One of the many things I do online is offer to send people a photograph taken in Port Elizabeth for just $5.00 via Fiverr.
A recent order from a client in the USA made me realise that I have inadvertently also stumbled on a service that is a force for good and tourism marketing for South Africa. Huh? Simple, by showcasing PE on an international platform such as Fiverr and over delivering I get a chance to bring positive focus onto South Africa.
Let me explain by detailing the conversation around this latest order:
The initial enquiry was along these lines; “It looks like you are having fun in Port Elizabeth. I would like to hire you for a gig. I would like a beautiful picture of something in Port Elizabeth – when you hang it on the wall people will say ‘wow nice picture’.”
Now I do get around in PE quite a bit and was initially a bit stumped as I did not want to offer an image that was generic and expected so looked into my heart and memory banks for one that would symbolise joy, hope and tell a little story about what we as Africans experience on a daily basis. Naturally ones thoughts turn to what PE is known for – Friendliness, Wind, People, Hope, Resilience – and it struck me that the statue of Kharime Rademeyer flying his kite outside the Helenvale Resource Centre might make a wonderful offer.
So I replied to my prospective client thus; “I quite like this image from an emotional point of view. It is a statue of a young child flying a kite which is placed opposite the Helenvale Resource Centre. See: http://mype.co.za/new/mbda-helenvale-urban-renewal-project/57644/2015/12 and follow the link to the video of the work being done in PE by the Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA) – that may give you more ideas. Helenvale is an area full of gangsters, drugs and crime and one of the most dangerous areas to visit.”
The reply was swift and short; “Yes, I like that picture. Mission over.”
When sending the image I sent a short note explaining the image; “The boy flying the kite on the statue opposite the Helenvale Resource Centre in Helenvale is 13-year-old Kharime Rademeyer. This Gelvandale High School Grade 8 pupil has since the erection of the statue in July 2013 become Helenvale’s own “klein [little] Madiba”, as residents have dubbed him. Rademeyer, who was then in Grade 7 at Helenvale Primary School, was chosen as the face of children in Helenvale for the statue erected in their name. His character was typical of the children in Helenvale. He was playful and energetic, his teachers at Helenvale Primary all said. The Helenvale resource center is a project of the MBDA“
And the reply made me proud to be South African; “Thank you for that wonderful story as it makes the picture more meaningful. This is not just a story, but a special one. I think your country is rich in many stories that could be told.”
This made me realise that if South Africans spent each and every day promoting the good stories that we have we could make the lives of each and everyone of us just that little bit better – good Karma works.
‘Mission Over’ as my new mate would say.
By the way – the great thing about Fiverr is that if you over-deliver then your buyer is encouraged to give you a tip – my tip was substantial!
Alan Straton
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