Six Degrees Of Help For Maun Animal Welfare Society (MAWS)
HELP! I need to raise money fast!
I’m incredibly honoured to have been recently selected by Photographers Without Borders to be sent to Maun, Botswana this spring to document the activities of Maun Animal Welfare Society (MAWS). MAWS is a local NGO of passionate volunteers dedicated to improving the welfare of domestic animals across Botswana, and through them, the wildlife, too.
One of the biggest problems in the region is dealing with the estimated 40,000 free-roaming dogs and 25,000 free-roaming donkeys. Virtually every single day, they treat a dog that has been hit by a car.
Their work involves a wide range of programmes and services including:
- Clinic work to collect, neuter, vaccinate, and return owned and stray animals
- Mobile outreach to bring veterinary teams to isolated communities
- Protecting wildlife by preventing the transmission of rabies and canine distemper
- Road safety by tagging free-roaming donkeys with glow-in-the-dark ear tags
- Education for the community on the importance of animal welfare to reduce conflict and disease transmission
- Adopting & rehoming abandonned dogs and unwanted puppies and kittens
To help with their programmes, MAWS is always seeking:
- supporters to help pay for operating costs
- veterinary medical supplies, medicine, and equipment
- volunteer veterinarians and veterinarian nurses for long- and short-term stints
- permanent homes for rescued dogs and cats
Please Help Me Help Them
I’m on my way there in the next few months, which is rather short notice. My role is to help document MAWS’ activities, volunteers, and patients to help tell the story of the difference their work is making in communities around Botswana. These photographic and video stories will be used in their campaigns to find more supporters, adoptive homes, volunteers, and fundraisers.
This fundraising campaign will help subsidize or cover my project-related expenses: airfare, program fees, travel insurance, visas, and vaccinations. Any money collected in excess of what I need for those things will be gifted to MAWS. Personal and photographic expenses are my responsibility.
This is the approximate breakdown:
- Program fee: US$950
- Airfare: $2300 (or less, I hope!)
- Travel insurance: ~$200
- Vaccinations: $300 (or less!) « good news! I don’t need to get the rabies inoculation!
Again, if I manage to collect more money than the final total of these expenses, the rest will be donated to MAWS (70%) and PWB (30%). As much as I’d like another lens or Fuji X-Pro kit, that’s not what this money is earmarked for. :)
Helping You Help Me Help Them
I did start off saying it was a six degrees kind of thing.
I know it sounds like you’re just helping me go on a photo safari in Botswana (poor me), so what’s in it for you? Aside from knowing I’m going to do my best to make the most impactful photos for MAWS to help them fulfill their mission, you will also be able to benefit from my personal photographic services for yourself!
If there’s a photo service I can provide that isn’t listed, please contact me at margauxinbotswana@yahoo.ca and I’ll be happy to work something out!
| donation | your gift from me with love & gratitude | |
|---|---|---|
| $1250 |
Documentary Wedding Photography ***OR*** First Year-In-The-Life documentary photography for maternity + baby’s first year |
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| $500 | Day Event Documentary Photography (or Videography) for a life event, group day trip, or day-in-the-life documentary (Includes up to 5 hours of consecutive coverage on location, min. 60 hi-res proofs delivered in online gallery, one custom-designed e-album to share or download + 3 complimentary digital negatives OR one 5-minute edited movie. Travel within 50km of Toronto or Vancouver centre included.) |
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| $380 |
Professional Image Portrait Photo Session ***OR*** Essential Baby Or Family Photo Session |
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| $220 |
Pet Portrait Photo Session ***OR*** Professional Headshot Session ***OR*** 3-hour Photo Workshop For 3+ People |
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| $120 | Private Photography Instruction (Includes one 1.5-hour session to cover topic of your choice, in-person or online.) |
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| $90 | 11"x17" fine art photographic print of your choice from images taken by me in Botswana | |
| $60 | 5"x8" fine art photographic print of your choice from images taken by me in Botswana | |
| $30 | a personalised postcard from Botswana | |
| $10 | great big hug the next time I see you! |
***TIP***: If you pay through this site, GroupRev, I will lose 3% to the credit card processing (plus a 30¢ donation to GroupRev, which is no big deal). Also, you will be charged $1.50 service charge which will go straight to…someone not this fundraiser. If you pay me by cheque or cash money or email transfer, I’ll be able to use the full amount and add the total to this page for free!
About This Photographer
I’m Margaux Yiu, a Toronto-based photographer, videographer, and designer of digital and print media. If you hadn’t guessed, I’m a nut for photography, travel, animals, and people who are passionate about what they do. So, being able to combine all these and help a worthwhile organisation is the definition of Deliriously Happy Margaux.
Select images from this project will eventually be posted on Photographers WIthout Border’s website and my website, so bookmark those pages and visit them in August!
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