Day 39: Solidarity with Fundraisers

May 11th, 2011
Days Left to Journey: 12 Days
I love explaining BikeJava to people. It's always interesting to see which part people connect to, cycling or philanthropy, and how I am learning to keep people interested. I've never had a long history of story telling or persuasion. My upbringing tended to emphasize, 'just do the work and the attention and rewards will follow' or 'quiet confidence'. So usually keeping people interested in what I say is a difficult task because I'm extra sensitive to signs of boredom or rejection of my ideas.

BikeJava has kept me excited and motivated enough to constantly work on my pitch for the cause. Instead of getting disheartened by a yawn or a sign of disinterest, I push through and improve for the next person I talk to. I haven't gone from dud to world-class fundraiser, but I've learned. Asking ANYONE for money is tough. I speak to warm-hearted people everyday. Maybe my cause isn't what they want to support financially, or they're in a bind for cash, or they're against all forms of human-powered mobility. I don't hold it against them; if you express interest I will follow up though.

Klinik Anak Bangsa
We will adopt a hernia case. I used to always think that hernias were only related to severe tearing in the groin area, but I've recently learned that it's any organ that protrudes through a wall cavity. So while in the States hernias are often associated with older men attempting to display feats of strength, it happens to people of all ages. These seem to be common cases at Klinik Anak Bangsa (Clinic of the Nation's Children). The cost of an operation to fix the problem is Rp 3,500,000 - Rp 4,500,000. It sounds like a lot, and in comparison to average per capita income, it is a lot. In USD it's around $411 USD - $529 USD at the current rate of Rp 8,500 per $1 USD. For a civil servant job, that's an entire month's salary, but we have to keep in mind that becoming a civil servant is difficult here. That amount of money could be used for 6 roundtrip flights to Singapore from Jakarta.


I'll leave you with this: Please donate any amount, whether it's $5 USD online, or Rp 10,000 (a little more than $1 USD). Of course, the more the better.