We would like to introduce you to Sarah Boden-Dawans. Sarah is the founder of Represent.co.za, a very resourceful lifestyle “blogazine” covering the arts, culture and technology scene in South Africa and abroad. Never heard of a blogazine before? Represent was coined a ‘blogazine’ as it is a hybrid between a blog and a magazine. 
In 2008 Sarah started Jova.co.za, an online community with a focus on creativity, culture, innovation, and social intelligence (often within an experiential marketing context)  in the digital and global era, that bridges South Africa with Europe and the world.

With so much understanding of the arts and cultural scene in South Africa we were of course very interested in having Sarah answer a few questions for us.

Beware: This is a long but real worthwhile read.

What led to the creation of Represent?
I had been back living in Johannesburg post a short stint in Europe, and during this time I was extremely motivated by the rapid societal, developmental and cultural changes I saw around me, particularly in my city of birth, Jozi (this is what we affectionately call Johannesburg). I have always been a kind of ‘conduit’ between different cultures and I found myself happily taking friends, family and visitors around to atypical places, promoting a multi-cultural and open-minded approach to living and loving in the transforming city. Read More…

Posted under Meeting South Africa

According o a report by BBC news, “a female born in South Africa has a greater chance of being raped in her lifetime than learning how to read”. The number of child rapes in South Africa is so embarrassing that the government has placed a moratorium on government crime statistics, stating that they needed reassessment. There are many reasons contributing to this issue.

One is the belief in the “virgin myth”; that sex with a child or baby will cure AIDS. Virginity testing is growing and often occurs in schools, where the girls must lie on their back with their pants and underwear off and legs in the air. Poverty and lack of access to AIDS drugs is another reason for these atrocities. The median income for Blacks and mixed race in South Africa can be as low as $300 a year, and the cost for AIDS drugs average $40 to $50 per month. Desperate people seek desperate measures.

As a woman, a mother and a human being I am beyond disturbed. While our children are worried about cliques and fitting in at school, those in South Africa are concerned about personal safety and whether their teacher, classmate, uncle, neighbor or stranger on the street will rape them.

How can a country with so many natural resources watch their people become so desperate?

How can we as a nation with so much luxury look the other way?

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Posted under Post-rape care

I am excited about the progress of South Africa Project so far. We just started and are still in the infant stage.

Regardless of that I’d like to share a few things that have happened so far:

1. We’ve had our first board meeting of Ubuntu Now last week (Ubuntu Now is the non-profit that runs South Africa Project). You can check out our directors here.
2. We are in the process of doing a ton of research. My wife Rashin has been digging out a ton of material and started to share links on an account at delicious.
3. We are hoping to finish all our paperwork for our 501(c)(3) filing this week. Unfortunately the IRS will take some time to grant us tax exempt status.
4. I also had a great meeting with Eugene Cho a few days ago. He is on an amazing path trying to make a difference. More people like him and we’d be all set in this world.
5. Our Facebook Group is at 88 members already and we haven’t even begun to promote it. Thanks Everyone to your support. We also started a fan page that you can join as well. I know that sounds a bit confusing (double whammy?) but Facebook allows us to be more interactive with our group page and the “fan page” has the advantage of better Google visibility.

What’s next?
I am excited about Archbishop Desmond Tutu coming to town as part of the Insight Speaker Series on October 22nd. He will be very busy in Denver but I am hoping to have a little personal exchange with him.

Before that I’ll be heading to BarCamp Africa on October 11th. It will be a great event to connect with like-minded people. After all we are in this together.

But before these two events we still have a ton of work to do:

• Making it easier to interact with us via our website (big no-brainer!)
• Creating the first small fundraising programs
• Reaching out to more local organizations in South Africa
• Reaching out to markers / agencies interested in cause marketing projects
• Finding therapists willing to contribute to the program development
• And so on and so on…

Bottom line:
The more I write the less time I have for what I should be doing now. Rest assured, our team will keep you posted about our progress and the connections we’ll make.

Posted under Everything Else, Meeting South Africa

This is the beginning of a series of interviews with bloggers from South Africa. SA Rocks covers a wide range of interests and serves as a great way to learn more about “New South Africa” .

The name SA Rocks serves as its mantra. Nicholas Haralambous makes sure his readers catch the many positive stories from South Africa. He represents what South Africa needs: People that believe in themselves and in their country, guys that will not take the easy route and pack it up.

SA Rocks became a leading blog in his home country in less than 2 years. You can also find Nic on Twitter at @nicharry or check out his personal blog at nicharalambous.com.

Nic has agreed to answer a few questions to fill us in about his intensions and to give us his local perspective. He has also agreed to serve as a guest blogger for South Africa Project when his busy schedule allows for it.

If you’re a South African blogger and would like to participate, please drop me a note via the contact form on this site!

Q1. What inspired you to start SA Rocks and what are you trying to accomplish?
SA Rocks was a kind of knee-jerk reaction to a very racist, negative and ignorant website that expat South Africans started. I read it, argued with the cowardly creators and then decided that I had to do something to counter their blatant lies. And SA Rocks was born.

I am trying to show the world and more importantly, South Africans that South Africa is a country to be incredibly proud of and passionate towards.

Q2. What was your initial reaction to South Africa Project – Time for Ubuntu?
I think it’s a fantastic idea. Ubuntu is one of the most precious, incredible and sacred African concepts. The idea that everyone is linked or connected is astounding. The concept that everyone’s humanity is only visible through the humanity of others blows me away. It’s about time the world learned what it truly means to be African and South African.

Q3. What are the biggest misconceptions about South Africa in your eyes?
One of the biggest misconceptions is that South Africa is a country on it’s newly found last legs. In fact South Africa is a proud, passionate and successful nation that is in its infancy. The world needs to know that only bigger and better things are coming out of SA! Read More…

Posted under Meeting South Africa

This is the beginning of an ambitious project. We are planning to use social media – including this blog – as a cornerstone of South Africa Project. We support the fight against Rape, HIV and try to make a difference in the live of over 1.2 million orphans.

Right now you can join our group on Facebook, follow South Africa Project on Twitter at @saproject and/or subscribe to our RSS feed.

These are easy ways ton keep you posted about our progress and our initiatives.

Navigating the website is the best way to learn a bit more about our focus areas and our team. I’d invite you to roam around instead of me reposting the same content here again.

This is the start of a long journey that we are very excited about. If you are interested in supporting our attempts to curb violence and support the victims in South Africa we will make room for you.

There are many different ways beyond plain financial support to be involved. There are many ways you can lend a hand to a good cause.

You might have the next great idea for us on how to use social media?
Let’s hear it from you.

You are interested in becoming a guest blogger here at South Africa Project?
You are welcome! This is designed to be a group blog.

You are a marketer interested in cause marketing?
We’ll be happy to talk to you and figure something out that works for your client.

Last but not least
I’d like to say THANK YOU to everyone that has helped us getting here today. We wouldn’t be here without your encouragement and support.

Posted under Everything Else

Using the 2010 Soccer World Cup to support cause marketing

The 2010 World Cup will be the biggest sports event Africa has ever hosted. South Africa will be in the spotlight of the world.

You might think it is a long time until then – over 640 days – but the qualification games for the event are starting in Europe this weekend and are already on its way in other parts of the world.

There are a number of facts that provide mixed emotions about celebrating the Soccer World Cup: 5 million HIV infected, 1.2 million orphans as a result of AIDS casualties and some of the highest rates of capital crimes and rapes in the world.

These numbers can’t be ignored. Any party taking place today would be overshadowed by these shocking statistics. South Africa Project will focus on rape prevention and support the rape victims and orphans in South Africa in their efforts to heal their wounds. Read More…

Posted under 2010 World Cup, Everything Else