Beautiful Social's Collaboration with Water is Life Kenya.
Have you ever wanted to change the world? A group of students at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia are showing just how to achieve that: one step at a time. The Beautiful Social Research Collaborative is a non-profit organization and class at Saint Joseph’s University that fosters collaboration between organizations enacting transformative change in their communities and communications students academically trained in a variety of skills ranging from media production to social media management to graphic design.
This semester fellow Hannah Madeya is leading students Kiera Donohue, Jonathan Fritz, Julia Funchion and Ashley Radell in a collaboration with Water is Life Kenya, an organization that helps Kenyans gain access to clean water and generate a sustainable source of income. On Friday, March 22, 2024, these students will host a Magis for Maji Walk at Saint Joseph’s University for World Water Day. This is to be the first of an annual event.
I sat down with Kiera Donohue to learn more about this collaboration and the Magis for Maji event.
What community partner have you guys been paired up with?
Kiera: So, we’re paired with Water is Life Kenya and they’re a non-profit organization that works with the Maasai tribe in Kenya and we are raising money to send back to benefit the water crisis in Kenya.
What is the ultimate goal of the partnership?
Kiera: So, we’re trying to raise awareness through the Saint Joe’s community. Our mentor [Aaron Lemma] went here [ to Saint Joseph’s University], so we have that connection. But yeah, just to really bring awareness here to Saint Joe’s and then send the proceeds back to Kenya to benefit that community.
How have you guys been planning or pacing yourselves to complete the end goal?
Kiera: So we’re planning a walk on March 22nd around campus and then we’re setting up pop-ups for bracelet sales and walk sign-ups throughout campus leading up to that. We also plan to partner with Saxby’s for a “Dine and Donate” following the event as another way to raise money.
Alright, what progress have you guys made so far and how did you go about it?
Kiera: We just made an Instagram and got approval for our advertisement poster in addition to approval for the Cardinal Foley space where our event will be held. Small steps so far but necessary first steps to get to our end goal
What have your experiences been working together as a group?
Kiera: It’s been really cool. It’s cool to make connections with people in different grades in my group and I mean, we work really well together. We were assigned roles that were flexible but I feel like everyone is now doing their part and we’re getting everything done way before we need to or on schedule to get everything done so, I mean it’s really cool working with a group like that.
What challenges have you all faced in this project?
Kiera: The communication with getting the bracelets made because they’re made in Kenya is I would say like, the biggest challenge. I would say so because it’s so far away from us. They’re set to come in around the 10th or 11th which is good but I’d say yeah, just waiting for that shipment to come because we can’t really start anything until we get that so I would say the communication with that.
How has the experience of collaborating/communicating with your community partner been?
Kiera: Our community partner, Aaron, is- he’s great. He’s really excited about this which makes us excited, obviously. I mean, he’s great. He went to Saint Joe’s so that also helps with, especially like spreading the word around campus like, he has that insight.
What have you learned from being a part of B:Social? Did you see an improvement in any skills? Did you learn anything new…?
Kiera: Being a part of B:Social is definitely something I brag about. I look forward to this class a lot. I describe to my family as almost like having an internship all semester. My favorite part about being a part of B:Social is being a part of something that creates change. While talking with other communications majors I always promote this class because I feel like you truly leave with life skills and experience.
How has being a part of B:Social impacted you guys personally, academically, and/or professionally?
Kiera: I want to say that it’s affected my time management. I’m excited to get the work done for this class so I feel like the faster we finish it, the faster we can move on to the next step. So I would say that it’s definitely improved my motivation as a student.
Carina Seabra interviewed Kiera Donohue in person on February 28, 2024. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Some information has been updated to reflect recent updates in the collaboration. Once again, Beautiful Social and Water is Life Kenya’s Magis for Maji Walk will take place on March 22, 2024. See flyer below for more details.
