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February 7, 2020 by SKIC | No Comments

6 Indigenous Women Artists We’re Obsessed With

If you know SKI Charities, you know we’re passionate about empowering women artists—especially our beneficiaries in Chile who keep their indigenous Mapuche heritage alive in their work. We’re proud to be part of keeping these vulnerable but essential traditions alive.

In many indigenous communities and cultures, art is an enormous part of life. But many indigenous artists—especially women—are under-recognized and underrepresented. Indigenous art is also often appropriated at the expense of the real thing. So we decided to shine a light on some of the indigenous women artists who we’re loving right now:

Maria Hupfield, Canadian/Anishinaabek, performance artist

Toronto-based performance artist Maria Hupfield’s work is hard to describe. That’s partially because her works can look so drastically different from one another, from wearable objects to large-scale sculptures to videos. The through-line in her work is disruption; whether that’s featuring functional objects but rendering them useless or by engaging with colonialism and harmful stereotypes about indigenous people. Her solo exhibition, Nine Years Towards the Sun, can currently be seen at the Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona, and her work has also been shown at the Canadian Cultural Centre and the Mount Saint Vincent University Art Gallery. She is currently in residence at the Native Art Department International at Bard Graduate Center.

Jamie Okuma, Shoshone-Bannock and Luiseño, fashion designer

Jamie Okuma’s designs stand at the border of fashion and fine art; of the mainstream and the indigenous. Often taking many months to create a piece, Okuma is known for her careful, intricate beadwork, whether on shoes or on dresses. Whatever she’s working on, she’s constantly drawing on her heritage (she lives on the La Jolla Indian Reservation, after all), often adding an indigenous flair to luxury fashion items like Louboutins. Her work has been shown at institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Heard Museum, and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

Sonya Kelliher-Combs, Iñupiaq and Athabascan, mixed-media artist

Alaska-based Sonya Kelliher-Combs creates paintings, drawings, sculptures and more, all engaging with deeply personal themes, including her identity as a native Alaskan. Using a wide range of materials, Kelliher-Combs’ work often features striking colors and complex textures, and regularly invokes natural themes. Kelliher-Combs is a recipient of a United States Arts Fellowship among other accolades, and her work can be seen at the AIA Museum of Contemporary Native Art, the Anchorage Museum, Alaska State Museum, University of Alaska Museum of the North, Eiteljorg Museum, and The National Museum of the American Indian.

Nathalie Bertin, Métis, French, Anishinaabe and Omàmiwininiwak, multi-disciplinary artist

Nathalie Bertin creates paintings, beadwork and installations that feature big, bold colors and that seek to reclaim images of indigenous people, especially women. Bertin takes this mission beyond her art, too, working in schools as a visiting artist and teaching children about the real history of indigenous people in Canada. Her work can be found in the collections of the Government of Manitoba and Government of Alberta, and has been shown at numerous galleries and museums throughout Canada and beyond.

Christi Belcourt, Michif (Métis),visual artist

Christi Belcourt may be known for her beadwork, which she expertly uses to create intricate paintings and textiles. But her work spans so much wider; including fascinating map-like paintings and portraits. The through-line connecting it all is Belcourt’s deep love and respect for the Earth, and her activism around issues like missing and murdered indigenous women and water protection. Her work has been shown everywhere from the Minneapolis Institute of Art to the National Gallery of Canada to the Batoche National Historic Site.

Krista Leddy, Michif (Métis), visual artist

Krista Leddy’s beadwork is a reflection of the Métis beading traditions she learned from her grandmothers. It’s also a way for her to stay connected to her heritage—and to bring increased visibility to it. Clearly, her efforts and talent aren’t going unrecognized: Last year, Canadian Geographic commissioned Leddy to created a beaded portrait of Métis icon Louis Riel. (You can read more about that, and see Leddy’s fascinating process, here.) Leddy also teacher moccasin making classes, traditional Métis jigging, and finger weaving.

Categories : SKICharities, SKILLS
September 25, 2019 by SKIC | No Comments

SKI Charities in the News: What It Takes To Sustain an Impactful Charity

What does it take to start and sustain an impactful charity like SKI Charities? Between start-up challenges to growing pains, it’s easier said than done. In the past year, our founder Shyam K. Iyer has been asked this very question many times—here are some of his best answers:

On starting a business on a budget:

“The key to start-up success is involving like-minded individuals to both finance and operate the organization. Then I hired and gave increasing responsibility to staff and beneficiaries from the community being served.” 

Read the full story on opploans.com. 

On the definition of success:

“Success is a balanced focus on people, returns, and the environment. Everything that makes and sustains a community, from within the community. People are the most important aspect.”

Read the full story on upjourney.com. 

On more socially-conscious business trips:

“A common mistake many people make is to ignore or shy away from the importance of social customs overseas. Be open to accept hospitality and engage with respect and patience and understanding of the challenges inherent to life in their country. Try the local food, seek out conversations with varying members of the community, and take the time to sit and listen.”

Read the full story on fitsmallbusiness.com.

On the spillover effects of empowering women:

“Study after study has backed up women’s reliability as beneficiaries. On a personal level I thought a lot about my own mother and many of her peers who grew up in modest circumstances. Somehow she was given the space to get educated, follow her ambitions to become a medical doctor, and then move the USA with my father to start a medical practice. The spillover effects of her hard work include employing so many people and serving countless patients. And now with SKI Charities, when I visit our locations in Mutare or Lebu, I see women following the same path towards adding tremendous value to their families and communities.”

Read the full story on cake.co. 

On his team mindset:

“From raising small donations through our website to delegating increasing responsibility to staff and beneficiaries from the community being served, it takes a full network to make a vision into reality. Nine years later, my team and I have empowered hundreds of females and their families in Zimbabwe and southern Chile through microfinance to become independent entrepreneurs.”

Read the full story on freepressdirectory.com.

On the importance of critical thinking:

“Encouraging critical thinking throughout the organization is vital as local-level ownership and buy-in will determine the success of any project or enterprise. Autonomy in thought and decision-making must be shared from the entrepreneur to the field.”

Read the full story on upjourney.com.

On making international connections:

“The key to a successful trip has been to take time to cold call local experts in my field, such as Rotary Club members and NGOs, brainstorm potential solutions that address concerns while also maintaining respect for cultural markers such as age and experience, and communicating the need for compromise on behalf of the team and community served by our charity.”

Read the full story on fitsmallbusiness.com. 

Categories : SKICharities
July 20, 2019 by SKIC | No Comments

Why Vaccination Is Key to Our Education Efforts in Zimbabwe

Though our primary focus is economic empowerment and early childhood education, we are invested in the greater prosperity of the communities we serve. Sometimes that means broadening our reach to tackle some of the other challenges Zimbabweans have been facing due to the economic crisis the country is experiencing. 

“Historically, Zimbabwe has had a very strong healthcare system,” says our founder, Shyam K. Iyer. “It’s common for children to be vaccinated. But due to the current lack of local currency and exports, the country needs to import medicine and it is expensive. They don’t get much help from other countries and big institutions because of the country’s politics.”

Because of this, it has become difficult for Zimbabweans to obtain the vaccinations they need. Combined with the other issues posed by the economic climate, risk of illness is high. “Cholera is a recent issue because of the lack of public services along with the overcrowding and lack of food hygiene,” says Shyam. “We lost a SKIPGO scholar to malaria, which weighs heavy on us.”

To help with this mounting health crisis, SKIPGO has been working with the Early Learning Center, where many of our scholars attend, to help ensure that they are vaccinated and to assist in this process however possible. “The parents are very positive and open to vaccination,” our founder says. “Sometimes they bemoan having to wait for services due to the region’s hardships, but they’re completely aligned in the effort to increase vaccination rates.”

And for children especially, these vaccinations are absolutely vital. “They run, play, explore and interact closely with each other,” he says. “At home there are often small infants who cannot be vaccinated. Vaccinating the school-aged children protects them as well as others around them.”

Categories : SKICharities, SKIpgo
January 17, 2019 by SKIC | No Comments

8 Ways Parents Can Support Their Child’s Education at Home

Two of our SKIpgo scholars with their families.

When we’re choosing girls to participate in our scholarship program, one of the most important factors we look for is their guardians’ commitment to education. We seek out parents and grandparents who will not only support their child as they begin their journey in education, but will go the extra mile by supplementing that education at home.

Not sure how to do this? Here are some tips:

1. Point out words in your everyday surroundings, and ask your child to spell them out.

2. Ask your child’s teacher for resources you can use at home.

3. Give your child independent tasks to grow their confidence; resist fixing their mistakes.

4. Get involved in your child’s school when you can, whether than means volunteering in the classroom or attending school events.

5. Use humor and fun voices to make reading aloud together a special experience.

6. Know when to quit. If your child is no longer enjoying a home learning experience, stop and try again another day.

7. Make a point to ask your child about their school day every day, so they learn that education is important to you. If they know you take it seriously, they’ll take it seriously, too.

8. Encourage free play! Having unstructured time to play is essential in your child’s development and will help them learn better.

Categories : SKICharities, SKIpgo
October 18, 2018 by SKIC | No Comments

Here’s What You Should Know About the Indigenous Mapuche People of Chile

Indigenous peoples throughout the Americas—and throughout the world, for that matter—have had to face the brutal force of colonization for hundreds of years. The native Mapuche people of Chile, who we serve through our microfinance and creative arts programs, have been a model of resistance against colonization and oppression. Even today, those left in Chile are fighting to preserve their unique cultural traditions and history.

A man and woman, from 1890. Photo via Wikimedia Commons

Here’s what you should know about the Mapuche people:

Mapuche means “people of the Earth,” and a connection to nature is an important part of their culture. For instance, they still use natural medicinal techniques using ingredients culled from the land.

Medicine women treating a patient. Photo via Wikimedia Commons

They are the largest ethnic group in Chile, with 10% of the population identifying as Mapuche. They make up 80% of Chile’s indigenous population. Some also live in Argentina.

They have a long tradition of handmade artisan goods, including weaving and silversmithing. Weaving in particular is passed down from woman to woman.

Some of our beneficiaries are keeping traditional weaving traditions alive.

They are still fighting for their land—and for the preservation of their heritage. Despite fierce resistance, the Mapuche people have historically been forced to assimilate and to move off their land, and the struggle to preserve indigenous land and traditions continues today.

They are still fighting for their rights. Photo via Flickr

“Mapuche” actually refers to several groups of indigenous peoples, including the Picunche, Huilliche and Moluche.

“Machis” in 1900. Photo via Wikimedia Commons

Categories : SKICharities, SKILLS, SKImfi
August 15, 2018 by SKIC | No Comments

SKI Charities in the News: Our Founder’s Best Advice for Entrepreneurs

Our founder, Shyam K. Iyer, is often asked to share his expertise on everything from starting a nonprofit to managing a team. SKI Charities has been in the news so often lately that we decided to put all Shyam’s best pieces of advice in one place:

SKI Charities, Shyam K. Iyer

On the book that taught him to take risks:

“Losing My Virginity, by Richard Branson taught me early on to enjoy taking risks and that determination is the sole factor in achieving success.”

Read the full story on fupping.com.

 

On the importance of giving collaborators full autonomy:

“The key skill to collaborating successfully is the ability to share decision-making and encourage true autonomy with the understanding that long-term progress will be predominantly driven by participants closest to their task.”

Read the full story on the Filestage blog.

 

On engaging the organization at every level:

“When a business begins, it’s like a speedboat—quick and easy to maneuver. But as time goes on, that sassy little speedboat can be slowed down by people and processes, making it feel more like a battleship. If that’s happening at your organization, Shyam Krishna Iyer, founder of SKI Charities, suggests that you encourage autonomy at all levels of the organization to speed up innovation.”

Read the full story on Cerkl.

 

 

On why he started SKIC and his advice for entrepreneurs:

“When I first contemplated SKI Charities I was faced with a high degree of skepticism. Most thought why take a risk in a country like Zimbabwe and others felt if the idea was worthwhile it would already have been done. These are fair challenges so I set out to take a chance by building a small but dedicated team and self-financing the project. Eight years later hundreds of families have benefitted at our locations.”

Read the full story on Ideamensch.

 

On delegating to empowerment:

“As a social entrepreneur, I have learned to hire and empower staff and beneficiaries from the community being served. While a founder may drive early success, the capacity to delegate local level ownership and buy-in will determine the success of any project or enterprise.”

Read the full story on carolroth.com.

 

On the biggest challenges he faces today:

“Our biggest challenge right now is the economic uncertainty that is prevalent in the overseas locations we operate. Frontier regions give our organisation the golden opportunity to reach beneficiaries who would otherwise be forgotten. However this same instability provides a challenge to us in navigating and managing so much uncertainty.”

Read the full story on USA Weekly.

Categories : SKICharities
July 19, 2018 by SKIC | 1 Comment

How Our Programs Help Single Mothers

There’s a lot of stigma around single motherhood—after all, many mothers today choose to raise children on their own. And in the U.S. studies show that children raised by single mothers aren’t necessarily at a disadvantage to children from homes with two parents.

Waiting in line for cash. Photo by Tendai Marima via The World Post.

But in Zimbabwe, where there’s an ongoing economic crisis, the financial hardship that most single mothers face can’t be ignored. The country has an extreme cash shortage, and many women spend hours each week waiting to get cash from the bank. For single mothers, this poses a particular challenge—not to mention the cost of raising children on a single income and the scarcity of jobs overall. (Of course, in Zimbabwe it’s more common than in America to live with extended family members.)

Single mothers in Zimbabwe face challenges both in their careers and in providing education for their children. And though none of our programs are aimed specifically at single mothers, both our microfinance and scholarship work helps empower women in this situation.

When the burden of childcare falls on a single parent, it can be difficult for that parent to have time to pursue a full-time career, particularly if they can’t afford to hire outside childcare help. By providing microloans to women in Zimbabwe and Chile, we give them the opportunity to build a career on their own terms and on their own schedule.

Managing the costs associated with education is a problem for many families in Zimbabwe; single-parent families face an even tougher burden. That’s why our scholarship program identifies girls at a young age, and provides all costs associated with their education. Right now, two of our scholars come from single-mother homes, and six of our veterans do. (One current scholar comes from a single-grandmother home.)

Single mothers deserve the same opportunities as everyone else—as do their children. We’re proud to do work that helps give them those opportunities.

Categories : SKICharities, SKILLS, SKImfi, SKIpgo
April 12, 2018 by SKIC | No Comments

How We Ensure Our Microloan Beneficiaries’ Success

A training in Mutare, Zimbabwe

To this day, we’ve supported hundreds of women with microloans in Zimbabwe and Chile. And the results have been extraordinary: The women we’ve worked with have by and large paid back their loans and used them to grow thriving businesses.

The secret to success? The drive, talent and hard work of these women. The other secret? We don’t just throw them into the deep end of entrepreneurship. We give each and every one of them a thorough training before we send them out into the world, and we’ve seen just how important that training is.

Many of the women we work with aren’t new to running a business. About half our beneficiaries in Zimbabwe use their microloan to build on a business they’ve already established, rather than start one from scratch. Our Zimbabwe program manager Victoria says that these women tend to find success quicker than those without prior experience, which makes sense.

But those who are starting from scratch receive plenty of information and support. Our trainings bring together women from different backgrounds and experience levels to learn together and share ideas. Some of the topics we cover are:

  • How to calculate expenses and profits
  • How to take inventory of products
  • The mission of SKI Charities and the importance of women-owned businesses
  • How loans and interest function
  • What we expect of them

A training in Chile

At the training, each woman explains what her business is, and they can share ideas and suggestions about potential projects. Women can ask each other—and us—questions. Some of the women we work with are illiterate, so we provide accommodations to ensure they can access the training, too.

We check in on the women about two weeks after they’ve received their loans to see how they’re doing and assess their progress. Our more experienced women help the newer entrepreneurs, who also seek out women in their community who own businesses for advice and support.

“They get new ideas from each other. It also helps them understand the importance of stock taking and calculating expenses,” says Victoria. The trainings “enlighten them on the expectations of the program, which makes them better entrepreneurs and empowers them.”

 

Categories : SKICharities, SKImfi
April 3, 2018 by SKIC | No Comments

Free to Play, Free to Learn

Part of what makes our scholarship program in Zimbabwe so successful is the quality of the schools we partner with. Without them, we couldn’t give our young scholars the education they deserve. We’re especially grateful that, like us, these schools believe that in addition to learning in the classroom, children need time to play.

In addition to free play, at the schools where our scholars attend, students have the opportunity to do gymnastics, tennis, swimming, jungle gym and other sports. On special occasions they get especially fun activities, like horseback riding. Experts believe that both free play and structured physical activity are essential to development, and have academic, social and physical benefits.

Having time to play makes students more focused and well-behaved once they get back to the classroom. Free play improves their social skills, allowing them opportunities to solve problems, resolve conflicts and structure play on their own terms. Physical activity is also thought to reduce anxiety in children.

Not to mention the health benefits: Recess helps students maintain a healthy weight, build stronger muscles and bones, and strengthen their bodies’ ability to fight off diseases and infections. Plus, students who get to play before lunch are more likely to eat fruits and veggies and finish their whole meals.

Playtime also gives students something to look forward to—and it’s fun! It’s true what they say: work hard, play hard.

Categories : SKICharities, SKIpgo
March 7, 2018 by SKIC | No Comments

Why It’s Essential to Have Men on Board

When it comes to achieving gender equality, we have so much work to do. And as much as we believe that women should be leading the charge, we need the help and support of male allies.

The #HeForShe campaign might be the most visible iteration of this idea, mobilizing everyone—not just women—to take action for gender equality.

With that in mind, we’ve incorporated male solidarity into the mission of our organization at every level.

Though our microfinance program provides loans to women exclusively, it engages entire communities. “Buy in among men is very important in the traditional societies we operate in,” says our founder, Shyam K. Iyer. “When they understand our concept of economic empowerment and give their female relatives the space to participate, the men eventually see the new wealth and opportunities for their families.” In addition to the male family members of our beneficiaries getting involved, men might buy quality handmade goods from one of our beneficiaries, or sell her the materials she needs. Our beneficiaries might rent space from men, or trade products with them. Our microloans breed a community of support and prosperity around our beneficiaries that includes everyone.

Shyam in Zimbabwe

Getting men on board isn’t always easy, though. “In many of my travels I find that men feel challenged by this new status quo,” says Shyam. “After all, leveling the playing field means some of the advantages they enjoyed previously are now at risk. I have been in multiple situations where men aggressively asked me about our bringing outside ideas into their communities. It is up to us to listen and find ways to involve them.”

We also enlist the support of men for our scholarship program. During our careful selection process, we look for families who are as committed to their daughters’ education as we are. That means fathers who believe that girls deserve a quality education just as much as boys do.

A scholarship recipient and her father

It’s important to have men on board when working towards women’s empowerment—but it’s also important to recognize that our work benefits men as well as women. When women entrepreneurs thrive, their communities thrive with them. Just as when girls have access to education, they have so much to give back to the world as leaders.

Categories : SKICharities
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