Last week, Traditzia held an event to unveil the results of their MATRA Project, an initiative funded by the Dutch Embassy.
The project, “Spreading Ideas, Creating Capabilities, Improving
Archive for the 'Traditzia' Category
Traditzia, with partner Foundation for Cultural and Economic Development, EU expert Olga Borrisova and non-profit consultant, Nancy Sasser, will train 10 NGOs on funding, advocacy, management and public-private partnerships. Techniques will include interactive sessions and simulated grant-writing exercises. These organizations all support socially disabled individuals–orphans, the mentally challenged, or physically disabled–from communities in the Southwest region of
I was ready.
I am working on a Small Project Assistance (SPA) grant for Traditzia. SPA grants are worth $5,000 and they are funded by Peace Corps, which receives its money from United States Agency for International Development (USAID). For many reasons, SPA serves as a terrific training ground for learning to write grant proposals. 1) There is a comprehensive handbook full of details, frequently asked questions, guidelines, checklists, forms and schedules to help you work out the details. It’s a kind of grant-writing starter kit. 2) SPA is very picky. Details such as “all documents must be in twelve point Times New Roman font” and “budget for outside labor must not exceed $500” and “25 % of all funds must be contributed by the applying organizations (15% in-kind and 10% cash)” are perfect to prepare for the more complicated grant apps in our future. 3) We can submit our proposal early to a SPA committee made up of volunteers who will coach us to fill in blanks we’ve forgotten and clarify confusing statements, therefore enhancing our shot at winning the grant.
Most ideally, a SPA project should include a transfer of skills, fulfillment of a community need and sustainability, so the project can live beyond our service. It is a grass-roots grant, created specifically for Peace Corps projects. Past SPA-funded projects have included a leadership skills camp for adolescent girls, a customer service training program for NGO employees, English classes for employment seekers and a solar water heater for an elderly social home.
For those not living or working in the public sector, a grant application, as those of you in the private sector can only imagine, since you’re basically asking for free money!!! goes like this: Through a series of questions, forms, statements and ideas, (most of which all ask you to say the same thing in a slightly different way) you prove to the donor that you are a legitimate organization that is suited to tackle this project, that you will handle their money responsibly, that you will spend it reasonably and that your project will fulfill a justifiable community need.
I am writing a SPA grant for Traditzia to launch an educational campaign on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Corporate Giving for private firms in Sofia. What exactly does this mean? Traditzia, in partnership with the Bulgarian Donor’s Forum, will provide classes to employees from 5-10 Sofia businesses once a month for six months, then host an event at our gallery for the launch of these participant’s programs.
So what, exactly, does Corporate Social Responsibility mean? In the vaguest sense, CSR is about how companies manage business processes to produce an overall positive impact on their internal and external society. The original model includes a balance of social, economic and environmental factors. The trick, it seems, is to capitalize on your firm’s expertise and resources and then create programs to enhance your employee’s and your community’s quality of life, while also contributing to the “global good”. For example, in Costa Rica, a pharmaceutical company donated over one million doses of measles, mumps and rubella vaccines to the Pan American Health Organization, demonstrating a commitment to health and strong support for their regions vulnerable groups. In Brazil, where in certain areas, many people don’t finish basic education, a construction company offers employees a chance to complete the program. This firm discovered what their workers had missed and helped them get it back, improving morale, increasing skills and enhancing employee loyalty. Here in Sofia, First Investment, who used to throw money at orphanages during Easter and Christmas, now distributes funds to offer teenage orphans to provide the professional training and job opportunities for a successful societal integration once old enough to live on their own.
The concept of CSR and corporate giving is widespread across the globe. And in recent years, due to non-profit scandals, dubious internet giving Web sites and hopefully, evolving humanity, corporate giving (arguably the sexiest part of CSR) has changed. No longer satisfied with large sum donations to once-trusted charities, companies and well-off individuals want to know exactly where their money is going, who the beneficiaries are and how they can build a philanthropic program to ensure results. They are making distinctions between “charity” and “philanthropy”. As author Claire Gaudiani recently said “charity is about easing symptoms of distress while philanthropy is about investing in solutions to the underlying problems.” Hence, the latter is actually less about pity and more about practicality.
Bulgarian businesses, however, aren’t quite there. While some are afraid of additional tax burdens once they flaunt their ability to give, others retreat because there’s no standard. How much should we give? To whom? How will it reflect our reputation? Too, the idea of broadcasting one’s generous donations, from a Christian perspective, is sometimes thought to demean the act itself.
Why should Traditzia take this on? Because as an NGO in a country that will soon join the EU and watch their aid organizations take off into the sunset toward a less developed nation, we, along with scores of others, are in need of funding. The more we educate companies about long-term, sustainable corporate giving programs and encourage public-private partnerships, the more likely we are to receive support. And that means our own beneficiaries–socially disadvantaged individuals from all across Bulgaria–can improve their quality of life.
So, we’re writing this project. We must work out exactly how $5,000 will be spent, convince the SPA committee and the eventual decision makers that we deserve such a grant and then cross our fingers to wait for the call. My job here may not be hands-on with fast, tangilbe results, but I am trying to change a mindset–to help evolve the foundation on which Bulgaria rests. I just have to chip away and hope that I’m making a difference.
Just a little review about my organization here. . .
Traditzia, which mean “tradition” in Bulgarian, is a foundation and a gallery. Our mission is to help artisans, some disabled, some in social institutions, some minority, some orphaned and some simply talented, to help themselves. We achieve this by providing craft consultation, art therapy and entrepreneurial advice, helping individuals create marketable products and allowing institutions to become professional businesses. We then sell these handmade items in our gallery. The result is a self-reliant life, a sustainable income, and a sense of fulfillment for these vulnerable groups. Furthermore, our actions aim to preserve the traditions and culture of crafts in Bulgaria. www.traditzia.bg
And when I say crafts, this is no church bazaar. At Traditzia, there’s jewelry that pushes way past Pandora’s. Knick-knacks, decor and toys that remind you of Tallulah Jones. Scarves that would sell on Pearl Street. Stained glass that they would select for Artisan Center display! And pottery that’s pleasing to the eyes and the hands. And to top it all off, it’s for a good cause. My latest tagline for Traditzia is:
Here at Traditzia, every purchase has a purpose. Every stitch has a story.
Traditzia is a progressive organization, too. Ahead of many struggling non-profits, we benefit from a very international board of British, German, Swiss, Croatian and sometimes American members with fresh perspectives. We have hardworking, dedicated employees and a competent director who feel an immense connection to those we help. We’re a favorite among the expat and embassy crowd.
We have seven people on staff, who work in a gallery with a small office, kitchen and “conference room” behind it. Traditzia was the brainchild of Mrs. Arabella Stagg, wife of a former British Ambassador, Richard Stagg. She started Traditzia in 2001 through the British government with funds from Department for International Development (DFID).
What I Do
–Designed advertisement for newsletters, tourist guides and coupon books.
–Coordinated a silent auction with handmade jewelry from our gallery, for the Anglo-American School Valentine’s Day Dinner.
–Met with British Airways, Executive Center, Shell Gas Bulgaria and other corporations with an office in Sofia, pitching potential social responsibility opportunities with Traditzia. It can mean a variety of collaboration, partnership and trades—each with the same outcome: they gain philanthropic recognition and community integration–we gain clientele and sales.
–Sent thank you notes and followed up with the aforementioned companies to build a relationship so they think of us for corporate gifts, holiday décor and gift-buying. (i know, thank you notes don’t seem novel, but networking is somewhat of a new thing at Traditzia)
–Began rewriting Traditzia mission statement and elevator speech for employees to learn, memorize and repeat. (note: no elevator required)
–Begun developing sales training for those that work the floor.
–Designed placards to describe supported social institutions for our project with the Norwegian Embassy, Swiss Embassy– for display at spnosored nights. .
–Followed up with several Peace Corps volunteers who think they have potential handmade products for our gallery, creating a process for this type of inquiry.
–Contacted BTK to inquire about getting voicemail on our telephone.
–Ordered notecards with the Traditzia logo.
–Visited Rojdestvo Christovo Day Center for single mothers to review potential pottery and dolls (made there) to sell in the gallery.
–Attended a grant-writing seminar to learn the roots and complexities of project design
–Facilitated brainstorm for 2006 Traditzia Gallery events.
–Greeted members of U.S. Congress on their private shopping tour, presented Traditzia’s mission, discussed artisan stories and catered to their needs.
–Designed the tags for our Thomas Collection, children’s clothing, handknitted by elderly disabled women from the Rhodope Mountains.
–Helped write a grant to provide entreprenurship skills to minority artisans in the underdeveloped northwest region.
–Beginning application after application for the many grants and funds available.
My projects are really taking shape, now, too. Traditzia seems to welcome my ideas. They’re not bowled over, but I think they’re beginning to see how I can help.
Too, I am spreading project management skills. This is where things become tough.
Here in Bulgaria, there is no half-century long history of business. Instead, there’s a less detailed model. A shorter history of entrepreneurship. No concept of customer service, less projection toward the future and a sometimes surprising lack of urgency. There is less tendency to collaborate, little infrastructure and not a lot of process, either.
All the rich creamy goodness of America, everything which I sometimes embrace and sometimes aghor about our homeland is missing. Bulgaria is a nation on the brink, ever-so-slowly creeping into global view, but they have a few miles to go. And I’m glad I was born in a country (not to mention to those terrific entrepreneurial parents of mine) where I just inherently know a bit about this stuff and can spread it around. So here’s what I’m trying to do:
–Implement a process where there has been no process before. It’s like thrusting red tape at someone. Just sorta falls to the ground in a big sticky heap.
–Create information databases for convenience and records
–Enforce the use of an agenda during meetings
–Develop the “customer is king” philosophy
–Introduce the habituatl use of comprehensive project documents with action items, deadlines and resources
–Convince people the benefits of partnerships and networking for long-term benefits
–Stress people out (I swear, I try with all my might!!!, but the more stressed I get, the calmer they feel. This is obviously an American affliction!!)
–Planning ahead—way ahead in Bulgarian terms. For an event in March, I’d like to start planning now. They prefer to start closer to March. Granted, it gets done, either way, but if we start in March, perhaps not in the calmest or most organized manner. (of course, it’s true that I run around freaking out while the Bulgarians do, in fact, remain calm).
This spring, I will be visiting social institutions, meeting artisans, orphans and disabled individuals and witnessing Traditzia’s impact on these people. This is very exciting! I’m so eager to meet the people we help.
Michael and I are also looking into the following as secondary projects:
–Creating an accurate map and schedule for the public transportation in Sofia.
–Introducing the idea of a book club to Bulgaria.
–Teaching English to a group of Bulgarians at the Sofia library
–Developing a presentation on “How to Give Presentations” to university classes or organizations
–Looking into an Operation Smile project. . .more to come. . .
–Learning what we can do for Anti Trafficking in Persons cause, a devastating issue whereby thousands of girls around the world, statistically 20 or more per hour, are kidnapped (or duped by seemingly loving boyfriends) and then sold as sex slaves.
So that’s what I’m up to for now. It’s not exactly digging for clean drinking water or promoting tupperware to natives (don’t tell me you didn’t at some point picture that 80s commercial or the Airplane! scene) but I like it and I feel good about my work so far in Bulgaria.
In the kitchen with Elana. She’s always willing to listen to my Bulgarian. I’m looking for a little history. Cigarette in one hand, coffee cup in the other. She leans against the sink. I sit on a stack of chairs.
Andrea: Moge li ti pitam neshta: kokvo beche jivod prez “communism?” (Can I ask you something? So what was life like during communism?)
Elana: It was terrible. People working only two hours a day, everyone having the same wage, no matter what their skills. Everyone had a job, sure, but there is no motivation because you’re not in charge of your own life. There is no personal responsibility because the state takes care of everything for you. and nothing every changes. No matter what you did, you are still the same.
My inner monologue: That explains the cracked sidewalks, unsatisfactory customer service and a slough of other violations of common society sense. But this reminds me of Chez Gavera—his original idea was to help the poor people, spread the wealth and remove power from the richest people. He had good intentions, but I guess it just doesn’t work. ..
Elana: “My grandfather owned a factory before communism and when the communists came into power, they took it away. As an entrepreneur, he was a threat and was declared an enemy of the state, banned from working or having anything to do with the factory.
Andrea: Oojus (Awful)
My inner monologue: Entrepreneurs were discouraged, penalized and declared the enemy. Can you imagine?
Andrea: Ee kakvo za patuvane? (And what about traveling?)
Elana: You typically couldn’t leave the country. My family managed to get to Italy to visit relatives and it was terrible. The government listened to our phone conversations, opened our mail for months and warned my parents that they must never, ever tell anyone what they saw in Italy.
My inner monologue: Am I listening to a horror documentary on NPR? No this is the country I’m living in. Is she talking ancient history? No, this was in 1989. It’s not even IN the history books yet.
Andrea: E mnogo trudno za horata sega, nali? (It’s still hard for people now, isn’t it? How do they do it?)
Elana: I really don’t know. I was 17 when it all changed, but there are still problems. People thought it would be better the next year, just like Switzerland. But even now, taxes take 50 % of our wages. We pay 6% health insurance and we don’t even know where it goes, because when we go to the doctor, it’s very expensive. It’s such a problem, but all people do is murmur, that’s all. Why? Because. We were trained to keep quiet. Protesting before got you removed from society, maybe even sent to Belene to disappear.
Andrea: Ne moga de viarvum che. (I can’t believe it)
Elana: Oh, it’s true. And now, with the EU coming, prices will increase and the local shop owners, those that worked so hard to crack their mental shell of communism, will be driven away.
Elana: But I know it’s good for us for the long term. We will have a balanced economy. The salaries will match the prices and people can live on their own, maybe have more than one child and have enough money to save a little. I won’t see it in my life, but maybe, I hope for Raia (her daughter).
Andrea: Head shake.
This was and is Bulgaria.
On Friday afternoon Andrea emailed me at work and said that we needed to go to a going away party being thrown for a co-worker of hers who was leaving the country, and her organization. “OK, sounds great” I say. We picked up a bottle of wine on the way, not wanting to arrive empty handed. You can get reasonable wines for VERY reasonable prices in Bulgaria. The bottle we selected put us back the equivalent of about 2 bucks. When we arrive at the “house”, we realize that it was where the British Ambassador to Bulgaria lives. It wasn’t a “house” it was the “Ambassador’s Residence”.
After being checked over by the guards, and after leaving our personal effects in a spacious coat room, Andrea and I walked through the doorway and were greeted by the Ambassador himself. I shook his hand as I wondered what to do with my gift – a vintage that seemed more like Mad-Dog after each passing moment. “Take a nip of this capt’n, itl knock’ya on yer arse!” – I think, but do not say. I coolly withhold our gift from Ambassador suspecting that he would not feel jilted, and continued into the ballroom. Next we were greeted by a waiter (actually “butler” sounds more accurate) holding a neat tray of assorted wines, beers and juices. Sensing that the butler would also have no use for our gift, I did the only thing I could – I passed the jungle juice back to Andrea so she could figure it out. Andrea warmly presented it to the Ambassadors wife, who graciously accepted it – and then promptly and politely called the service which specializes in disposing of such things.
Free of our $2 bottle of wine and equipped with our bottomless glass (I never got half way through it before it was filled again) we each put on our game face. For Andrea, “game face” amongst the British means that she has a couple drinks and speaks in a thick English accent. She sounds just like The Queen to me, and legend has it that she can chat it up with the Brits all evening without giving herself up. Of course, we are at the Ambassador’s Residence THIS evening, and surely Andrea will behave herself. As you can probably guess, I am WRONG about this. By the end of the evening I notice that Andrea has been possessed by Princes Dianna. To my great relief the butler is bringing around the cognac and everyone, is amused, as always.
On our way home, Andrea and I realize that this night was the epitome of SOMETHING. On the surface, it was the epitome of irony. “Peace Corps, the toughest job you will ever love”, but this evening wasn’t so tough. However we’ve been in country long enough to know that Bulgaria is NOT an easy assignment. We were sobered to hear from one of the senior Peace Corps staff that he believed that serving in Bulgaria is MORE difficult than serving in Africa. In Bulgaria, the cultural differences are buried. The decades of communism and centuries of foreign rule here have put a permanent mark on the shared psyche of Bulgarians. They are frequently cynical and fatalistic – and also intelligent and sophisticated enough not to be in awe of America and Americans. Therefore, it’s more difficult here to sell your ideas and spread your enthusiasm.
OK I had to get that “Bulgaria is challenging” thing of my chest as not to give you the wrong impression, but I suppose there will be enough of that in subsequent blogs. Right now, I’m counting my blessings, and parties at the British Embassy count for several.
Chow
My apologies. I recently realized that while I’ve told a few people, via email, what I’ll actually be doing in Sofia, I’ve yet to BLOG about this.
So here’s my volunteer assignment.
I will work for Traditzia, an organization started by the wife of a former British Ambassador, to help disabled, poor and socially excluded artisans sell their crafts–jewelry, scarves, blankets, pottery, greeting cards, purses, etc–and make a business from their talents. The money made here is channeled back into these artisan’s social institutions or used for materials or education to help them create a sustainable life. So Traditzia is a store as well as a small three-room office. While their five employees are Bulgarian, their board is comprised of Brits, a German and an American and their clientele is half Bulgarian and half ex-pat. There, I will help them market these goods to a wider audience, assist in artisan and product selection, write grant proposals to recieve more funding, network to expand partnerships, etc. Pretty cool concept, huh? I wil work there about three days a week.
My other job will be at Habitat for Humanity. Just as in the U.S., Bulgarian Habitat builds homes for poverty-stricken families. They recently finished their first multi-unit home. I attended the dedication and charity event celebration when we were in Sofia. Here, I will help manage volunteers, write grant proposals, develop partnerships and create a stable infrastructure within their very new organization. I’m really excited for this project as well!
