Cash Mobs: Commercial Theater of a Different Kind

Oh sure, we’re all familiar with the flash mob.

The scene: mid-day, at a high-traffic location, bystanders shopping, walking their dog, eating street meat—then BOOM—suddenly hundreds of people descend upon the locale, perform an inane act to the shock/delight/horror/annoyance of the assembled denizens. After completing said activity, the participants disperse to a variety of locations as though nothing happened, leaving onlookers scratching their heads.

What kind of activities, you ask? Oh, you know, like descending on a popular clothing store and struttin’ it out to MC Hammer’s “U Can’t Touch This”…

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The Project Solution Makes a Direct Impact

We first met Joe Gonzalez when we interviewed Jimmy Aquino, his co-host for the Comic News Insider podcast, at New York Comic Con last year. Gonzalez has since left the podcast to devote himself to The Project Solution, a non-profit philanthropic organization he co-founded with Tara Bracco.

The Project Solution’s goal is simple: to apply funds directly to specific, low-cost, and attainable projects in distressed parts of the world. With many organizations, when a someone makes a donation, it’s difficult to know exactly where their money actually goes. When a donation is made to The Project Solution, the donor knows exactly where and how their money is spent and what—and who—their contribution affects.

Just a few of the young organization’s many completed projects include:

• Building a new roof for the Foyer d’Orelph Orphanage in Haiti
• Extending a water tap to the Cameroon village of Fuli, bringing fresh water to 500 locals
• Building a new bathroom facility in the Indian village of Bachevra to serve the local school and villagers
• Building a bathroom facility for a primary school of 150 children who previously had no facilities
• Purchasing a computer for orphans at the Africa Hope Center in Kenya through “The 10-Cent Project,” Solution program,” which works with schools to give students the opportunity to help children throughout the world with dimes
• And too many more to list…

The Project Solution continues to grow and expand its many programs, offering community outreach and informational events, as well as showcases of student artwork from around the world with its Art Project Solution. They also make it easy to get involved, offering an annual “Subscription for Change” option at reasonable levels.

Check out the video below and visit www.theprojectsolution.org for more info.

Ger: To Be Separate

We recently had the pleasure of meeting Ger Duany. Ger is one of the Lost Boys of Sudan who became a child soldier separated from his family when he was 10. He endured the life of a refugee at camps in Ethiopia and Kenya and, after a tremendous amount of unimaginable struggle and hardship, was brought to the United States at age 14. He now lives in New York City where he is an actor and model.

Award-winning Kenyan filmmaker Wanuri Kahiu and Ger are ready to share his story. The documentary, Ger: To Be Separate, traces Ger’s path from childhood through his July 2011 return to South Sudan to search for his family and celebrate the country’s independence.

If you’ve not yet supported a Kickstarter campaign, then what better place to start? Join us in support of this film.

To hear a bit from Ger and appreciate the man behind this effort, here is an excellent interview on MukamiTV.