Some people live out their dreams by singing in the shower. Toan Lam began the path to his by reading in the shower.

“Growing up I loved to read and write and talk and I would read shampoo bottles in the bathroom, books out loud, anything I could get my hands on.”

Toan knew early on that he loved to communicate and connect with people. This led to a successful, eight-year career as a TV reporter. However, having to frequently cover negative news weighed on him, and in 2009 he founded Go Inspire Go, a multimedia platform that features stories about everyday people doing extraordinary things, with the ultimate goal of inspiring social change.

Last week, Toan sat down with Lisa Yakota on KTVU-TV’s show “Bay Area People” to discuss discovering his life calling, the impact of Go Inspire Go, and what lies ahead for the organization.

Despite achieving what was then his life goals by his early 30s, Toan still felt empty and unfulfilled. He decided to give it all up to pursue his real passion — Go Inspire Go — and an unexpected layoff, which he described as “the best gift ever,” all but confirmed it.

Since the launch of Go Inspire Go, he has produced dozens of videos which have been viewed by hundreds of thousands of people and made a tangible impact on many of the lives featured. This is just the beginning of what Toan hopes will be the start of a new movement to use the power of storytelling and connecting with people to inspire positive action. During his appearance on the show, Toan also shared an exciting new development for Go Inspire Go.

Watch the video above to see Toan’s interview on “Bay Area People,” which aired on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2015.

The post Toan Lam Shares GIG’s Journey on TV Show ‘Bay Area People’ appeared first on Go Inspire Go.

GIG SOCIAL GOOD SPOTLIGHT: African Library Project – Changing Lives Book by Book

What is the African Library Project?
The African Library Project (ALP) coordinates book drives in the United States to start libraries in rural Africa. The organization has learned that all it takes to create a library in Africa is “1,000 books, $500, and some elbow grease.” In the United States, its volunteers arrange book drives for gently-used children’s books and raise modest funds for shipping expenses in local schools and neighborhoods, then collect, sort, and pack these books to reach ALP’s partners in Africa. Its African partners — from Peace Corps volunteers to school administrators — receive the books and organize them into libraries to serve local African communities. Along the way, donors learn about Africa and develop real connections to the people benefiting from their contributions. To date, over one million books have been donated and 985 libraries have been set up in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Cameroon, Lesotho, Nigeria, Botswana, Swaziland, Malawi and Ghana by ALP and its partners.

What inspires the African Library Project to do this work?
“I’ve traveled and lived in 60+ countries. I’ve discovered how lucky I was to have been born in a developed country. I haven’t had to spend my life getting out of extreme poverty…Getting out of poverty without an education is almost impossible. Getting an education without books or information is also nearly impossible. I am working towards making the impossible possible for those who need it most,” Chris Bradshaw, African Library Project founder, said in a recent post on Communicate Good.

The African Library Project was started in 2005 by Bradshaw and her family from Portola Valley, California. During a family vacation, they visited remote villages in Lesotho, a small mountainous kingdom in Southern Africa where about 40% of the population lives below the international poverty line of US $1.25 a day. From this experience, Chris decided to work towards ending the cycle of poverty and illiteracy. She realized that the simple act of establishing libraries with gently used books would have a huge impact in increasing literacy, and she worked closely with local teachers and community leaders to make it happen.

How can GIGSTERS get involved and help the African Library Project?
– Start a book drive — Read the African Library Project’s Book Drive guidelines and get ideas from other book drive organizers by clicking here.
– Make a donation; click here to find out how.
– Volunteer your energy and skills — To see a list of open positions in the United States, click here.

Find more Social Good Spotlights here. If you know of an organization that you think should be featured, please help us forward their stories to inspire the world and contact us.

Follow us on: Instagram, Twitter, YouTube & Facebook

The post GIG Social Good Spotlight: African Library Project appeared first on Go Inspire Go.