How You Can Help Project Bow

Project Bow is a privately owned research endeavor with a shoestring budget. No government funding has gone into supporting Project Bow, and none ever will. While we don't make a profit, we are not a "not for profit" organization, so we don't get any tax breaks, and if you make a donation or a contribution to Project Bow, you won't get any tax breaks, either. What this means is: the public is not paying for this in any way, directly or indirectly. Anybody who contributes to Project Bow does so of his or her own free will.

Who is Project Bow? Well, it's myself and Bow. (My daughter, who is currently eleven, is also involved.)

What has Project Bow accomplished so far?

Bow is the first bilingual chimpanzee to achieve literacy. However, you won't see Bow on Oprah or on the cover of Time Magazine or in Nature, because there is still a serious issue with proof.

This hub is written strictly for well-wishers. Many people have asked me over the years, what can I do to help? There is a genuine interest, and there are a lot of good people who want to help. My answers haven't always been as clear as they might have been, because I haven't always known what any given person might be able to do to help. It depends on the person. It depends on their circumstances.

However, there's a lot that people can do, and I'm going to list a few possibilities below.

Are you young, unattached and debt-free? In that case you can contribute your time. This is one of the nicest gifts that you can give to Bow -- and to yourself! Bow can learn from you, and you will definitely learn a lot from Bow!

But what if you have time, are debt-free but are not good at interpersonal relationships with children or non-humans? Can you write code? We are desperately in need of a good computer programmer! We have a touchscreen computer and a program that Bow says is too hard to use. Come help us. This could make it possible to prove once and for all that Bow can spell.

What if you have a family and a mortgage and all the things that tend to accrue later on in life? What should you do then if you want to help?

Buy one of my books. Buy several! Write a review. Donate a boxful to your local school, church, library or homeless shelter.

What if you are barely staying above water yourself? What if you have no job, but are desperately trying to earn a living? What if you have children or elderly people depending on you, and you can't spare the time? If you are a blogger or a hubber, you can help a lot by spreading the word. You can write a hub about Project Bow or review one of my books. Or, if you don't have the time to do that, you might consider placing an Amazon capsule for one of my books on a pre-existing hub. It won't cost you anything -- neither time nor money -- and it might even earn you a few cents.

If you are not a hubber or a blogger, but you have bought a copy of one of my books, please consider reviewing it on Amazon.com. Reviews by purchasers of a book are highly influential, and they are often more important than other kinds of reviews.

If you are active in your local library's read-out-loud program, request the book to be purchased by the library and then volunteer to read it out loud. This is a wonderful way to acquaint the public with Project Bow, and your own personal touch will make all the difference in the world!

Whatever your circumstances in life, there is always something you can do to help, if you really want to. No matter what your situation is, there is always something you can contribute. No effort is too small to be appreciated.

Whatever course of action you decide on, Bow and I thank you in advance.

Copyright 2010 Aya Katz