We are truly proud of what Alumna Irene Chen is doing for communities in need of clean water with her fundraising project. Irene Chen from Class of 1998, graduated from Monash University with a double degree, Bachelor of Commerce and Business Systems, majoring in Finance. Currently working as a Finance Business Partner for Save the Children Australia.
Tell us about your fundraiser?
I recently launched a fundraiser to raise a grand goal of $75,000 to restore 5 clean water boreholes in Zambia. Why did I do this? Because I have discovered that life’s greatest joy is found in making an impact on the lives of others.
That’s why I launched my own crowdfunding site, Didomee (www.didomee.com) with the mission of raising funds and connecting people to life-changing projects all over the world. My current campaign is in partnership with a Melbourne based grassroots charity, Hopes and Dreams (www.hopesanddreams.org.au). The founder, Nello Ragusa is a good friend of mine; very few people in the world are more passionate than him in genuinely making a difference for those in greatest need, and the largest need we simply cannot ignore is the 800 million people in the world with no access to clean water.
Together we dreamed up this crazy goal of raising enough funds with the power of the community to help transform 43,000 lives. This is more than we have ever raised before in a single campaign, but we believe that with your help, a breakthrough is possible.
Our current community development water projects that need funding across Zambia (in the Chongwe district) are:
- Chainda, impact 11,000 people, Funding needed $15,000
- Mutamino, impact 10,000 people, Funding needed $15,000
- Kapete, impact 10,500 people, Funding needed $15,000
- Chimusanya, impact 6,500 people, Funding needed $15,000
- Mpansshya, impact 5,200 people, Funding needed $15,000
Hopes and Dreams are committed to delivering long-term sustainable solutions; this includes building solar powered boreholes which generate 3X more than traditional hand pumps, teaching the locals how to perform basic pump maintenance and educating the entire community on hygiene and sanitation.
Every donation is tax deductible and 90% of funds will go directly towards the water project. We have also made it our personal commitment to allocate every donation to a project and let you know exactly which project you’ve helped to build.
If you have always asked yourself – can I make a difference? The answer is YES and we want you! We are looking to build our team of cheerleaders, givers and fundraisers to make this dream a reality. To join our team, simply contact me on +61403380324 or email irenec@didomee.com.
Tell us about your time at GIS, your fondest memories and how GIS has helped in shaping who you are today..
I was asked once, “If you could go back in your life time for 2 weeks, where would you go?” My answer is, back to my high school days in GIS! It was there that I built some of my closest friendships to this day. It was there where I learnt to jiggy to Salt N’ Pepa, cheerlead in Chancellor House and go to my first ever prom night. Not to forget the memorable camping experience at OBS!, where I learnt that good friends and a good attitude will get you out of any situation, be it bad weather or your 5th meal of boring baked beans. It was there where I learnt from some of the most engaging, humorous and talented teachers out there, who made learning super fun. Thank you GIS for some of the fondest memories of my life.
We at GIS Alumni Office wishing her success and all the best for effort in this fundraising project. If you would like to extend a helping hand, kindly go to this website for further information in this noble project. You can also contact Irene Chen directly on +61403380324 or email irenec@didomee.com
www.didomee.com/projects/hopes-and-dreams-for-clean-water