Meg Devan ~ passionate about ‘keeping it local’
In life, it is always refreshing to meet individuals who are passionate about life, about making a difference in the world, whether on a local, national or global scale. Meg Devan is one such individual who has that passion and who is making a difference right here in East London.
Despite having travelled and worked in the hospitality industry in both Ireland and the USA, Meg is an East Londoner through and through – this is where her roots are and this is where her heart is and always has been.
Last year, Meg started the Local Yokel project (cleverly emphasing the ‘el’ in Yokel!) to encourage businesses to simply ‘keep it local’, for consumers to purchase products and use services from and within the East London community. It is a project that helps to bring consumers and locally owned businesses together to assist growth in our community, both social and economic. Meg encourages businesses to join her Local Yokel project if the organisation is owned and operated from East London (and the Border Kei Region) and if the products and services that are offered directly benefit the local economy.
Meg feels that it’s important for East London businesses to take pride in their own work, supporting the fact that there is an abundance of fantastic local products in the city. Speaking of friends originally from East London but who have since moved away, she gives a perfect example of the abundance of fantastic local products…
“My friends come home and want a Shamrock pie, a Friesland milkshake and a Windmill double bacon and cheese…”
A prime example of why it’s so important to keep the money here, to recycle our rands and to build local business.
“Locals should support their own businesses so money flows back into the community, rather than paying for that national company CEO’s next holiday.”
The concept of ‘buying local’ is something that has spread globally, especially in countries such as the USA where most cities and states run the campaign so it’s really wonderful to see it happening right here in our own city.
In addition to encouraging consumers to shop local, Meg encourages her son, ten year old Riley, in his quest to raise funds to save the rhino.
Something which started off as a school campaign has now advanced to a project that is available to consumers and is going global. Inspired by Thandi, the Sunshine Coast rhino who survived losing her horn to poachers, Riley created the game in order to help raise money to assist anti-poaching initiatives.
The Selborne Primary School pupil explains how his decision to help raise funds came after his school participated in Rooting for Rhino, a campaign which saw school children all across the country standing and joining hands in a rhino formation. He realised how sad it would be if rhinos were to become extinct by the time he had children of his own and brainstormed how – with Meg and Rowan, his dad – he could help those working to save the animals. And so Riley’s Rally for Rhino was born, a game played by rolling the rhino dice and a scoring system dependent on the way in which they land.
What an inspirational young boy. Based on his love for rhinos, he is making a huge difference, a little at a time. And, having met Meg, his mum, you can see where he gets his passion from, his determination to help how he can… and already, at the young age of 10, he clearly has a fine head for business.
A family passionate about making a difference, both locally and internationally, and one which we will no doubt be hearing much about in the future.