Cool Charity

Happy Kids of N’Djamena

Maarten Schäfer — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 15:12:12 +0000

SOS Children's Village

Chad has a chequered history marked by civil unrest, instability, poverty and, more
recently, streams of refugees flowing in from neighbouring Sudan. Recent developments,
however, are bringing the promise of a new era in Chad’s history. For the
time being, however, tourism remains virtually non-existent in Chad, making it
difficult for visitors like us to discover the country.
At the Kempinski N’Djamena, we meet Zaid who gives us some interesting
insights into the country. Half-Ethiopian, half-German, Zaid combines European
efficiency with an African heart – a perfect mixture in Chad. He suggests we visit
the SOS Children’s Village, which the Kempinski sponsors. “Spending just an hour
with those kids gives me enough energy to face anything for the rest of the week,”
he says.

Happy Kids

The village, situated on the outskirts of the capital at the end of a dirt road, consists of 12 houses, each housing 10 children and one ‘mother’ who takes care of them. Aged up to 14 years old, most of these children were picked off the street and have harrowing personal stories. In the village they receive schooling, proper medical care and regular meals. “But most of all it gives them the opportunity to grow up in a safe environment,” adds Abdelkerim, the village director, whom the children call ‘father’.

We tour the village and are struck by how polite all the kids are, shaking our hands with a smile and a cheerful “Bonjour!” We meet some of the mothers and more kids who soon get used to our presence and start coming closer, touching us, smiling, laughing and playing. But as soon as we want to take a picture they freeze and start posing awkwardly.
In order to dispel this camera shyness, we give them our PowerShot camera so they
can take pictures of each other and of us. “I want to be a photographer when I grow
up!” one of them shouts. After half an hour the kids are used to the cameras and we start taking portrait photos. While their young faces show signs of their past suffering, their broad smiles are little rays of hope for a brighter tomorrow for Chad.

Happy Kids

Donate your talent (oneMen)

Maarten Schäfer — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 21:02:25 +0000

‘More than once they tried to kill me.

I am not a soldier.

I am not a criminal.

I am a journalist.’

oneMen can make a difference / CoolCharity

“My struggle for press freedom in Liberia nearly cost memy life several times. I was imprisoned; I was shot andour office was set on fire. But I nevertheless returned tomy home country. The decision was difficult. But I justhad to come back; there is so much to be done still.”After living in exile in the Netherlands for eight years,oneMen pioneer Tom Kamara successfully launchedthe paper version of the only independent Liberian newspaper,the New Democrat, on 19 March 2005. In the lastfew years, security fears meant the paper only publishedits news reports on the internet. The paper’s objectivenews reporting wasn’t to the liking of the ex-presidentTaylor regime. Taylor prevented journalists from doingtheir work and drove them to flee the country.“Being back in Liberia is completely different than I hadimagined. It was a shock to find that my country wasso badly devastated. The capital doesn’t even have basicfacilities, like paved roads and electricity. In such circumstancesit is a huge challenge to publish a newspaper.

oneMen can make a difference / CoolCharity

My aim is to make the New Democrat play a leading rolein the transition to democracy in Liberia. During theelections last year, we published extra editions.I am pleased that there is hope for restoration in my country.Press freedom has been re-established, in theory in anycase, because it is striking that the New Democrat is theonly paper that makes use of this newly acquired freedom.All the other papers are connected to politicians and arefar from objective. There is a great need for reliable information,also in the rural areas, where people are cut offfrom the news sources.

oneMen can make a difference / CoolCharity

That’s why we make sure that ourpaper is also distributed outside the capital.Despite the fragile beginnings of peace, I am still oftenscared. If you write the truth in Africa, you get into trouble.I have already been threatened several times. In theevenings after work, I go home as quickly as I can. Thereare still many Taylor henchmen around, who are not toopleased with my critical pen. Some people say I am madand believe that I am risking my life. But thanks to thesupport of many, I find the force to carry on.”

oneMen can make a difference / CoolCharity

Together we’re one

Maarten Schäfer — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 19:41:21 +0000

50 50 CoolCharity by CoolBrands

“People on the street are just like us,” argues Mark, 37, the coordinator of the Amsterdam Salvation Army Soup Bus. “The only difference is that they have been unlucky or hurt in some way.” Three evenings a week, Mark makes sure that the Soup Bus drives through the capital and reaches around 100 homeless people. “We distribute the most basic human needs: food, drink and love. But it is not all

sorrow and misery, we also have a chat with them and joke around.” For the past 35 years, 257,000 litres of soup and 1,500,000 litres of coffee are distributed every year. The Soup Bus also does a weekly round in Rotterdam and Zwolle to provide the homeless there with coffee, rolls, soup and blankets. And to lend a sympathetic ear. “The clients are diverse – from elderly alcoholics to lost backpackers; some

of them claim they are on their way to work. Good for them! As long as they keep dreaming their dreams, they keep their spirits up.”

Living together, sharing together The Soup Bus is a good example of a project that is supported by 50|50, a brand that was introduced by the Salvation Army in 2003. “As the advertising agency for the

Salvation Army, we were looking for new ways of reaching a broader and younger audience,” explains Harry Puts of Only, the brain behind 50|50. “For instance, young people communicate a lot through clothing. This is how the 50|50 brand was developed in 2003, with 50|50 fashion as its first product. That’s what’s great about 50|50: that you have a new way of telling the Salvation Army story and

showing that if you do things together and share things together, you will get a better, nicer society.”

50|50 fashion

50 50 CoolCharity by CoolBrands

Harry explains that 50|50 fashion uses parts of discarded clothing items from Salvation Army containers to create new clothes. No two designs are ever identical: “Among 11 million kilos of clothes a year, you are bound to find something. Put the upper part of a pair of trousers and a curtain together and you have a new skirt. It just goes to show that even really old stuff, even mailbags, can be turned

into new clothes. The clothes are assembled by young people working in a sheltered workshop.”

50|50 soup After 50|50 fashion for young people and kids, and a range of accessories, 50|50 soup was introduced. “Besides clothes, the Salvation Army of course has a strong connection with soup,” Harry comments. “Their roots lie in soup, as they distribute litres and litres of soup every day to the homeless. In a way you could see soup as a splendid metaphor for neighbourly love. That’s how we developed the idea of compiling a special soup cookbook.” The book’s layout is a blend of 20 different cookery and photography styles. It was developed by Les Patrons Cuisiniers (19 Dutch top chefs) in collaboration with the Photographers Association of the Netherlands (20 photographers) who all

worked free of charge to complete the project.

With thanks to Mark Voorneveld and Harry Puts for contributions to the text

CoolCharity is an initiative of Maarten Schäfer and Anouk Pappers

Founders and Creative minds behind CoolBrands and CoolTravel.

CoolCharity is seeded online as part of the ‘Cool Transmedia Storytelling project’