have come through those times, with the good will of others who wish me to succeed. Ethnic Supplies appears to have gone in 4 distinct directions:

Products:

Some folk are interested in the products due to their uniqueness and quality, and these are the regular customers. There has been an increase in ethically made products, and some people out there are changing the way they shop

The Message:

Some are not interested in products but in what I have to say (the message behind the products), so this has presented speaking opportunities for me as well as opportunities to collaborate with others including academics.

Consultancy:

Some are looking to source products that I don’t carry at Ethnic Supplies so I provide a consultancy service to such people. My first client is a coffee roaster from North London. I have introduced him to the Ugandan Coffee Development Agency and a local coffee co-operative in Uganda that he can work with. They have produced a purely Uganda coffee that isn’t currently available on the UK market and are awaiting certification from Italy.

The Charity:

Having set up Ethnic Supplies, I came across Ann McCarthy who was also working in SW Uganda , we agreed to work together to address the issue of water shortage in the village and have since set up and registered a charity:

LET THEM HELP THEMSELVES OUT OF POVERTY.

Some high points so far

The biggest achievement that makes it all worthwhile is the impact that my work has on the women producers. I can’t begin to tell you what it feels like when one of them says to me I have been able to send my children to school because you found a market for my baskets. I exhibited at the BBC garden’s world live this year- this was made possible by Penny Ritson.

I submitted a paper to a workshop on Ethics Roles and Relationships in Interaction design in developing regions, which was part of a much wider conference Interact2009 in Uppsala Sweden my paper, was accepted and I was invited to present it on 24 and 25 Aug 2009, further details here. This was through a random connection on Twitter.

Pipe line projects:

I have recently been contacted by a Scottish company that specialises in African inspired Tartans to help them start a new line of Tartans using Wild silk from Madagascar. Another assignment will see me accompany a group of ladies from Surrey through South Africa in March next year.

Social media:

has been a big part of helping me to move forward, even the contract with the coffee roaster came about as a result of a random connection here on Ecademy with Charles Okwalinga. I use my blog to communicate
share and learn. I remember a blog I posted on FAIRTRADE way back in February and the discussion continued well into May, and I have forged new connections with some of the folk who turned up for the discussion. I have a lot of learning to do still.

 

I would like to move away from holding the products myself to supplying them to others which is the goal I started out with. I continue to speak to Retailers about this. This would free me up to spend more time in Africa working alongside the ladies. There are huge gaps in the skills set especially when it comes to supplying overseas and this has meant that they have missed out because their orders were late.

I would also like to build on the consultancy work where I help businesses to set up in Africa or partner with African businesses through my network of contacts both here and in Africa.

My Challenge

Do you know any buyers at retail outlets that I could approach or companies wishing to set up in Africa but don’t know where to start?

Contact details:

Ida Horner
Founder Ethnic Supplies Ltd
Tel:07780703869
Do e-mail me
blog:Ethnic Supplies
Follow me on Twitter
please help us support:
Let Them Help Themselves
out of Poverty

This Community Challenge Club Business Story was Edited, Formated and
Branded by Ces Loftus Club Sponsor

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There is a new theory that the #FollowFriday recommendations on twitter are open to abuse/SPAM
Nikki Pilkington an expert on twitter advises that in order to avoid this SPAM it is best to write your recommendations in a blog and then post a link to them.

I have a great deal of respect for Nikki’s views on twitter and other Social Media platforms and in my view what she doesn’t know isn’t worth knowing. She has come up with a Twitter mentoring scheme called Tweetmentor and I am currently working way through it. Nikki’s twitter handle is @nikkipilkington if you would like to follow her and to find out about her twitter mentoring scheme visit her website http://www.nikkipilkington.com/

@peter_blanchard is a dear friend who want everyone in his network to succeed, he knows a great deal about selling smartly and IT. To find out about his work visit his company website www.ecom90.co.uk

@procphil another dear friend, he is very generous to those in his network . to find out about Phil’s work visit his blog http://streamliningprocesses.wordpress.com/

@SuButcher is great at connecting people, and what she doesn’t know about the planning system isn’t worth knowing here is Su’ website http://www.barefootgilles.com/

@essex_courier another generous soul that shares tips about all manner of things she taught me how to feed my blog into twitter. Read more about Sarah at her blog http://arrowlighthaulage.co.uk/arrowblog/

I love twitter as you may have figured by now but that is it about #followfriday this week . Oh and if you want to follow me I am @ethnicsupplies

Well think again. Whilst at the Africa Gathering I met three important people who were also running seminars.

In this thread I will tell you about one of those people. Dr Chris Hutchison a lecturer at Kingston University. He run a seminar on the University’s Africa project and sat in on my seminar too.

We had brief conversation afterwards, he introduced me to his colleague Catherine we and agreed to meet up to continue the conversation.

May was a busy month for us all and it became near impossible to meet. I had a work assignment that took me off to Uganda, and then there was the BBC Gardener’s World Exhibition during the second week of June. When this ended in the belief that the “fortune is the follow up “I dropped Chris a line with possible dates of meeting him and Catherine

It transpired that he was speaking at a conference in Latvia. I also learned from him that there was a conference at the University on 26 June 2009 and I would be welcome to be one of the speakers, which I promptly took up and my topic was REPRESENTATION and INTERPRETATION

At the conference I learned from Chris that he had been made head of the University’s Africa Project. He and Catherine were currently working on a project in South Africa and want to explore ways of promoting financial independence for the women.

Chris asked if I would consider collaborating with them on this particular project by including them in what I do at Ethnic Supplies Ltd. I agreed to a meeting with Chris and Catherine (who is currently on Holiday) so that I can learn more about this project and consider if I would like to be involved. But I am guessing that collaborating with such a high profile university will be an opportunity not to be missed.

Something else happened at the meeting of 26 June 2009 and that will be the subject of my next post

And it all started with Twitter

I don’t know when or how I got into Twitter but frankly it doesn’t matter. However what does is the ability to connect with others that Twitter provides. I have no doubt folk will debate the inns and out of Twitter for some time to come of as we say in Africa until the cows come home but I would urge you not to dismiss it.

My Twitter story starts with a post sent by Ed whose Twitter handle is chiefmoamba . Ed posted a Tweet in which he mentioned an Africa gathering in London.

This is someone I didn’t know nor he and I can’t even remember how he became my “Follower” nor me his. He politely answered my questions one of which was how could I get hold of tickets to the event in London.

He informed me that the tickets were sold out and asked if I would mind leading on one the seminars! Phew! all of this in just a few minutes of exchanging what is technically text messages!

Having reviewed the details I asked him what on earth I would talk about as the whole gathering appeared to be about ICT. Well those who know me will not be surprised by this.
He suggested that I could talk about my work at Ethnic Supplies

That is easy enough I thought, so I agreed to join them. Here is how the actual day went. I sincerely had no idea how much I relied on ICT in the running of Ethnic Supplies.

What happened next following my appearance at the Africa Gathering knocked me for six. An email arrived in my in box, I along with the other speakers at that event were invited to submit a paper for a conference on Ethics, Roles and Relationships in Interaction Design in Develop and given a deadline of May 10 2009.

I had the usual doubts, will I come up with a good enough paper to submit and even if I do, will it be good enough to be selected etc..

One thing was certain if I didn’t submit a paper I will never know what the outcome would have been or would be. I therefore sat down and wrote a paper and sent it off and waited for the results that were promised on 24 May.

And right on time the results were in on 24 May my paper had been accepted and this is what they said

Reviewer 1
Accept. This author, who is not a part of the traditional ‘community’ of HCI4D, brings similar insights about listening to people impacted by development is critical to success. I think that her perspective would be very interesting – that we could learn from her experiences and vice versa. I also think that there is a potential for interesting collaboration as well. Although she does not explicitly mention ethical issues, they are implicit in what she has written.

Reviewer 2
Accepted, The author has clearly has done some serious thinking about the relevant work. I agree that we can learn by engaging with this person.

I could not believe my eyes and was glad that I had taken the time to submit the paper. I started to reflect on the power on Twitter as well as that following leads through

Have you had an usual experience or amazing results as a result of being on Twitter?