Everything you need to manage your work, sex life, relationships, health and more.
Everything you need to manage your work, sex life, relationships, health and more.
Social entrepreneur Adrianna is the brains behind Wobe, an Indonesia-based tech company that aims to help low-income women there make a living-by selling credits for digital products, such as phone airtime, electricity vouchers and train tickets. Her start-up is among the top 10 finalists of Project Inspire, a joint initiative between UN Women and Mastercard Asia Pacific The 30-year-old tells us how you too, can go about helping those in need.
In the spotlight...
ADRIANNA TAN FOUNDER OF WOBE
Make your help timely.
Adrianna says that unlike in Jakarta, where migrant workers renting a room have to top up their power credits monthly or face a power cut-off, we pay for things by a specific date. So say you want to help a low-income family with their bills. It’s a good idea to first find out when they’re due, so you can get the money to them at an appropriate time.
Use social media as a stepping stone.
“Look for people who are doing things in areas you are interested to offer help in. For example, are you keen on volunteering in education, food distribution like Willing Hearts, or health-care for the elderly? Follow their Facebook pages, contact them and see how you can help.”
Donating money is perfectly acceptable.
Adrianna says that unless you have a domain expertise in something related to their work, it can be hard for non-profit groups to find an area for you to contribute towards. “One of the most practical ways to contribute is to donate money. It doesn’t matter how much you give because work can’t get done without financial support.”
Aim for a long-term partnership.
“A long-term partnership can happen when your interest, passion, skill set and experience overlap.”
Reach out to change-makers and shadow them.
“Learn how they do things, and incorporate their feedback into anything you might want to do. Learning and mentorship are the way to go.”
A Charitable Read
To get a greater insight into charity work, Adrianna recommends Portfolios of the Poor by Daryl Collins, Jonathan Morduch, Stuart Rutherford and Orlanda Ruthven. “Very often, people assume the poor are poor because they are lazy. But the financial decisions made by the less well-off are not that different from the ones we make – they just have fewer means and resources. It’s always helpful to have a deeper understanding of charity work.”
