Monday, 7 December 2015
Sunday, 12 July 2009
Latest News...
More exciting things are happening with the Dakar Dragons projects and I am getting so excited.
Last week I have been inundated with emails and requests to join the DD2009 team. People with good will are looking to help and support us. I think that so wonderful. Really lovely. The Team spirit is high and we are all excited.
We had one sponsor last week, and I am convinced that more people will come forward. I will be sending our first sponsorship letter this week and more during next week. I have wonderful people on the list, I will be handing some of the letters myself. I will be in PARIS next week and will be talking about it.
The whole team is working so hard. Last week Kay from Hong Kong looked into our Marketing materials. Richard has been blogging and had lots of views on his blogs through Ecademy. Romany also made a great contribution this week with my blogs and complied some great pictures etc… We also have the lovely Dianna Bonner in the team now; she will be taking the pictures of the trip. How wonderful.
Can’t wait for the 19th picnic, it will be awesome.
Until then see you soon!
Thursday, 9 July 2009
Nobody is perfect, but a team can be
I connected with Marieme Jamme via Ecademy and we met for the first time early in June this year. During that meeting she told me about the 10,000 girls project in Senegal and the proposed trip in November. I was very pleased when she asked if I would consider joining the team.
Over the last few weeks I have got to know Richard White via telephone conferences and emails, although we have yet to meet in person. A number of other people have also become involved and they will reveal themselves in due course.
It is clear that Marieme and Richard have been talking and thinking about this venture for many months. Now a team is forming and people are asking questions and making suggestions that challenge, and sometimes contradict, the vision held by Marieme and Richard. It can be a painful process creating a team. It is worth remembering the four stages of group development - forming, storming, norming, and performing. All teams go through these stages and this model helps us to understand our emotions as the team develops. Sometimes bringing a new person into an established team can set the process back a stage or two.
Many of you will be familiar with the Belbin team roles. There may be benefit in applying this model to the team. I know from previous projects that my dominant role is "Monitor Evaluator". I suspect that I have already spotted the "Shaper" and the "Plant" in the team (but I may be wrong). Each team role makes a valuable contribution, but each role can also have weaknesses. This is why team building is so important. All the Belbin roles need to be represented in a successful team.
Nobody is perfect, but a team can be!
.
Over the last few weeks I have got to know Richard White via telephone conferences and emails, although we have yet to meet in person. A number of other people have also become involved and they will reveal themselves in due course.
It is clear that Marieme and Richard have been talking and thinking about this venture for many months. Now a team is forming and people are asking questions and making suggestions that challenge, and sometimes contradict, the vision held by Marieme and Richard. It can be a painful process creating a team. It is worth remembering the four stages of group development - forming, storming, norming, and performing. All teams go through these stages and this model helps us to understand our emotions as the team develops. Sometimes bringing a new person into an established team can set the process back a stage or two.
Many of you will be familiar with the Belbin team roles. There may be benefit in applying this model to the team. I know from previous projects that my dominant role is "Monitor Evaluator". I suspect that I have already spotted the "Shaper" and the "Plant" in the team (but I may be wrong). Each team role makes a valuable contribution, but each role can also have weaknesses. This is why team building is so important. All the Belbin roles need to be represented in a successful team.
Nobody is perfect, but a team can be!
.
Wednesday, 8 July 2009
What is happening?
Just want to let you what had happened in the last couple of days! Well we now have a blog as you can see, we have finished the logo, it looks Fabulous! Really!
Our Own Dakar Dragon Nick Tadd is working on the website at present, that's a great news. Ces made a wonderful blog about it -
Have made some contacts with various organization in the UK and looking to do more this week. http://wwww.ecademy.com/node.php?id=131231-
I am also working on the sponsorship packages. As much we need help from Sponsors, we also have lots of offer them. I really think that this event is a great cause!
Until next time...
Marieme Jamme-
The strategist Dragon
Saturday, 4 July 2009
Dakar Dragons - So whats the story?
The 10,000 girls project started off with a little African girl asking Voila Vaughn 'Will you teach me?'
The Dakar Dragons project started off with Viola Vaughn asking Marieme Jamme 'Will you teach my girls business?'
'We don't want charity...' said Viola 'We don't want handouts....what we want is business know how and connections'
Viola has already taught her girls basic entrepreneurship and accounting as part of her wonderful program. The funding has come from the girls making and selling things. They are already exposed to business thanks to Viola. The next stage in their evolution is for her graduates to become independent business women. Capable of creating and running a sustainable business venture of their own.
Viola also wants help to raise the bar on some of the product lines her girls have created to generate money to educate more than 3,000 girls so far. Some have the potential to become big money earners with the right nurturing and support from the graduates of her program.
With Viola the words small and vision are never to be seen together!!
So Viola asked the question and with a whole series of unlikely coincidences the Dakar Dragons was hatched!
The Dakar Dragons project was inspired by Dragons Den which is a UK television program where business owners have to pitch their business to the Dragons in order to get some investment from one of the Dragons.
The Dakar Dragons aim is empowering African business women to be independent, confident, and self sufficient business women who choose to work together in business.
There is a saying 'You can give someone a fish and they will eat for a day - you can teach someone to fish and they will eat for life'.
The Dakar Dragons Project is more than just teaching individual African women to fish. Its about giving African women the tools to feed their families and the ability to have a quality of life without leaving the country they love. Its about teaching a wide group of women skills and know how which will be passed down and spread throughout the community. Its about helping to stimulate free enterprise and the creation of wealth that will impact whole communities.
If you want to make a difference then we would love to hear from you. You do not have to go to Africa or even part with any money. Your time, skills, and connections are very valuable to us and the African women we are helping to transform.
Best wishes
Richard White
The Sales Dragon
The Dakar Dragons project started off with Viola Vaughn asking Marieme Jamme 'Will you teach my girls business?'
'We don't want charity...' said Viola 'We don't want handouts....what we want is business know how and connections'
Viola has already taught her girls basic entrepreneurship and accounting as part of her wonderful program. The funding has come from the girls making and selling things. They are already exposed to business thanks to Viola. The next stage in their evolution is for her graduates to become independent business women. Capable of creating and running a sustainable business venture of their own.
Viola also wants help to raise the bar on some of the product lines her girls have created to generate money to educate more than 3,000 girls so far. Some have the potential to become big money earners with the right nurturing and support from the graduates of her program.
With Viola the words small and vision are never to be seen together!!
So Viola asked the question and with a whole series of unlikely coincidences the Dakar Dragons was hatched!
The Dakar Dragons project was inspired by Dragons Den which is a UK television program where business owners have to pitch their business to the Dragons in order to get some investment from one of the Dragons.
The Dakar Dragons aim is empowering African business women to be independent, confident, and self sufficient business women who choose to work together in business.
- They will learn about various aspects of business from people who have been successful in doing it for themselves.
- They will get mentoring from people who have valuable experience and who want to make a difference.
- The best projects will get startup funding and support in raising money based on the merits of the business and not out of charity.
There is a saying 'You can give someone a fish and they will eat for a day - you can teach someone to fish and they will eat for life'.
The Dakar Dragons Project is more than just teaching individual African women to fish. Its about giving African women the tools to feed their families and the ability to have a quality of life without leaving the country they love. Its about teaching a wide group of women skills and know how which will be passed down and spread throughout the community. Its about helping to stimulate free enterprise and the creation of wealth that will impact whole communities.
If you want to make a difference then we would love to hear from you. You do not have to go to Africa or even part with any money. Your time, skills, and connections are very valuable to us and the African women we are helping to transform.
Best wishes
Richard White
The Sales Dragon
Friday, 3 July 2009
Count down to November- 138 days
Unbelievable really! I remember having a chat with my lovely friend Richard White about my Foundation and desire to help women in Africa six months ago. Richard and I met couple of times for diner and finally start building up the momentum to go to Dakar.
We decided to go to Dakar to help Viola Vaughn CNN Hero and Founder of the 10.000 girls in Kaolack in Senegal.
All is now happening,we had our second skype call today friday the 3rd of July. We are currently working on the branding of the Dakar Dragons. A draft concept was released by Ces today and it is just beautiful to see. The team Dakar Dragons is shaping up nicely with wonderful people. I am so honored to have them! So Far we have 5 people including one from Hong Kong.We are leaving uk the 20th of November and will be back on the 5th of December.
We will have a website build up very soon, so watch this space for more information and news.
Until next time...
Marieme Jamme, The Strategist Dragon
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