LONDON, July 29, 2009 — Words from a stranger gave Niaomi Nitisha the inspiration for Copperbottle.com (http://copperbottle.com), an online social experiment on altruism.
Nitisha had completed a diploma in fashion retail in 2008, but the global economic downturn had her selling assorted items on eBay to get by. One day, while she was standing in a supermarket queue with only three items, the woman behind her suggested that Nitisha ask to move ahead of the people in front of her, all of whom had full shopping carts. At first, Nitisha demurred, but it turned out that everyone were not only willing to let her go ahead, but a couple of people actually insisted that she move to the front of the queue. As Nitisha paid for her items and left, the woman called out the words that ignited the idea for the Web site: “If you don’t ask, you won’t get.”
The incident made Nitisha wonder: How many strangers would help her move ahead in life if she asked them for minimal assistance, say a penny or two? She had taught herself HTML years before, so she created Copperbottle.com. “The Web site’s purpose is to address the idea of giving minimum amounts rather than just asking for donations,” Nitisha said. “I most often find that people are more than willing to part with their pennies, or coppers, because those coins have minimal value.”
She points to the example of the donation cases on the counters at McDonald’s restaurants. “Whenever I receive change, I always add my coppers to the cases even though I only have vague ideas about where my money is going or what it will be used on. I donate coppers because I like to give, and I don’t feel as if I’ve lost anything. It’s a win-win situation.”
Nitisha has also completed studies in fashion design and visual merchandising. If the social experiment is as successful as she hopes, she plans to use the donations to finance future projects such as an online fashion store geared toward footwear.
The Web site’s name is a term that was used in Nitisha’s childhood to describe the collection of pennies, also known as coppers in Britain, in a bottle. However, now Web site visitors donate pennies via PayPal. Nitisha plans to post regular updates on the site’s blog and also spread the word about her endeavor through social media tools, such as Twitter and Facebook, and by other means. She also hopes that visitors will talk about her site on their own social pages.
“It’s up to each individual to decide whether or not to support Copperbottle.com,” Nitisha said. “Some might love the idea or the feeling of making a difference. Others may resist giving without clear signs of reward. I’m eager to see what happens.”
To learn more about Copperbottle.com, visit http://copperbottle.com.
Contact:
Niaomi Nitisha
Copperbottle.com
01142648913
info@copperbottle.com
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