Impact International Solutions Inc.

OUR IMPACT

Northern Sumatra
In the wake of the 2004 Asian Tsunami, i2Si personnel helped manage a series of reconstruction projects on the western Sumatra island of Nias. Devastated by an 8.3 magnitude earthquake in March 2005, just four months after the catastrophic tsunami that killed over 130,000 people in Indonesia alone, Nias stood at the brink of total ruin with all facets of its infrastructure damaged or destroyed. i2Si personnel, in cooperation with The Aceh and Nias Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency (www.brr.go.id) and a multitude of international NGOs, coordinated a comprehensive civic reconstruction program that included repair and construction of shelters, schools and bridges across the island. This cooperative endeavor brought much-needed hope and “normalcy” to the people of Nias, thus allowing entire communities to begin the process of putting their lives back together.

Indonesia
From Timor to Kalimantan to Aceh, i2Si staff have extensive experience across Indonesia, managing multiple large-scale civic and humanitarian projects. On a micro level, these projects bring much-needed relief to the people of Indonesia. i2Si, however, sees an additional, often overlooked utility in projects such as these. Our personnel specialize in magnifying the “good news story” from corporate-sponsored civic projects via various forms of media, ensuring our clients realize maximum effectiveness for their investment. We do not merely sit in a distant urban setting, attempting to manage from afar. i2Si personnel travel to remote villages and communities to assess the overall situation and interact with local Key Stakeholders. We then comprehensively plan and implement selected events, and – working with our numerous contacts within the local, regional and national media – ensure the story is amplified throughout the region. This approach guarantees our corporate clients will receive maximum ROI for civic & humanitarian projects they choose to sponsor, as local populace support for their operations is not only engendered, it is guaranteed.

i2Si also selected a multi-media approach for our recent anti-recruitment efforts in support of a US Embassy initiative. We created DVDs based upon a live anti-violence presentation by well-respected anti-terror authority figures, then disseminated those DVDs to children all across Indonesia...many of whom reside in very hard to reach areas. These videos were then presented in school by teachers -- respected authority figures whose inclusion in the dissemination process ensured message acceptance and retention by our intended audience...the children. A parallel program espoused a similar anti-violence message, but was delivered to large mixed audiences through an entertainment venue: puppet shows. Puppetry has been an accepted form of "mass communication" in Indonesia for hundreds of years. Through partnership with two of the most popular puppet artists in Indonesia, our clients' selected messages of peace and tolerance were avidly accepted and retained by large audiences throughout the region, many of whom are inaccessible via other forms of media. However challenging the media or social environment, i2Si analysis and expertise ensures your message is not only broadcast...it is effectively delivered to a receptive audience and has lasting impact.

Cambodia
In 2007, an i2Si project manager was sent into rural Cambodia to work with the Royal Cambodian Government and a consortium of NGOs on a number of humanitarian projects. While managing the logistics for a number of programs, our project manager was also charged with arranging media coverage for these events. i2Si expertise once again came to the fore, and a rather unusual solution was proposed. As television had no reach into remote corners of Cambodia, the use of media caravans to travel to remote areas of the country was implemented. In this manner, awareness of these many large yet disparate events was broadcast throughout Cambodia and Southeast Asia – the parallel increase in positive indigenous sentiment toward our clients was astounding. At i2Si, we specialize in maximizing the positive effect of selected programs…IMPACT for your organization.

2008-2010 saw i2Si supporting various US Embassy initiatives by planning and implementing comprehensive programs that addressed cross-cultural awareness and anti-recruitment (criminal organizations, human trafficking, drugs) issues. Working through the RCG Ministry of Culture, and through partnership with outstanding local entities, i2Si was able to inform and positively affect millions of Cambodians. Key in this endeavor was our partnership with Khmer Mekong Films (www.cambodiafilms.com), where we created the #1 domestically produced TV show that garnered over 5 million weekly viewers. The social messaging of this show (Airwaves) was presented in a highly entertaining format, thus ensuring audience receipt and retention of the important messages contained therein. Another successful partnership was with World Education (www.worlded.org), an NGO with global reach and unparalleled passion for increasing educational opportunities for underserved communities. Leveraging their existing teacher network throughout 6 provinces allowed our anti-recruitment training to reach well over 100,000 students and their families, thus arming them against possible human trafficking and other criminal recruiting attempts. Newly created Youth Groups in each of these locations ensures message and training longevity, as well as youth participation. Our parallel "provincial concert" series -- 12 major events in 4 provinces -- enlisted the aid of Neay Koy, the most popular comedic troupe in Cambodia, to deliver our anti-recruiting messages in an entertaining manner. Audience members often traveled from over 2 hours distance in order to see the popular concert, with crowd sizes ranging from 20-40,000 in size. This comprehensive approach, utilizing different media formats and delivery mechanisms, ensured that our client's message was effectively delivered and acted upon...impact achieved.

Bangladesh

Through the use of various media – including Gambhira folk dancing, street theater and TV docu-drama – i2Si was able to effectively inform a nationwide audience of selected anti-recruitment and safety messages, and received accolades from the Directorate of Mass Communication, Ministry of Social Welfare, Ministry of Religious Affairs, Ministry of Information and the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education. Our program was lauded as one of the most effective in recent history by the aforementioned Ministries.

Contact Us for more information about our worldwide programs, and how we may best assist your Outreach or Corporate Social Marketing efforts!