It was about three months ago, maybe more when my buddy Brando returned from a trip to Canada. I was in the process of several meetings with “doctors without borders” to do a film for a rape rehabilitation clinic. I could take it or leave it, but I was excited about doing something to help victims of rape if they chose to go with me to produce the videos. I went for a shot of Espresso at a place Brandon and I have been known to frequent. A restaurant called “umbuntu.” It was a sunny morning, we sat on the lawn under an umbrella table, and Brandon said a friend of his was going to give away thousands of soccer balls, and he needed a video to be made to promote his soccer ball give away, as well as photos. Brando was going to do the photos. That’s how it started. I was thinking. Shooting local soccer matches would be fun, plus it’s so beautiful here, and Burundians love football. For the next three months I would be driving around filming soccer matches, random kids playing with home made balls, and then driving to a rape rehab clinic for heavy shoots with children and women who have been raped. It was manic depressive for a while to say the least. Today, I just finished the last of the 18 videos I did for the rape rehab clinic… and as I finished I learned that all the little soccer videos I did are now online, as well as a little article I wrote with Antonio, the gentleman who is doing the ball distribution. I just wanted to share some links so you can see the vids, and learn more about the soccer ball give away. I think it’s great the Antonio wants to give out quality soccer balls to kids who would otherwise have no chance to ever play with a real ball. Until you see these kids get a quality ball with your own eyes, you really have no idea at how huge of a gift that is. Though if you check out the video “transformative powers of a football,” on the link below, you’ll see some pretty excited kids. You’ll also see my buddy Brando, who came on a few of the shoots with me, and you’ll see my car behind Brando, it’s a Toyota caldina. I haven’t named my car yet, but if you have any suggestions… I’m open. Also, my good friend, Lizzie did all the voice over work for me. She's choice for any voice over work. I'm fortunate to have her. Enjoy the videos, and consider giving some footballs to some of the poorest kids in the world. I’ve given away about thirty balls, and I imagine, I’ll give away a lot more before I leave.
Unfortunately, you may have to copy the link, and paste it into your address bar. Once on the COS website, simply click the videos icon. A page will open with four videos. Enjoy.
Link to the videos:
http://www.thecosfootballgiveaway.org/#view=9
Link to the article:
http://www.freekickmag.com/
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Three weeks ago
“The United Nations reported in 1992 that income disparities between the world’s richest and poorest have doubled since 1960. Today, the wealthiest 20 percent of the world’s population receives almost 83 percent of the world’s income, while the poorest 20 percent receives less than 2 percent! In 1965, the average US worker made $7.52 per hour, while the person running the company made $330.38 per hour; today , the average worker makes $7.39 per hour, the average CEO $1,566.68 per hour – 212 times more!” Ched Meyers
Another ordinary Saturday with a few exceptions. The heat and humidity were typical dry season, which is way too much. Sitting in my office with a large cup of water, no shirt, fan blasting my back as well as the three external hard drives humming and blinking on my desk. Doing some final touches for a video I’m doing for Doctors without Borders on a rape rehabilitation clinic. Hoping to have everything done correctly by Monday morning. But of course I okay a meeting request because I’m guilt motivated and I can’t say no if you catch me at the right time.
Sulim was coming over for a meeting at 1pm, I needed to get all the corrections done before he comes because I know this meeting with Sulim was going to go long. He’s been without work for two months now, and he hadn’t paid his rent, and he was bumming the occasional meal from friends and family who hadn’t disowned him. He told me all that, the day before, and then said he wanted to meet with me. I knew I didn’t want to rush the meeting. I’ve been feeling patient lately. Four other people have scheduled meetings with me this last week alone, to ask for money to buy a house, land, school fees, equipment, chickens. Food, etc etc add infinitum. Some I’ve given money to, some I’ve loaned money to, some I turned down. Others have been calling, I imaging with similar requests, I was dodging their calls. They’ll find me, and ask my why I wasn’t answering my phone…. Why don’t I just answer the phone. I hate excuses when people give them to me, yet I give out excuses like Burundian greetings. Some will wait outside my place until I come out… there is no avoiding people here.
Sulim is a hard working young man. Born in Burundi, but his family is from Congo. He is a mechanic by trade, and was recommended by a friend, after my former mechanic really screwed up my car.
In Burundi fashion, you must have a long conversation, then, at the end of the conversation, one must present his request, the reason for the meeting. Sulim, said that he once had five clients. But one got in a car accident, and the car was destroyed. The other got a new car donated, and will get work done at the dealership to keep the warranty active. The stories continued in this vein until he got to me… his last client, who recently bought a motorcycle to save on gas. So now, he has no work, and he’s searched, but cannot find anything. My mind drifted for a moment on how every small choice we make can deeply effect the life of someone else, I wondered how many times I’ve made choices that have left someone in the lurch, and I’ve never known. I zero’d back in on the conversation. I took him out to lunch, to get a change of location. I told him, that I’m sad about how difficult life is here. He kept repeating, “life is very difficult in Burundi.” Sulim is among the worlds poorest, those receiving less than 2 percent of the world’s income. He’ll go for months without making any income, and then he’ll make about 10 dollars, and that will have to last him a month, and his story is the same as millions of others who live in Burundi. He said, he doesn’t want to ask for money, that he’s not like to do that to me, that it embarrasses him. He wants work, he said, “I’m young and strong now, this is the time I can do lots of work, I can be a driver, or a mechanic, or both, but I can’t find work. It’s embarrassing for me to come to you, and ask for things, but if I asked for money, once the money is gone, I’d have to come back and ask for more. That is a problem. I want to ask you to find me work because if I get work, than I won’t have to keep coming back. “
I told him that I don’t know anyone who doesn’t have a mechanic. That I’m a videographer, and that I don’t know the car industry of Burundi. I told him that I will look for work for him, and its been three weeks, and I haven’t found any. So I asked him to change my gas filter… I didn’t need it changed, but I thought… I can sort of change small things, that are good to change, and pay him some money. I didn’t feel good about it. I also, looked at it as a French lesson every time he’s here as he can’t speak engllish. Helps me justify expenses to look at all the angles. I let him shower at the house, then I gave him a shirt. Told him I’d continue looking for work. So many people every day, sharing less than 2 percent of the worlds wealth. When statistics become friends, it’s life changing. Not major, all at once dramatic change, I have little to no respect for that kind. It’s slow, small choices, small choices that help people, especially those sharing two percent of the worlds wealth, holistic change over the course of ones life… until death.
Another ordinary Saturday with a few exceptions. The heat and humidity were typical dry season, which is way too much. Sitting in my office with a large cup of water, no shirt, fan blasting my back as well as the three external hard drives humming and blinking on my desk. Doing some final touches for a video I’m doing for Doctors without Borders on a rape rehabilitation clinic. Hoping to have everything done correctly by Monday morning. But of course I okay a meeting request because I’m guilt motivated and I can’t say no if you catch me at the right time.
Sulim was coming over for a meeting at 1pm, I needed to get all the corrections done before he comes because I know this meeting with Sulim was going to go long. He’s been without work for two months now, and he hadn’t paid his rent, and he was bumming the occasional meal from friends and family who hadn’t disowned him. He told me all that, the day before, and then said he wanted to meet with me. I knew I didn’t want to rush the meeting. I’ve been feeling patient lately. Four other people have scheduled meetings with me this last week alone, to ask for money to buy a house, land, school fees, equipment, chickens. Food, etc etc add infinitum. Some I’ve given money to, some I’ve loaned money to, some I turned down. Others have been calling, I imaging with similar requests, I was dodging their calls. They’ll find me, and ask my why I wasn’t answering my phone…. Why don’t I just answer the phone. I hate excuses when people give them to me, yet I give out excuses like Burundian greetings. Some will wait outside my place until I come out… there is no avoiding people here.
Sulim is a hard working young man. Born in Burundi, but his family is from Congo. He is a mechanic by trade, and was recommended by a friend, after my former mechanic really screwed up my car.
In Burundi fashion, you must have a long conversation, then, at the end of the conversation, one must present his request, the reason for the meeting. Sulim, said that he once had five clients. But one got in a car accident, and the car was destroyed. The other got a new car donated, and will get work done at the dealership to keep the warranty active. The stories continued in this vein until he got to me… his last client, who recently bought a motorcycle to save on gas. So now, he has no work, and he’s searched, but cannot find anything. My mind drifted for a moment on how every small choice we make can deeply effect the life of someone else, I wondered how many times I’ve made choices that have left someone in the lurch, and I’ve never known. I zero’d back in on the conversation. I took him out to lunch, to get a change of location. I told him, that I’m sad about how difficult life is here. He kept repeating, “life is very difficult in Burundi.” Sulim is among the worlds poorest, those receiving less than 2 percent of the world’s income. He’ll go for months without making any income, and then he’ll make about 10 dollars, and that will have to last him a month, and his story is the same as millions of others who live in Burundi. He said, he doesn’t want to ask for money, that he’s not like to do that to me, that it embarrasses him. He wants work, he said, “I’m young and strong now, this is the time I can do lots of work, I can be a driver, or a mechanic, or both, but I can’t find work. It’s embarrassing for me to come to you, and ask for things, but if I asked for money, once the money is gone, I’d have to come back and ask for more. That is a problem. I want to ask you to find me work because if I get work, than I won’t have to keep coming back. “
I told him that I don’t know anyone who doesn’t have a mechanic. That I’m a videographer, and that I don’t know the car industry of Burundi. I told him that I will look for work for him, and its been three weeks, and I haven’t found any. So I asked him to change my gas filter… I didn’t need it changed, but I thought… I can sort of change small things, that are good to change, and pay him some money. I didn’t feel good about it. I also, looked at it as a French lesson every time he’s here as he can’t speak engllish. Helps me justify expenses to look at all the angles. I let him shower at the house, then I gave him a shirt. Told him I’d continue looking for work. So many people every day, sharing less than 2 percent of the worlds wealth. When statistics become friends, it’s life changing. Not major, all at once dramatic change, I have little to no respect for that kind. It’s slow, small choices, small choices that help people, especially those sharing two percent of the worlds wealth, holistic change over the course of ones life… until death.
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