005 - Technology can Change the World in Small and Big Ways!
I’ve always believed that using technology the right way has the power to make big changes for people all around the world. Because of the size and scale of technology, I always assumed the best way to use tech was to make big, meaningful and impactful changes. Even within the scope of the work we do at Elixir Labs, the projects we focus on build projects that have big lasting impressions for our partners.
This weekend, I realized that technology can also give us the ability to make big impacts in a small way too.
If you follow me on any of my social media platforms, you’ll know that I host a Virtual Quiz Night Fundraiser to help folks impacted by COVID-19 in Kenya. I hosted the first event on April 25th, and we raised $1750USD. Yesterday, I got to deliver the food we purchased with that money to people in need. Hearing the stories of how people in Kenya’s slums have been affected by COVID-19, how many families can’t afford a meal a day because they’re not working or how entire educational programs are using all their resources to simply provide food during this time, was heartbreaking. Women show up to collect food, and they’re visibly smaller since they haven’t eaten in days. Children are falling down or passing out because they don’t have any energy.
Starting the day, I felt disappointed that I’d only managed to raise $1750USD - it’s just not a large amount of money by any means. However that money gave me the ability to buy 132 packs of food, where each foodpack contained soap, tissue paper, flour, porridge, rice, black beans, red beans, cooking fat, margarine and probably a few other things I’m forgetting right now. These 132 packs of food we delivered to people in Mathare slums and to a childrens rescue center. This small amount of money had the ability to feed over 670+ people for a month. This small amount of money gave hundreds of people the ability to survive for the next month, as COVID-19 continues to spread around Kenya. Hearing these stories, I was no longer disappointed but relieved that for 670+ people, this money made a difference.
Hearing the stories of how people have been affected, and knowing that this small amount of money has helped improve their chances of survival significantly for the next month brings me back to that old saying - you don’t have to change the world for everyone, just start changing the world one person at a time.
This event, and this fundraiser, would not have been possible without creative technical tools like Video Conferencing or presentation tools. My goal and my mission will always be to leverage tech to make big impacts and build a better tomorrow - the virtual quiz night fundraiser is a small part, but very much a vital part of what I hope that future looks like.
If you’d like to participate or donate, I’m hosting another Quiz Night next Sunday and you should definitely take part! Here’s a short video of some of the work we did over the weekend.
Find me Online
I’m hosting another Virtual Quiz Night Fundraiser - this time it’ll be F.R.I.E.N.D.S themed! All money raised goes to folks impacted by COVID-19.
New Blog Posts
This week I’m coming to you with two fresh new blog posts!
How to Run a Standup Meeting Remotely - running a standup can be difficult in an office. It gets even trickier if you don’t see your team face-to-face. Here are some tips on how to run more effective meetings.
Use Custom Colors for Syntax Highlighting - want to change the syntax highlighting on your blog so that it actually matches your theme? Here’s a guide on exactly how to do that!
Little Plugs
I like the idea of plugging interesting projects that I see around the internet.
lil.software is the brain child of @jsngr, where he builds really simple apps for your phone.
MLH Fellowship - MLH launched a fellowship for folks who’s summer jobs were affected by COVID-19. Come and get paid during their fellowship program!
A Convincing Argument - One thing I enjoyed about working on Cash App at Square were the interesting takes Jesse Wilson would have on any topic. Here’s a little post he wrote the benefits of a Convincing Argument.
Confessions of Marcus Hutchins, the Hacker who Saved the Internet - I’m casually crossing my fingers that a movie will be made about this. It’s the story of Marcus Hutchins, the man who stopped WannaCry, and how his past caught up with him.
TED Talk on The Real Reason Female Entrepreneurs Get Less Funding by Dana Kanze - before you discount this video, there’s some fascinating concepts on the use of promotionary and preventionary language during your pitch that’s valuable for all pitchers.
Interesting Events This week
Here are some events I’m attending this week
Virtual Quiz Night Fundraiser - I promise it’ll be lots of fun!
How to Get from 0 to 1 and Build a Remote Team as a Scrappy Founder
Quote of the week
Come from Marcus Hutchins
“In my career I’ve found few people are truly evil, most are just too far disconnected from the effects of their actions, [sic] until someone reconnects them.”
Question Time!
I’d love to get to know my audience better, and hope that you reply to this email or tweet me an answer:
What do you remember about the WannaCry Ransomeware Attack