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Geraldine Buckley "Keeps It! Going" with Creativity and Collaboration

The story of Geraldine Buckley is captivating. On the surface, each chapter is a stand-alone narrative filled with colorful descriptions of people and places that come alive through the spoken word. But if we listen closely, we learn that the stories are all connected – woven together by common threads of creativity and kindness. Eventually, what we thought were random tales, evolve into a well-timed true story that was meant to be.

Geraldine Buckley is a minister, storyteller, writer, events director, and poetry slam champion. In 1999, Buckley traveled to South Africa to teach slam – a type of performance art in which poets recite original works. Through her workshops, her students learned to share their pain through an artistic voice. “The power of creativity should not be underestimated,” says Buckley. “When people speak creatively about their emotions, others connect to their story. Unbelievable bonds are formed.”

While in South Africa, Buckley also traveled to a school to share her art. In the midst of crowded conditions and limited resources, she was impressed by the shining spirit of the children. “After the poetry, the students sang for me,” she notes. “It was a profound experience that confirmed the power of creativity at work.” When Buckley left the country a short time later, she discovered that the creative forces she had encountered during her visit would help to shape her future goals and, ultimately, influence her decision to become a chaplain at the largest men’s prison in Maryland.

In 2011, more than ten years after her South African journey, Buckley found her voice reaching out to the people of South Africa once again. Through a collaborative effort with origins that tell their own unique story, Buckley would be sharing her creative talents at a storytelling benefit aimed at raising funds for Ivory Park.

Buckley had recently stepped down from her position as prison chaplain and had crafted a one-woman storytelling show based on her experiences. Through performance networks, she met Keep It! founder and fellow storyteller Bob Tryanski. Buckley and Tryanski found that their storytelling styles were complimentary and joined forces to present a house concert for friends, family, and storytelling enthusiasts.

A short time later, Tryanski joined John and Joyce Johnson and Carolyn and Jerry Ward in Ivory Park. The Johnsons and the Wards – members of the First Presbyterian Church in Greeneville, TN – had traveled to Ivory Park to view the impact of the church’s many fundraising efforts and to assess additional needs in the community. It was on the way home from this trip that the idea for the benefit concert took root.

“What was amazing to me about the storytelling benefit was the way it all came together. The stars really aligned to create this opportunity – along with a little nudge of divine intervention,” says Tryanski. “The idea was hatched in the back of the car by the Johnsons on our way back from their visit to Ivory Park. Geraldine and I had just come off a terrific experience performing together at a house concert in Philadelphia, so when she offered to do anything she could to help with the Ivory Park project, I thought we would be idiots to let her escape without taking her up on her extremely generous offer.”

Tryanski shared the idea for the benefit concert with Buckley who was eager to assist with a project that felt personal. “My prior experience in South Africa gave me a glimpse into what could be accomplished when children are given the right resources,” notes Buckley. “The Keep It! Campaign is opening a whole new world for these young people. And, it is empowering for students here in the United States. When they look beyond themselves and listen to someone else’s story, wonderful things can happen.”

Bob Tryanski entertains the crowd at a house concert that raised more than $3,000 for “The Keep It! Campaign”. Photo by O.J. Early. Copyright © 2011, The Greeneville Sun, All Rights Reserved. Used with Permission.

In October of 2011, Buckley and Tryanski’s benefit storytelling concert – hosted by the Johnsons – resulted in the largest single fundraising event to date for the Keep It! Campaign by bringing in more than $3,000. “Geraldine mesmerized the folks from Greeneville,” notes Tryanski. “It was a real joy to have the chance to work with her again. And they key to it all was collaboration.”

The Keep It! Campaign is proud to honor Geraldine Buckley, a campaign champion who Keeps It! Going through the power of creativity and collaboration.

The Johnsons and the Wards “Keep It Going” with a Mission

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At First Presbyterian Church in Greeneville, TN, the defining mission is to nurture and provide care for people within and beyond the church’s own community of faith. The congregation is committed – not only to ministering to people’s hurts – but also to their hopes. So when church members learned of the “Keep It!” Campaign’s efforts to build a community of hope in Ivory Park, South Africa, they embraced the opportunity to act locally and reach globally.

Members of the First Presbyterian Church in Greeneville, TN join "Keep It!" founder Bob Tryanski and residents of South Africa during a mission trip to Ivory Park.

Church member and former educator Carolyn Ward explains that the idea of helping to create self-sustaining improvements is what attracted her and husband Jerry to the project. “The philosophy of providing a hand up and not a hand out is an admirable concept,” she notes. “We were impressed by what had been accomplished in such a short time and that the people were eager to support themselves when they received the right kind of help.”

Joyce and John Johnson, also church members with a background in education, shared the Wards desire to support the project. When they learned that “Keep It” founder Bob Tryanski and his wife, Hannah Britton, were going to be visiting Ivory Park, they made plans to join them. Britton – whose mother, Sandra Britton, attends First Presbyterian Church – is a political science professor currently studying domestic violence in South Africa.

While in Ivory Park, the Johnsons and the Wards toured the community center, day care, and the library located at the Drake Koka Primary School. The couples were pleased to see that many of their church’s previous fundraising efforts, including support of two new kitchens, had been transformed into tangible benefits for Ivory Park residents. They were also impressed with the dedication of the school’s principal, the librarian, and the day care workers. “We are all former educators, so education is a priority to us. You can’t teach hungry children and you can’t teach children who can’t see well, so it was gratifying to see all of the pieces – the feeding program, the day care, the eye center, the library – working together to improve education in the community,” notes Mrs. Ward.

Mrs. Johnson explains that, while in Ivory Park, the travelers participated in a brainstorming session to identify additional areas of need and potential solutions. The creative ideas generated from the session fueled the group’s excitement about the project – an excitement that they eagerly shared with the First Presbyterian congregation upon their return to Tennessee through photos and descriptions of the journey.

Since the couples’ return, church members have been busy with additional fundraisers aimed at bringing sustainable solutions to Ivory Park. They have raised more than $900 for tools that will allow adults to better maintain and expand on a community vegetable garden. They have also joined the campaign’s efforts to stock the library with new, quality reading materials and have raised $4,000 for books through community donations, member giving, and a storytelling event hosted by the Johnsons and featuring Tryanski and international storyteller Geraldine Buckley.

For Mrs. Johnson, the best part of the experience has been meeting the people of Ivory Park. “They were warm, friendly, and enthusiastic,” she says. “And, they are really trying to take ownership and make the most of the opportunities presented to them.”

The “Keep It!” Campaign is proud to honor Joyce and John Johnson and Carolyn and Jerry Ward, two couples who “Keep It Going” by embracing their mission.

Live from Ivory Park

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Thanks to supporters of the Keep It! Campaign, a new library is up and running in Ivory Park. Keep It! Founder Bob Tryanski and Hannah Britton recently visited the library located at the Drake Koka Primary School on the last day of the school year. There was much cause for celebration as all the students in the library program passed their examinations and were promoted to the next grade.

Bob Tryanski shares some stories with the students about the fans they have in the United States and announces that their poetry collection will be published to give people a chance to read their poems.

A portion of the proceeds from storyteller Andy Offutt Irwin’s new CD, "Risk Assessment", will support the library.

Students also celebrated the arrival of storytelling CDs thanks to the generosity of storyteller Bil Lepp. In 2012, the Keep It! Campaign will be working to stock the library shelves with quality books and educational materials.

While in Ivory Park, Tryanski also purchased and delivered a slew of new tools to support the Gardening Program at the Suppa du Momma Kitchen. Thanks to John and Joyce Johnson, Carolyn and Jerry Ward and the entire congregation at First Presbyterian Church for making this happen. The tools of self-sufficiency are a wonderful gift!

PASC Progress Report

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Thanks to PASC, “Keep It!” Reaches New Heights and Expands Its Challenge to “ACT LOCALLY, REACH GLOBALLY!”

While there is still much work to do, the efforts of our PASC partners and additional supporters are making a difference each and every day for the residents of Ivory Park. Read about the changes that have already taken place.

When the “Keep It!” Campaign was launched in September of 2009, our goal was to motivate young people to develop their capacity as social entrepreneurs. For the campaign’s inaugural project, young entrepreneurs were challenged to act locally and reach globally by helping to build a community of hope in Ivory Park, South Africa. Thanks to the Pennsylvania Association of Student Councils, hope is alive and well in Ivory Park.

Backed by critical support from our member schools, “Keep It!” is drawing an ever increasing number of dedicated volunteers. Their efforts are resulting in steady progress toward the development of strong student leaders and the completion of project goals.

The dream is to build a community of hope in Ivory park. Helping us is a national network of social entrepreneurs led by the PASC.

To date, we have raised a little more than $20,000. These funds have allowed PASC to make a positive impact in Ivory Park, where U.S. dollars go a long way. A library has been built and the first round of books is already on the shelves. We have been able to fund the salaries of three full-time teachers for an entire calendar year. A fourth teacher’s salary has been covered by regular monthly contributions from a small group of PASC alums who have embraced the “Power of Ten” concept by contributing ten dollars a month.

In addition, construction of the community center kitchen has been completed. Much of the funding is in place, and our partners at First Presbyterian Church in Greeneville, TN, have pledged enough funds to cover the remaining kitchen costs.

Funds have also been directed to support feeding programs for the daycare center, soup kitchen, and an after-school program for teen orphans who, because of the AIDS crisis, are parenting their younger siblings. The program allows the teens to continue their education while their siblings are cared for at the daycare center. It also provides a hot meal, a tutor, and a place to study after school. Altogether, these programs now feed 150 preschool children, 60 senior citizens, and 75 teens. Continue reading →

Portia Kekana: Helping Girls in South Africa to Reach for Their Dreams

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The Girls' Enrichment and Empowerment Academy equips young women in South Africa with the courage to reach for their dreams

GEEA helps young women in South Africa reach for their dreams.

When Portia Kekana was 18-years-old, she became a mother. In South Africa, where teen pregnancy is common, it would have been easy for her to slip through the cracks. Poverty, substance abuse, and disease become defining factors for many young women facing similar circumstances. But Kekana was one of the lucky ones. Armed with the desire to achieve and a supportive family who valued academic learning, she was able to complete her education. Now, a graduate of Vista University and the University of Cape Town, Kekana is reaching out to girls across her country. As the founder of the Girls’ Enrichment and Empowerment Academy (GEEA), she hopes to equip a new generation of South African women with the life and leadership skills to succeed.

Kekana explains that GEEA was started in 2009 as a platform through which young girls can learn to embrace who they are, without compromising their gender. As in most societies, South African preteen and adolescent girls are vulnerable to pressures from their peers, the media, and cultural norms. Add easy access to alcohol, lack of resources, and the invasion of the AIDS epidemic, and adolescence can be a mine field. “I felt the need to help young girls make informed decisions and not fall into the same trap that I did,” explains Kekana. “GEEA aims to supply the girls with the information that will help them make better choices, reaffirm their uniqueness, and help them to realize that their dreams are within reach.”

In early 2010, Kekana and long-time friend Jean-Rose Msiza began preparations for a GEEA seminar, a weekend of instruction and fellowship designed to promote free expression and enhanced self-esteem. Msiza explains that her work as a social development facilitator in rural areas of South Africa fueled her desire to get involved. “I experienced the challenges faced by rural woman and girls, and I wanted to do something to alleviate the burden,” she says. “I saw GEEA as an opportunity to promote social justice.”

Together, the women sought the resources needed to host the event. Receipts such as the Bob Tryanski Presents “I Have a Dream, Too!” Challenge Grant and personal contributions from individuals such as Kathy Coll, assistant executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of Student Councils, helped the women’s vision to become a reality. “The thing that made this project really special, was that Kathy Coll and I were able to combine resources from two awards we each received last year in order to make this happen,” notes Tryanski. “Kathy was the recipient of the 2009 NASC Warren Shull Advisor of the Year Award, and I received the Earl Reum Award from the National Association of Workshop Directors in December. When Portia shared her vision for the GEEA program, Kathy and I knew it was the perfect way to spend the prize money from those awards. The Earl Reum Award was sponsored by workshop directors and activity advisors from all over the country, so it really embodied the Keep It! Campaign’s challenge to Act Locally, Reach Globally. Thanks to the generosity and support of some of this country’s finest activity advisors, Earl Reum’s influence in sowing the seeds for leadership education throughout the United States has now been extended to South Africa to support Portia’s dream.”

In May, fourteen girls arrived at the site of the National Girl Guides Association in Randburg, Johannesburg to take part in the first GEEA seminar. Throughout the weekend, the girls participated in team building activities and group discussions about self awareness, goal setting, problem solving, spirituality, leadership, sexuality, and financial literacy. Attendees also heard presentations from motivational speakers –doctors, social workers, and business professionals – who had volunteered their time and talents to share important messages rooted in relevant, personal experiences.

Continue reading →

Oak Park Elementary School: “Bridging the Parks”

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Seasonal fundraisers provide consistent support and teach students about local and global citizenship.

At Oak Park Elementary School in Lansdale, PA, students and staff are discovering creative ways to care for their own community while building connections with people thousands of miles away. Brett Baker, 6^th grade teacher, explains that Oak Park students and staff have always been responsive to meeting the needs of others. “Our school family is community minded,” he says. “Whether the needs are in our own backyard or far away, we rally around the cause.” He notes that Oak Park families have supported local food banks, adopted a school ravaged by Hurricane Katrina, and provided resources for residents of Haiti.

“Bridging the Parks” represents the school’s latest effort to act locally and reach globally by building a bridge between Oak Park Elementary and Ivory Park, South Africa. In October, Bob Tryanski – founder of the Keep It! Campaign – traveled to Oak Park and acquainted students with the challenges facing Ivory Park residents. He explained that donations from Oak Park will help to support the feeding program at the Sedimosang Day Care Center and will also provide books for the new library. A $200 check presented by students at the orientation assembly will pay for meals for 20 Ivory Park children for an entire month.

Baker explains that throughout the school year, students and staff will be participating in the “Bridging the Parks” campaign through a variety of simple, fun, and profitable initiatives. As the campaign catalysts, sixth graders will be driving the fund raisers and learning important service lessons in the process. The monies raised will be shared by the Oak Park and Ivory Park communities throughout the coming year.

October: “You are Gourd-geous Fundraiser to Squash Out Poverty”

In this fundraiser geared toward the autumn season, Baker mobilized his sixth graders to take orders for colorful gourds. For $1, students could order a gourd and request that it be delivered to a fellow student or staff member along with a note reminding the recipient that he or she is “gourd-geous”. In this three day sale, dedicated students sold more than 500 gourds.

November: “Friendship Grams”

This fundraiser allows students to celebrate Thanksgiving by showing thanks for special friends and staff members. For just 25 cents, students can purchase a friendship gram – a small note of gratitude adorned with a piece of candy.

December: “Spirit of Giving”

In an important life lesson about generosity, the Oak Park staff will embrace the spirit of the season by asking for donations in lieu of more traditional holiday gifts from their students. The gifts received will be used to support children in the local community and in Ivory Park.

February: “You Rock”

Students and staff will be able to purchase a polished pet rock in a box – a keepsake designed to let that special Valentine know that he or she is not taken for “granite”.

Through creative, seasonal fundraisers, Oak Park Elementary School is providing consistent opportunities for students to affirm friendships and to become good citizens in their own community and across the globe, in Ivory Park.

Keep It! and Awava Team Up to Build Communities of Hope

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Keep It! is proud to announce its partnership with Awava, a women’s artisan group from Uganda that shares the Keep It! Campaign’s commitment to social entrepreneurship and empowerment. By providing access to resources and opportunities, Keep It! and Awava are giving people in Uganda and Ivory Park, South Africa the power to invest in their own lives and communities.

Awava is the Luganda word meaning source or origin.

Awava relies on the concept of free trade to empower women in Uganda to sell their wares at a fair price in the Western market. A fair price provides these women with access to the resources they need to create beautiful works of art – handmade aprons, accessories, jewelry, and purses that reflect the skill and artistry of each unique craftswoman.

When an Awava product is purchased, the wholesale cost supports Awava and empowers the product’s creator to learn life skills, build a career, and provide familial assistance. And now, through the Keep It! Campaign’s partnership with Awava, the retail profit from these purchases will be used to support sustainable strategies that make life better for the people of Ivory Park.

How can you help?

The holiday shopping season is right around the corner. Avoid the hustle and bustle by shopping Awava online. Creative, quality products benefitting the Keep It! Campaign for Ivory Park are available now through the following link: Keep It! at eBay Giving Works

A little means a lot.

Hand-crafted Awava gifts are affordable, but even one purchase can result in big changes for someone in Ivory Park. The proceeds from a $20 apron can feed a child for an entire month. Accept the Keep It! Campaign’s challenge to act locally and reach globally. Your gift for a special someone at home will have a positive impact on someone a world away.

Click here to learn more about what your Awava purchase can do.
http://www.bobtryanski.com/pdf/Awavapurchases.pdf