Diary of Small Business Owner

Diary of Small Business Owner via Tin Shingle

I've been home now for 10 days since my first trip to Africa for six weeks. It was an amazing experience with plenty of rewarding moments. I feel so fortunate to be able to have taken a trip where I could work remotely onmy graphic design in addition to pro bono volunteer work and vacation. Talk about the ultimate entrepreneur's dream! Although Europeans are used to 5+ week vacations, for an American its unheard of. Multiple people told me, wow I want your life, amazing. I'll just say I'm VERY resourceful, rather low maintenance and frugal ;)

I won't lie upon arrival to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania I freaked out. I wanted to go home. I could not imagine no wifi, running water, flushing toliets, let alone malaria! In addition, I was told of a robbery in the volunteer apartment where someones passport was stolen and I was told not to leave the site with any valuables because I would be robbed. OMG what did I get myself into?! My zest for adventure and travel immediately vanished. Fast forward two weeks. Once I had a flash drive wifi connection and Skype call with a friend working in Johannesburg, I snapped out of it. Those two weeks consisted of single day safari in Mikumi where I saw beautiful giraffes, zebras, impalas and elephants roam free from an open top jeep. The open landscape and peaceful surroundings were amazing. The other trip was a four day weekend in Zanzibar where I saw 100 year old tortoises on Prison Island, Muslim women covered in beautiful colorful scarves along the beach and the most narrow dark alley ways in StonesTown full of locals selling their art, jewelry and apparel. 

Pro bono graphic design work for Art in Tanzania included a tshirt and cd cover design for the organizations band Saana Sana which was going on tour in Finland. Besides the graphic design work I requested to work with the nursery school kids. This was such a delight! I've never been around such happy, carefree and loveable children. Beyond heart warming to have kids run up to you and hug you and squeal with excitement "TEE-CHA TEE-CHA" (teacher). Utilizing my design skills I printed coloring sheets of my artwork and passed out matching stickers. The kids loved it and I LOVED seeing their excitement. Another highlight for both the kids and I was watching National Geographic Kids Animal videos on my laptop. These kids couldn't get enough of the videos! They swarmed me like bees to honey,ha. Amazing to think some may have never watched a video before. I will always wonder what became of these kids. Will they have the opportunitiy to further their education like I did in the USA without tremendous struggles? Will they have the chance to become artists, teachers, doctors or entrepreneurs? They are so innocent and pure at this point in thier life, their biggest want is simply for love and attention. I hope life is kind to them.

One of the two nursery school teachers asked if I could draw an alphabet poster. Let me tell you I never realized how I take for granted how easy it is to design and print an alphabet at home. In this situation I had to walk in the heat, humidity, mud, crowds and exhaust fumes for about an hour passing hanging meat in open air butcher stands while listening to the call to prayer coming from random buildings... talk about not your average 5 minute drive to Walgreens for stationery supplies! I finally found some white butcher paper, crayons and sharpie pen. Back to basics. The teacher was so grateful for the oh so very simple Alphabet and Color chart I made. Unbelievable to think how easy it is to get educational art for kids in the US yet here a basic hand drawn alphabet is like gold to them. When the other teacher came in she said oh my please, you must do a poster for me too, please. Teacher you're so kind, you love our kids, you will be such a good mom. And the gardner outside said you're the one with the computer, the kids will miss you. Gulp, teary eyed. With the help of some other volunteers I made posters of fruit, clothes, animals and numbers 1-30. Such a wonderful feeling to give what comes naturally to me and have it cherished by others. Next time I get discouraged with my own graphic design business or building my Bebe Bilingual brand, I will remember how grateful these children and teacher were of my work.

This day would end my two week stay in Dar Salaam. Next up South Africa...

Relate. Connect. Be useful. Be happy.

You want purpose?  Create Purpose and Happiness by Being Useful to People. -TinyBuddha 

"What is the meaning of life? To be happy and useful.” ~the Dalai Lama

Reflecting on my time in Africa...

My Dear Nursery School

This teacher was so grateful for the oh so very basic Alphabet and Color chart I made. Unbelievable to think how easy it is to get educational art for kids in the US yet here a basic hand drawn alphabet is like gold to them. When the other teacher came in she said oh my please, you must do one for me too, please. Teacher you're so kind, you love my kids, you will be such a good mom. And another guy outside said you're the one with the computer, the kids will miss you. Gulp, teary eyed :(








Made more posters for the other teacher, glad I got help from some other volunteers. Created a fruit, clothes, numbers 1-30 and animal one too.

Orphanage and Beginning English

Today was a visit to the local orphanage. There were about 10 nursery school aged kids in a classroom learning their numbers. To qualify as an orphan in Tanzania you need to have only one parent so many of the kids have a single mom who use the orphanage like a nanny service which is good and bad. My afternoon consisted of teaching Beginning English to students age 10-35. I created a family tree and map diagram for the students to learn family member names and learn now to give directions to a school, park, market, hospital etc. The Swahili translator was an advanced English student from yesterday. I enjoyed teaching the beginning class more than advanced because teaching advanced is hard! I don't know where to start and forgot how to explain grammar... definitely gives a new appreciation to those who teach!!! Lots of patience and creativity involved.

Bless this kids heart (group photo, center child with bag of lollipops). Lollipops aren't common here (who knew?!) and a volunteer passed them out as treats and he almost choked because he didn't know how to eat it and the candy got lodged in his throat during class!! Luckily the other two volunteers are nurses and took him outside and gave him the heimlich, poor kid :(

And for today's random fact - Khadafy's hotel where he lived is a 10 minute walk from where my work location is in Bahari Beach. Luxury hotel that looks like a palace at $175/night next to people who don't even have running water.

Walk home from the orphanage

So good to meet you...

Nice afternoon assisting a young British teacher teach adult English. Students so eager and grateful to learn, really made me feel good. What made me laugh was going around class saying "Have you..." Students said been to the sun, on a boat, seen a lion, to America and the one Masai student said drank blood? Lol, everyone laughed. Masai tradition. After class a student said I feel so good to meet you can I have your email and write you in America, I hope to go someday.

Zanzibar

Peek at my 4-Day weekend in Zanzibar. Stonestown, Kendwa Beach and Prison Island.

Happy Day

 

Sanaa Sana Band

                                  

This is so surreal - sitting in the founders office upstairs in his home barefoot (no shoes allowed) with Al Jazeera news on TV, my laptop in hand on couch designing the bands cd and tshirt, dog beside me, 4 local employees (young men) working at computers and reading, Finnish founder at his desk behind 3 giant MAC screens, toddler on his iPad on the floor playing games and housekeeping wandering in and out. I even got to meet the singer Toto pictured below. He had to make a last minute Swahili text change on my laptop,ha. They're flying to Finland Friday to perform and he asked if I would  there to watch, sweet. Due to a power outage throughout the town, Bahari Beach, I'm working here today since he has a generator in his office. Taking it all in. Feel right at home after an unsettling first 24 hours. I've yet to see the beach here but apparently a 10 minute walk away. This is pretty damn cool and a little crazy ;)

  

Mikumi Safari

Full day safari in Mikumi National Park, a 5 hour drive from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. We left Sunday morning, spent the night and spent Monday at the park. Beautiful and peaceful. Wild elephants, zebras, giraffes, baboons, impalas, and more. Mikumi is near Morogoro, Tanzania. The park, established in 1964, is the fourth largest in the country.

First Impressions...

I won't lie... I freaked out upon arrival for the first 24 hours and all I could think about was flying the hell home ASAP. Just couldn't do it, no way, no how. Malaria, little running water for showers, washing my hair if I was lucky twice a week, no wi-fi (no client contact?! and I'll die without Facebook ;)), bunk beds, kids 19-21 years old, awful pluming aka toilet flushing minimal, iPhone locked, ants, mud, poverty, traffic, mosquito nets, yet isolated on this so called campus feeling as if I was at summer camp in Europe but on the other side of the planet, power outages, apartments being robbed and passports being stolen, no exercise, crap food, danger warnings about leaving the "compound", rain and did I mention being the old lady here?! So after a few meltdowns I had a good Skype call with a friend in South Africa. Plan B I can just leave this sh*t hole and stay with her. I felt so much better. Ok, in the meantime I'll go on safari to Mikumi Sunday - Monday. Thankfully that knocked some sense into my head and I regained some sanity. I still continue to have moments of pure frustration but I'm beginning to become a lot more patient and remind myself its not about me here, snap out of it!, you're here to help the kids. Your time here is nothing in the grand scheme of things.

Why Tanzania?

And I say why not?

"Work with people who aren't like you, especially folks who've had fewer opportunities than you. They will enrich your life and put the world in perspective. Most important, never turn down an opportunity. There's always going to be a reason to say no: You don't have the right clothes, the right experience, the right connections. Learn to say yes anyway." 
– Cecile Richards 

And there you have it! I'll be taking a 28 hour flight from San Francisco to Dar es Salaam on May 1, 2013 for the month of May to volunteer with Art in Tanzania. Based primarily in 'Dar', Tanzania's largest seaport city, my days will be divided into pro bono graphic design work for Fiesta Magazine and teaching at a local nursery school. Although weekend trips to Zanzibar and Selous Reserve are on my agenda, I find leaving my options open often invite the most wonderful and unexpected opportunities. I can't wait for my adventure to unfold!

Art in Tanzania (AIT) is a Finnish/Tanzanian NGO registered in Tanzania, Zanzibar, Finland and Ethiopia. The organization started in 2001 to support local artists who did not have the resources to develop their talent. Over the course of a year, AIT receives over 1,000 volunteers and interns from around the world who are placed in community projects such as education (nursery, primary, and secondary), culture (art, music, magazines), and health (HIV awareness, first aid). The organization works across Tanzania, including Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar and Masai Land. 

In addition, AIT is part of the UNICEF Children Agenda and utilizes volunteers to assist with the program management and implementation. The Children Agenda (CA) is a coalition of organizations, government and other partners who are committed to child rights in Tanzania. 

The Top Ten Investments include:

1. Invest to Save the Lives of the Children and Women
2. Invest in Good Nutrition
3. Invest in Better Hygiene and Sanitation in Schools and Health Facilities
4. Invest in Early Childhood Development
5. Invest in Quality Education for All Children
6. Invest to Make Schools Safe
7. Invest to Protect Infants and Adolescent Girls from HIV
8. Invest to Reduce Teenage Pregnancy
9. Invest to Protect Children from Violence, Abuse, and Exploitation
10. Invest to Children Disabilities

And... a small treat for the kids, 

some custom Kim stickers!

Jungle Amigos by Bebe Bilingual and whimsical California fairies who traveled all the way from San Francisco to bring good luck and happiness.

What's an NGO? 

A non-governmental organization (NGO), such as The International Red Cross, is an organization that is not part of a government and was not founded by states. NGOs are usually non-profit organizations that gain a portion or all of their funding from private sources. Art in Tanzania gets all its funds from volunteers, interns and private sources. These fees fund the organization’s long term projects which include for example the building of the Bagamoyo Youth Centre, Madala HIV/Aids Clinic and a nursery and primary school in Masai Land.

A Dynamic Life

Stumbled upon this heartfelt letter today I wanted to share. A letter to the doubters, the worriers, and the disbelievers. "I believe that we live in a friendly universe that will support me and give me what I need when I need it. If I’m worried about failure, I will create a limitation. To say that there are no jobs in this failing economy, money doesn’t grow on trees, and starting a business will take years, decides that we live in a hostile universe. Opportunity is possible if you believe that we’re supported." -Saren

Who knows what's next?

Touching entry "Love and Loss", by an artist I admire, Sigrid Olsen.  Reminder to live each day to the fullest. "Intrigued by the freedom of being one person on my own path, with the world laid out before my like a menu of new possibilities. Who knows what's next?" -Sigrid

Travel Blog Addiction

I'm not alone!  Warning: May cause severe desire to travel abroad. Collection of my favorite travel blogs by couples and solo travelers of all ages from around the world. "Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind" - Seneca. More inspiring life quotes here.

Stefan Sagmeister: Time Off

TED TALK Every seven years, designer Stefan Sagmeister closes his New York studio for a yearlong sabbatical to rejuvenate and refresh their creative outlook. He explains the often overlooked value of time off and shows the innovative projects inspired by his time in Bali. Fast forward to the end for a laugh :)

Adventure Philanthropy

What is adventure philanthropy? "It’s a lifestyle, making giving part of your life and your travels." – Erin Michelson Read about this inspiring woman's solo philanthropy journey around the world, starting in Tanzania! "Traveling solo, you get much more involved in the community and are more open to talking to people and having more experiences."

Bi Kidude, Zanzibar Treasure

What a strong woman. Thought to be more than 100 years old, Bi Kidude was a legendary performer of Taarab, a style of Swahili Arab-influenced music. "She was just true to herself. There're not many people who can withstand that kind of controversy all their life". May she RIP. Details.

Travel Resume

Who's Kimberly?

Kimberly is a whimsical Graphic Designer and Illustrator in San Francisco with over 15 years of experience in logo development, print collateral and website design. Her resume reads like a bestseller – from being published in Logolicious to creating a logo for the City of South San Francisco to designing a Swatch Watch. Inspiration comes from her love of travel, animals, and children. Creative travels include a 2012 International Graphic Design Fellowship via Build a Nest for Dutzi in Mexico which sparked Bebe Bilingual, a collection of educational tools and gifts for children. May 2013 will be pro bono graphic design and social work for Art in Tanzania.  Featured in the publication, Breaking Into Freelance Illustration, illustration clients include Klutz (Division of Scholastic), Running Press, Dover, Frecklebox, Picaboo, Tiny Prints and Minted Stationery, and others. If one can smile with delight at her work, she feels it’s a job well done! Visit her LinkedIn profile for work history details.

Travel Blog Addiction

Wandering Women                                             
A Little Adrift - Traveling teacher to 11 year old niece and international volunteer
Ottsworld - Cubicle Life to Digital Nomad after 40
Go Erin Go  - Philanthropy journey around the world
Pret-a-Voyager - American designer and traveler based in Paris
Rickshaw Run Diaries - Meet Hannah, Kim and Sarah driving a rickshaw across India

Legal Nomads - From lawyer to career breaker to travel writer

Never Ending Footsteps - British Digital Nomad
Cheryl Howard - European travel and expat life
Destination Unknown - Australian career breaker turned traveling digital nomad

Soulshine Traveler - Former banker turned volunteer, blogger, and now micro financier.
Runaway Juno - Career Breaker from Seoul, Korea
Bacon is Magic - Meet Ayngelina, mid-30s, creating a new life of her own
Globetrotting Girls - Chicago, USA meets Erfurt, Germany
Angie Away - Ex-travel publicist turned world traveler and storyteller
My Beautiful Adventures - American Chinese Medicine Doctor and Travel Photojournalist
Camels and Chocolate - Travel writer by profession and Southerner by choice
Wanderlust and Lipstick - Women's travel inspiration
Women on the Road - Empowering women to travel solo
Chicky Net Thailand - Social network for women living in Thailand
Just Travelous - Good girls go to heaven, bad girls go everywhere
Expat Kerri - English teacher and Vloger in Korea living abroad
Candice Does World - Former cubicle monkey turned Professional Experience Collector
Adventures of Anna - Crazy fun adventures
Escape Normal - Reach your travel and mobile entrepreneurship
Ingrid in Panama - Expat interview with Spanish Language school owner in Panama
Not a Ballerina - Why travel is important and reverse culture shock
KP Travels - Creative travel scrapbooking and photography
The Great Affair - Candace fell in love with the world, not "the one"
Blonde Gypsy - Travel Iphoneography
What am I still doing in Cancun - American expat

Cool Couples

Top 10 Traveling Couples

Positive World Travel 

Honey Trek

Living If

Sarah Somewhere

So Many Places

As We Travel 

Inspiring Travels 

Never Ending Voyage

Flashpack at 40

Almost Fearless

Wanderlust Kind

Y Travel Family

Two Backpackers

Jack and Jill Travel

Becky in Burma

Don't Ever Look Back

No Place To Be

Guys on the Go
Wandering Earl - American Digital Nomad - 70 countries and 6 continents
Nomadic Matt - Travel better, cheaper and longer
Bohemian Traveler - 15 years traveling, working and volunteering around the world
Nomadic Samuel - The perpetual backbacker
Everyday Nomad - British Digital Nomad
Wandering Trader - Marcello - A Traveling Day Trader
Travels of Adam - Hipster traveller blogger and graphic designer
Stop Having a Boring Life - Enough said :)

More Travel Inspiration
Afar Magazine
Travel Culture Magazine
Positive World - Inspiring Travels 

36 Travel Blogs to Follow