Some may want to disagree with this statement but I think it is 100% true [in SOME instances].
The Unicorn Project had its first ever major collaboration this past few months. If you're following us on Instagram, which you should (@theunicornnproject), you would know. We collaborated with an entity I am the President of at my university, called Kingston Hub in a book drive benefitting the Anse-la-Raye RC Infant School in Saint Lucia.
Back story: Kingston Hub is part of Student Hubs, a registered charity in England and Wales that allows for university students to get involved in various social action initiatives like tutoring students from disadvantaged backgrounds, working with refugees, elderly and so much more.
As President of Kingston Hub this school year, I was asked sometime in May during a meeting with the Kingston Hub manager, to create my own project if I had the time or could come up with something that was dear to my heart. You see, the other members of the Kingston Hub committee are in charge of specific projects while my role is simply to ensure everything is running well, and provide support where needed, to the rest of my team.
As it turns out, because I knew from long that I would be going home for Christmas holidays, I wanted to carry out a book drive for the school where my mother has been a teacher for many many years, and an institution which holds a MASSIVE place in my heart. When I shared the idea of the book drive with the KH manager, she told me go for it !
Fast forward to September when school reopened and the 2018/19 Kingston Hub committee shared plans for the academic year.
The Unicorn Project x Kingston Hub book drive was slated to launch on Monday 15 October 2018, but because of certain logistics, we had to push it to Monday 22 October 2018. Not going to lie, I was sort of disheartened because the little voice at the back of my head tried to tell me that this was not going to work.
Despite this, I prayed about it and with the help of the Kingston Hub staff team and the committee we launched the book drive at the LRCs (libraries) of the two largest campuses of the university. Posters were printed, social media blasts went out, and even a request to advertise the book drive on all uni screens was sent - no stone was left unturned.
The book drive was to end on Friday 23 November. After one week where we collected donations just under our target of 40 books (over half were donated by families from church), we plateaued. Again, the self doubt monster showed up and I was worried that I would not get the minimum books for the school. urgh
The Kingston Hub team went into overdrive and committee members shared it with their friends, classmates, lecturers and so many other people. Even the Student Ambassador manager shared it during the training sessions of new student ambassadors. By the end of the second week of the book drive, not only had we passed our goal of 40 books, WE HAD DOUBLED IT !
So, over 80 books with 2 more weeks to go. I was honestly overwhelmed. Like wow.
Again, if you're following The Unicorn Project on Instagram, then you would have already seen our BIG announcement. WE COLLECTED A TOTAL OF 193 BOOKS ! I K R ?!
If I did this book drive on my own, I'm not saying that it wouldn't have been successful, but the extra support and push from the Kingston Hub team was a phenomenal help. Listen, we can't do everything on our own- especially if it's the first time ever running with an idea. All you need is one person or one group of people to believe in you and support you as you go for that goal.
Your input in helping out a friend advertise their business (or blog), in telling your family and other friends to support their initiative and even telling strangers who ask you to point them in the direction of someone who can help them with something, can prove to be absolutely life changing. Collaboration doesn't always have to be monetary. Remember reading in the history books about the barter system? Think of collaboration like this.
Follow Kingston Hub on Instagram @kingstonhub or visit our website www.kingstonhub.org to find out more about what we do social action wise.
I hope this caused you to maybe one day in the future collaborate with someone to make their initiative a wee bit bigger. Not every collaboration is worth it ,but find those that are aligned with who you are and go from there. At the end of the day, you never know.
- Your favourite Unicorn
Below are pictures from most of the journey of The Unicorn Project x Kingston Hub Book Drive:
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