What’s this all about ?
Posted in Background on 18. Feb, 2010
Sometime an idea feels too big and too crazy to actually become a reality, we all have them, those dreams inside that we wish we had the guts to do. Well this is ours. It started as a small idea in Pinkhairgirl’s head and in sharing it with others it has grown. We hope by sharing it with you, that it will carry on growing beyond our wildest imaginings.
The Awesome Road Trip or ART as we fondly like to call it has many parts all very diverse but linked by the people and the vision to do see and tell about the great things in our country.
ART is a collective of like-minded but differently skilled people who aim to travel South Africa highlighting eco-friendly and environmental entrepreneurial initiatives, while on the way discovering the stories and landscape of the people living in relationship with the land. Visual artists, writers, techies parents and other professionals will each add their own take on how South Africans learn from each other and share skills.
Some of the most exciting ideas come from people working with not much more than what they have lying around, or inside their heads. An entrepreneurial approach to sustainable use of biodiversity will be the way in which South Africa maintains its unique and diverse character. We aim to highlight these ideas and inspired approaches, so that those who live in different contexts can benefit. People in developed areas with skills and resources can share these with the local communities and also learn from these entrepreneurial models. The message is that no matter where you come from or what you have, you can share it, and be awesome.
Come join us on this adventure through South Africa, as we travel the highways and byways, telling the eco and technology stories that we come across. Follow us on Twitter, Friend us on Facebook. Tell us about eco initiatives, stories that are unfolding, and community projects that you know about.
Do you have a gadget or project that you’d like us to review? Visit our sponsor page to find out how you can help, and join those helping us already.
From the tech savvy in our major cities to the rural areas battling with basic connectivity, we hope that, through talking about eco and technology issues facing everyday South Africans in our country, we can inspire you to follow your dreams, and take all of South Africa with you to new heights.
I’m really looking forward to reading all about your escapades, mischief, learning curves and adventures. I hope you have a fabulous time and keep safe.
Really disappointed that this only seems to be a paid holiday for these people. Surely some charity should benefit from an endeavour such as this? In a country where so many have so few, a trip like this should aim to help people along the way – not just those having the fun experiences.
Just my suggestion – enjoy the (free) ride.
David: Thank you so much for your comment, I am so sorry that you got the impression that this was just one big holiday for us. So far the entire trip is being sponsored by ourselves. I am a single mom eeking out a living for my 2 kids and I. The whole idea behind ART is to highlight community and eco projects around South Africa that could benefit from social media and exposure.
As Yme said on his personal blog about ART: We hope to use all forms of media available to us: video, books, photography, blogging, twitter, etc. to reach as large an audience as possible to get the stories we encounter out there. Stories of entrepreneurial communities, of people trying to give back, of ecological consciences and anything else we can’t help but share. We’d like to highlight the penetration (or lack thereof) of technology in our country and how it inhibits the sharing of stories. We want to investigate new technologies and ideas, from the simplistic to the grandiose, and how they could help improve the lives of our citizens.
For me this is all about highlighting needs of other people and telling stories that are usually untold. We have a special interesting eco and green issues especially those affecting local communities and their natural resources
Sally-Jane ( PinkHairGirl)
Hi David
Part of what we are doing is tracking down local initiatives and hoping to bring lots of publicity to them, perhaps practical support should that be available. As we progress, there is the possibility that we will adopt one or more of these, and help to direct funding and interest their way. You are completely right in highlightling the gulf between the haves, and the have nothings, and we aim to expose the way lack of infrastructural support has left many communities lagging behind in their potential for development (say in issues regarding bandwidth, cellphone coverage). But yeah- the primary issues are poverty and social injustice. However, we are passionate about SA, and the entrepreneuship and resilience that exists in all of its communities. Yes, we’ll be travelling, but we almost certainly won’t make money out of this. When the site is up and running properly, we will make the account details available to sponsors, and be able to report on any expenditure. Feel free to make suggestions about worthwhile initiatives, charities or NPOs/NGOs we can support.