Make Child Poverty History in Colombia

Interview with WSI Consultant

Karen Sullivan-Correa, September 2007

1. When and how did you get to know about MCPH?

I was not aware of the Make Child Poverty History campaign until I got in touch with WSI Internet Consulting and Education. I learnt about MCPH during my interview and screening process with WSI. Strangely enough, I didn’t actually hear about it, but in the introductory information kit that I received from WSI, was a simple Word document about MCPH. It mentioned that since 2004 WSI had partnered with World Vision Canada to sponsor every eligible child in the village of Ventanilla, Peru.

It warmed me to know that this company that I was considering buying into and soon to be a franchisee of, was not just a big commercial corporation, but one with a heart. I was impressed that besides having its proven and highly successful franchise system, WSI also had a corporate social responsibility program in place with numbers to show the good work being done. I was sure from that day on that if I was awarded a WSI franchise, I would definitely be involved with the MCPH cause.

2. What inspired you to get involved with MCPH?

I had my own non-profit foundation until the year 2000 and wanted to continue to “give back”, but this time from a business owner’s perspective. I strongly believe that we can all do business, make a profit and still contribute in some way to society. I am driven by the belief that “giving” (not necessarily in a commercial manner) should be an integral part of business life. It should just happen, every business day, just like that – without having to give it a second thought. I am continually inspired by the very real potential of any business owner to incorporate some kind of social giving into business practices, be it individual or corporate. Being a part of the MCPH movement allows me a chance to realize this potential in my WSI business.

3. As a MCPH champion helping the cause, can you share some important event(s) that you have organized / been involved with?

On June 2^nd, 2006, WSI along with Vision Mundial (World Vision) Colombia launched the MCPH initiative in Bogota. The humble yet dignified launch function turned out to be much bigger than we expected in many respects. Interestingly, the original idea sprang from a chink of opportunity. WSI was organizing an Ambassador Training Seminar where an experienced and highly successful WSI Consultant (franchisee) – Ron Adelman in this case, was coming down to Bogota to train other franchisees in the region over a period of 2 days. As I happen to be the local group leader for my fellow WSI Consultants, I saw potential to rally forces for MCPH within the local WSI community that was already coming together for this training seminar.

One thing led to another as ideas buzzed around the group, WSI headquarters pitched in with their complete support and resources, local charitable organizations and social groups partnered with us and soon the MCPH buzz became a raging fire. It caught on so strong that from video emails to the Colombian President, Dr. Uribe to Dr. Luis Fernando Correa, official for Prevention of Disaster, Ministry of Social Protection being the Special Guest of Honor, a presentation by Mr. Samuel Albarracin, National Director, Vision Mundial Colombia, keynote address by Ron McArthur, President, WSI, all were involved whole-heartedly, either physically or in spirit, mostly both!

At the superbly attended event, WSI announced a fundraiser for Vision Mundial. Generous donations made by the audience were then matched by WSI and the proceeds channeled directly to Vision Mundial for their various developmental programs; child sponsorship in particular.

Besides donations, what really created a lasting effect was the awareness of the MCPH cause in Colombia and the overwhelming participation by local organizations. Captain Camilo Arjona, Director of Alliance Alas para la gente presented their support to MCPH with a whole team of support organizations. El Tiempo, the largest media house in Colombia came in as the media partner and Dr. Ofelia Corradine, Director of Social Responsibility, Casa Editorial El Tiempo with Ernesto Cortes, Editor-in-Chief, El Tiempo were also present at the function. Luis Ortiz of SmartTech Inc did a presentation on SmarterKids Foundation to show "How Local and International Businesses Can Join the MCPH Movement".

WSI Consultants from the region pledged their support to MCPH by actively participating in a “Buy One, Get One Free, Donate IT” campaign. Under this campaign, corporations are encouraged to buy an Internet business solution from WSI and get one website free, which will be donated on their behalf to a less fortunate but deserving organization. This is just one example of how business owners can not only join the movement but keep it alive and increasingly successful.

4. What kind of support do you look for and receive from corporate partners like WSI for the MCPH activities you have undertaken?

From the word “Go”, WSI has been with me and supported me in my MCPH activities. At the Bogota launch function, Mr. Ron McArthur, President of WSI explained his company’s role in the MCPH movement. The MCPH initiative began as a corporate outreach program but has expanded to encompass individuals and organizations outside of the founding corporation, WSI. This is a non-governmental organization that encourages corporations to join the fight to make child poverty history; facilitating their participation by sharing the expertise of members. MCPH is not a charity which pays its members to do work, but instead a catalyst - a group of like-minded individuals and corporations who know that the suffering of children can be made a thing of the past if more people joined the campaign to make child poverty history.

As someone who is committed to the MCPH cause for the long haul, this is exactly the support that I look for – that of a catalyst, a way to mobilize and bring together required resources, manpower, ideas and funds to realize what is not just a pipe dream. Every drop counts - and in the vast ocean that is needed to wipe out poverty, I find support in these little drops that seem to come flowing in from all over, the minute an opportunity arises.

5. How do you rally resources, organizations, partners, other WSI Consultants, etc. to join hands with you in MCPH activities?

I literally throw out the net to my fellow WSI Consultants by letting them know that I can’t do it alone and that I am attempting to bring together strategies that will be a “win-win” for WSI Consultants, clients and MCPH. I think it would be very difficult to rally resources to just help a cause. I try to get their buy in on my philosophy of social responsibility which is - we can all “profit”, reap personal satisfaction and cut down on hours spent if we incorporate some kind of MCPH project in our WSI business. The WSI Consultants that have come along with me in this belief have experienced that it builds immediate credibility and confidence in them as Consultants. They realize that they don’t have to work hard at selling themselves and their WSI business. It also is an incredible distinguishing mark between WSI and other service providers in the same industry.

My clients very easily become MCPH partners with the “Buy 1, Get 1 Free, Donate IT” concept. It costs them next to nothing, it makes them look good with their stakeholders by displaying the MCPH logo on their website (fulfillment of their corporate social responsibility), and they can help build a small business for an associate, affiliate or non-profit organization by donating a website. This is one small, but critical step towards bridging the digital divide. By contributing to helping SMEs benefit from the Internet we are helping ourselves, our company, our community and the global marketplace as well. Once this catches on, it becomes irresistible. That is the goal I am striving for, when MCPH becomes an inseparable part of business. Think about it, when every profit making organization decides it can’t function without helping to alleviate child poverty, that’s when a new chapter in history will be created.

I am currently working on a model that will bring WSI into the “small office / home office” with the “Buy 1, Get 1 Free, Donate IT” model which could spread quickly throughout the affiliate or associate companies. Government is another area that shows potential for this model as through their portal sites they can “donate” simple websites to small businesses in their region.

6. How do you recommend that people (like WSI Consultants) can make MCPH an integral part of their business and daily lives? Any action points or ideas that can be implemented individually, without too much time, effort or resources?

The MCPH “Buy 1, Get 1 Free, Donate IT” is very simple. In Colombia I have an infrastructure set up for developing low-cost websites that can go from nothing to being “live” very quickly, often in 48 hours.

However, here’s the absolute “easiest and best” way as a WSI Consultant or client to spread the word and raise funds for the global initiative MCPH. You can generate revenue for MCPH “while you sleep” by offering a customizable search toolbar to clients which is a free, value-added product that is very powerful as an effective communication tool. Each time the toolbar is used by an online user to search for something on the Internet, a donation (could be as little as half a penny each time) is raised for a charity that supports the MCPH cause. WSI headquarters has recently partnered with www.BenefitBar.com. BenefitBar and I will be offering demonstrations and giving out toolbars to WSI Consultants at the company’s annual global Excellence and Innovation Conference in Orlando, Florida from October 1^st to 3^rd. Once this concept catches on and multiplies throughout the WSI community, revenue will start to accumulate to support MCPH projects around the world.

7. What in your mind is the single most important factor that interested individuals should keep in mind while making a commitment or contribution to the MCPH cause?

Commit to ONE strategy and fulfill your commitment to yourself and MCPH. When you’ve mastered one strategy, in terms of fulfillment for personal satisfaction, your time and effort, and achieved positive, measurable results, then think about new challenges. I have learnt that it’s better to take many small steps but one at a time, than to juggle a plethora of ideas all at once. Like they say in the corporate world, use the KISS factor - Keep It Simple, Silly!

8. What are your goals and vision for MCPH? How do you plan to accomplish these?

As a WSI Consultant, my goals and vision for MCPH are inevitably intertwined with the WSI community. I am constantly seeking ways to create effective models / strategies that any WSI Consultant can easily implement and that clients will find beneficial. The next step is to then multiply the strategies to create a true impact that will be long-lasting. For this reason, it is my goal to promote / market the winning strategies throughout the WSI network.

I envision that individual WSI Consultants and their local groups will be encouraged and supported to build a local, regional or national MCPH network that allows them to support each other and begin to generate revenue for local MCPH projects.

My personal goal for fulfilling this vision is to build a virtual rural community where every member of the community has access to a broadband Internet connection, an e-commerce or corporate website, an e-learning tool / platform for all the members of the community to use and marketing support to build their businesses, schools, foundations, associations online. I call this pilot project “e-for-all”. I am confident that with education delivered through e-learning, the effect of many factors that perpetuate poverty will be reduced and eventually, nullified completely.

Another goal is to create cross-cultural projects with organizations like BenefitBar that will make it easy for WSI Consultants to join and contribute to MCPH. An example of this we are currently experimenting with is a WSI Consultant in Mexico who is supporting the building of a Holocaust Center. It occurred to us that once one Center/Museum has a BenefitBar toolbar, it would be easy to invite other Museums around the world to do so. This large network would bring extraordinary benefits to all, most importantly to poor children around the world.

Satisfaction and results for non-profit work is not necessarily measured in terms of dollars. More important than monetary contributions is a network of committed individuals and their associates, partners and clients. And…it’s never too late to get started! No matter what you do today to help the MCPH cause, IT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

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