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Nomadic Hands

Simone Francis's picture
Submitted by Simone Francis on Sat, 11/14/2009 - 13:04
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What's this idea about?
In less than 100 words, what is your idea?: 
To create a peer support network that works collaboratively to provide information and resources for people to become involved in social and environmental activities across the globe easily and affordably. This will be achieved with access to journalism, photography and documentaries about free and low cost volunteer programs and free home-stays for people helping animals, humans and/or the environment. It will also be achieved by creating easily accessible and low cost, inspirational information plus other collaborative avenues for people to become involved in social and environmental issues.
What is the social need or challenge your idea could address?: 
This idea will address the lack of transparency between volunteer programs and volunteers, plus releive volunteer project's dependency upon large placement agencies who profit hugely from the money of volunteers. The free home-stays (similar to couchsurfing but for people involved in social and environmental activities) will encourage collaborations and create stonger bonds between people across the globe who are helping in social and environmental issues.
What’s really new about your idea?: 
There are currently no homestays for people invoved soely in social and environmental activities. This idea will also inspire people to address serious world issues with interesting and creative media techniques. This idea combines caring for all of the world's life (animals, humans and the environment).
Stage of development
What inspired you to come up with your idea in the first place?: 
I have travelled extensively and have seen much devistation and suffering of humans, animals and environments. It was first very hard for me to become involved in helping social and environmental causes because it was too expensive to volunteer and I didn't know where to find other people to collaborate with. I also wanted to combine all of my passions and dreams and help others at the same time. Now I want to encourage others to do the same... live their dreams while helping others at the same time.
From 1-5, what stage of development would you say your idea is in? - Explain further: 
3. I have not been in contact with a professional web designer as I'm not sure of exactly the best way to build it, but I have built up content and thought about how the network will function. I have visited many free and low cost volunteer projects in South America and have written blogs, taken photography, and made videos about each of them. They are all currently being uploaded onto the word-press website- a volunteer helped me to create a basic word press website- www.nomadichands.com . I have also uploaded a preview of the first documentary that Nomadic Hands is creating about oil exploitation and the changing of cultures throughout Ecuador's Amazon. A few podcasts about volunteering and working in social and environmental areas have been created and are just about to be uploaded onto the website also. Content will continue being created and uploaded onto the site. The free homestay idea has not yet been implemented into the site.
What can we do for you?
Select which are the one or two most important things that you need to help the development of your idea: 
Developer - to help you create your software
Mentor - to help you through the process of turning your idea into reality
If Social Innovation Camp is able to help push your idea forward, do you have the time or desire to take ownership of it?: 
Yes
Anything else you want to tell us?: 
I go camping for fun... I love spending time in nature. I take care of cats who are on death row in the pound by foster caring them. I am currently trying to make the Nomadic Hands project self sustainable and put in just about all of my time working on the project.
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Simone Francis's picture

Re: Nomadic Hands

Submitted by Simone Francis on Wed, 12/02/2009 - 16:16.

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Simone Francis's picture

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Submitted by Simone Francis on Wed, 12/02/2009 - 16:16.

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Andrew Brough's picture

Re: Nomadic Hands

Submitted by Andrew Brough on Wed, 12/02/2009 - 15:37.

Hi, You should be able to learn a lot from compartive projects. Something related was a finalist project at SI Camp in London, Nov2008, see http://www.sicamp.org/?page_id=313 . The project useful visitors aimed to match people visiting a place on holiday with worthy projects in the area. On the homestay angle you shoudl also look at some of the couchsurfing websites to see how they link people together.

One issue for you will be how to verify projects and manage the connections? Another place to look for ideas on this is sites like www.kiva.org who match small loans with projects around the world.

Also how do you plan to market your approach/site once running to get people using it?

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Simone Francis's picture

Re: Nomadic Hands

Submitted by Simone Francis on Wed, 12/02/2009 - 16:15.

Hi Andrew,

Thanks for the links :)

One issue for you will be how to verify projects and manage the connections?
All projects currently online have been visited by Nomadic Hands. Blogs have been written about the project and photos taken. .. some even have videos with interviews from the directors and volunteers. People are also able to comment about the projects underneath and give their own opinions of the project.

There are direct links to the projects so that the volunteer is responsible for making contact, rather than paying alot to volunteer placements just to be able to get in contact with programs.

Also how do you plan to market your approach/site once running to get people using it?
I just gave a speech to 1000 school kids last week about living dreams while helping others at the same time. I plan to continue giving speeches and also provide workshops to students who are interested in travelling and/or volunteering affordably and safely while becoming immersed in cultures. The project will also be marketed through all of the youtube volunteer program videos and documentaries that we create.

I hope this has answered your questions?

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rdkallman's picture

Re: Nomadic Hands

Submitted by rdkallman on Tue, 11/24/2009 - 07:53.

The networking and collaboration sounds like what idealist.org is trying to do - and they have started a new global initiative. The idea of providing homestay's is great and could form a distinct service that includes low cost rent for people who are working in the public benefit - even in paid roles (nurses, teaches). Who will be the target accommodation providers?

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Simone Francis's picture

Re: Nomadic Hands

Submitted by Simone Francis on Wed, 12/02/2009 - 16:14.

Hi rdkallman,

Sorry not too sure what ur name is??

The target accommodation providers would also be people working for the public benfit. The service would be free, (very similar to couchsurfing), yet would specifically for people who are working in and/or who are interested in social and environmental issues. So the people providing accommodation would be social and/or environmental workers with a spare place/bed for other social/ environmental workers to stay.

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