CT Buskers on the move again

PaleSTAR my project manager for CT Buskers has identified most of our top spots in the city and we have auditions scheduled for the Friday 8th July from 8am-5pm at ROMA in Guguletu. She will be sending out messaging to all who would like to audition to become an official busker on the streets of CT. We are looking for people of all ages, acts of all kinds, and the process will be tough. However the benefits may be huge. We will publicise the talent, become their agents, and make them STARS. So send out the message to everyone to be there. PaleSTAR can be contacted on 071 284 9676. To Moodswings please contact PaleSTAR to be involved. We would love to have you.

Evereyone loves the Firebox idea and everyone sees the need. Now i need the sponsor so we can order a few thousand and start marekting it to the public.

Innovation and young south africans

yesterday i did a massive workshop for approx 300 youngsters from Khayelitsha. Being youth day today i was so taken by many of these young people and their vibrancy that on one side i am saddened at their plight and lack of opportunity and on the other side i am inspired at their bravery because of the circumstance that millions like them have been born with. They face a tough journey and they need so much support and encouragement...and i aim to make it my priority to provide as much as i can from my side wether it is time or money. It is the right things to do. The workshop is a massive success and the model works beautifully...they really do get it qucikly and efficiently. if my angel donors come together then we can start 50-100 new startups a year, and manage these pilot programs. I also hope that the NYDA and the economic development partners also come to the party. We need innovative youngsters with innovative ideas...we need to pilot these ideas and then we need to help them along step by step. So what ideas did i like yesterday...
My top one'e were,
1. A professional usher company for large sporting events like the Cape Argus Cyce tour ( this is a great place to use the unemployed)
2. The re-design of seating for public spaces and trains ( as they are really uncomfortable at the moment)
3. The Umbukhu mbukhu doll ( a healthy fat black baby toy)
4. A special stick for lightning
5. a sports jersey with all 3 logo's of soccer, rugby and cricket on
6. removable water lining for shacks
7. promotion of vegetarianism as a health and weight loss system
8. Using childrens' seesaws to weigh people as a fun thing to help with obesity
9. herb biscuits with real medicines inside for things like colds and flu
10.a special dryer for home based esp. in wet weather

There were many more ideas but these are simple and easy and can be launched as pilots without too much fuss.
The SABEF people also have their heart in the right place as do my ex-students from RAA. Now its time on youth day to make a difference...support these youngsters...and help change this country through its dynamic young people. They really do need help.

what is the june idea? the firebox!

Simplicity and clarity are always make for the best ideas. I did an awesome presentation for Wiphold on my innovation techniques...ps...i will be downloading my technique booklet for all to use for free soon on this blog. Anyway during the presentation and while reading the newspapers the same old story kept on popping up. Fires in shacks. Now after much debate we all realised that it is very difficult to stop shack fires but we asked ourselves the question. What do people miss the most. Everyone was very clear that photo's, ID's, birth and marriage certificates, money, awards, degrees and so on is the worst thing, the most expensive thing and the most hassle for poor communities. What this needs is a firebox that can be locked and if there is a fire all docs are still safe. I have looked at fireboxes across the world and they are importable. We could also try and manufacture in SA and Old mutual could defintelky brand them. What do you think? Would 2 milli0n housholds purchase a firebox for R300 and receive an Old Mutual hamper at the same time?

Thanks Kurt!

Kurt is correct in getting the community more involved and taking more ownership. Thanks for the input. marcelle and i thus thought this through and in the entrepreneurial spirit we came out with the following response.

1. We will make it known that people from the community can get a FREE lavender plant once the cuttings are bigger and all they need to do is put their name and details down. we will publicise this in the local papers.

2. we will buy-back all stolen plants at double the rate. I am interested in how much people actually paid the plants.

3. we will mourn the damaged plants by painting little lavender figurines on a memorial wall. xxxx number destroyed for all to see.

4. We will also make up TAKE ME signs where anyone can take a plant in exchange they will provide us with some of the flowers on a yearly basis. After all we do want a lavender plant in every household in lavender hill.

As an entrepreneur this type of left brain thinking is whats needed. Our donors of plants and cuttings will probably support us more in a crisis and we have other creative ideas out of this as well. The lesson is that crisis often creates the best opportunities. Kurt is correct that its only a few miscreants that have damaged the property. The whole community cannot be labelled the same because of these people. However our response needs to be clever and well thought out and i'm happy with what we have come up with. When an entrepreneur is faced with these sticky times he needs to think very carefully about the correct response and see all the great opportunities. Thanks again Kurt!

It isnt always as it seems

The solution is not always obvious. In Lavender Hill hill where we are aiming to take cuttings from gifts given by the generous public so we can create something quite beautifull in Lavender Hill we now face a serious threat. There are some elements who clearly dont care for what we are doing as they have stolen, crapped, broken what we have been doing. I suppose if we succeed what will they do and where will these elements go. What place do they have in a beautifull crime free area where there are no drugs and violence? So we are faced with a problem. what do we do? We could bolt from the hills and place the nursery and the farm in another community, but this is too obvious and this community has been abandoned many times over. We could put up barbed wire and have giard dogs but this wont really solve a problem and will probably lead to more violence. Why are thyese elements doing this? Who are they selling the plants to? What would Ghandi do? i always ask this question when i dont know what to do? I think we need to try a few other less obvious things. I want to make it public that anyone in Lavender Hill is free to come and put their name down for a free plant or 2 for their homes. I will pay them for the flowers when we start producing our products. I want to tell the bad element they can also have free plants but they have to stop damaging and breaking them. Why woud i take this approach. Well if everyone has there name on a plant and they are damaged then they lose something now and income into the future. Also i dont need land to plant out because they will be looking after their urban product for me and we can support that process. I will however have a\n alternative nursery in a safe area as my plan B and i have a plan C with farmners who have already gifted me lavender. Lets see what happens. This is a massive opportunity to change things in this community and this is the exact time to do it. I call it the crossroads and if we mess up there wont be a second chance