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“I have always tried to make a difference, but I have always tried to look for a more sustainable solution as opposed to just hand-outs,” says Michael Hardy (1992O). |
Michael is the founder of the charitable initiative Got Enough Stuff, which uses your birthday as an opportunity to give back. Instead of receiving another pair of Woolies socks from your aunt, Michael says why not give that R150 to someone who could use it to survive.
“About a year and a half ago I came up with the idea of using your birthday as an opportunity to make a difference elsewhere during the whole Snapscan integration. To make it [donating] more convenient by receiving an email with a QR code, then snapping this code and donating directly,” says Michael.
This difference is a platform whereby instead of friends giving you presents for your birthday, you ask them to donate to a cause chosen by you.
Michael is the managing director of WeAreMonsters and using his background in digital technologies over the past decade, wanted to create a way of donating which was far more seamless than requesting a charity’s bank details. In his own words, “You would have to send the banking details of a particular cause through to a person, who would then have to load them up as beneficiary, which can become a bit of a schelp.”
Got enough stuff involves four simple steps;
- Create a profile on their website,
- Choose a cause,
- Personalise an email template,
- Email this to family and friends to donate to the cause by simply scanning the QR code within the email’s which takes them directly to the payment page.
~Quick and convenient!
“Got enough stuff is more about planting a thought to have people go: 'hang on maybe I do have enough stuff, maybe I could use my birthday as an opportunity to help someone else. I am middle aged, I have a lovely family and a nice house…frankly I am surrounded by everything I need. While I do appreciate you buying me another book or whatever, I appreciate the gesture, I enjoy it a lot more when it has supported a cause. You have ultimately saved someone’s life or helped a little girl to have an operation.' It is just food for thought really,” says Michael.
To get involved, click HERE!
