EDIT: 11/18/2014

So, as I said of tumblr, I want to thank everyone for their support! We collected almost 10000 through Indiegogo donation! I know it's far from what the goal is but don't worry! We are planing phase two of the campaign! We will not stop just because we didn't reach our goal out of a first try! We will fight until we finally get there!

To everyone who donated and shared the campaign: Thank you! Your support is what helped us get even this far, we really couldn't have done without you! ;u; As I said above, we will continue to fight until our goal is reached so we aren't stopping just yet!

I will update everyone once phase two starts and I will most likely reopen Special Order (and add new ideas for it). If I still owe you those, don't worry! I quite busy with the School Festival (which was a total success! The photo's are here! ) and now that it's over, I'm going to work on them during this and next week! Thank you for your patience!

~F-S-H

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NEW VIDEO!!! We finally reached over 5000, let's try to get as far as we can!! BIG THANKS TO EVERY SUPPORTERS WHO HELPED SO FAR!!

HELP US MAKE THE CULTURAL CENTER SAKURABANA COME TO LIFE!!! DONATE AND YOU COULD GET ONE OF THE OFFERED REWARDS!!

If still unable to donate, consider sharing this link, we will much appreciate it!

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FLY-SKY-HIGH'S SAKURABNA SPECIAL OFFER- CLOSED

• Contribute to our INDGIEGOGO page
• The given amount of contribution you donate allows you get a piece of work from me under the price I will set bellow.
• All you have to do is show me proof of your contribution, like a screenshot of it being sent and such and you will get a price from me
• Your screenshot and award you want to be drawn should be sent via notes.

-THE PRICES:

• Send 1$ and I will make you a sketch, same style (lines) as posted on this deviation and up to 3 characters in the pic (or you can offer more and get a sketch for each extra 1$ you send)
• Send 10$ and you will get a lineart of up to 2 characters you order 
• Send 20$ and I will lineart, color and cellshade a single character you order.

 
~F-S-H

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Let's talk about this briefly now-IMPORTANT

I was going post everything of what is going on but I figured I should make a video of it or at least a recording, it would be easier for your to understand (at least as far as my english goes lol)

To put it simply of what is going, the organization Sakurabana and it's club (counting in many activities that is happening there, as well as Mugen manga school which I attend to) is in big trouble. 

They are the organizers of biggest Japanese pop culture convention on Balkans, Japanizam, as well as many mini events relating to same subject (Chibicon, Death Note or Berserk Day etc.), not to mention events with friendly games and gaming (video game tournaments, Fantasy Role Play days, card game tournaments etc.).

Japanese embassy and few others who support us still has their doors open to help but this is something beyond their power...

Current issue is manly spacing. I haven't talked about it here, but we moved couple of times for a past year and it seems like both cases will end on a bad note. The renting we pay for the space located in the center of the city (which is a necessity so everyone has a decent approach to the club, despite the higher prices on rent) is BEYOND EXPENSIVE, not to mention that neighbors keep blaming us for issues the old building has and pretty much has nothing to do with us, we are just easiest to blame because of "kids" and for being newbies there.

We've come to the point where paying for high rents and constantly being kicked out or yelled at by owners is no longer tolerable.

Luckily, the founders of the club (where I'm a member who helps as much as one can) are rather focused on solving the problem rather than confronting people who wouldn't even care as long as they get loads of money from us.

Our current goal is to collect enough money to buy our own space (apartment or a montage house or anything that is more available to us). One would think that's not a hard task but as much as support we get with Japanese embassy, according to law, they can't help us found a space where Sakurabana can be, only things relating to culture even if our club represents just that. NO ONE ELSE founds our club, the people that work there are all volunteered workers and they don't earn to keep this club alive. The money that club DOES earn all goes to anime merch, mangas for manga library and mini events I mentioned above. All for good fun to say it simply.

We can't even ask our country for help because when we did they could just say this to us: "To which political party do you belong to?" which is a real shame and I am ashamed everything in Serbia functions based on which party we are in (and there are plenty that hold big companies in their grasp and don't give a shit about those that they can't benefit from). They don't care about culture any more and am I not saying this because we are with this big problem but also looking on how other cultural programs are barely holding up, especially since my father is a teacher of folk dance so I understand the struggle.

I would mention a lot more things here but I said I will keep it short so I will mention all the details in the video.

WE NEED YOUR HELP.

Now, before you run off thinking "I'm sorry, I can't help, I'm as poor as you are *poofs a moth out of a wallet*" there is something you CAN DO to help us and doesn't involve just donating.

SPREAD THE WORD!

I am sure this is a subject anyone can relate to. I am sure many of you live in places where something as japanese pop culture (from anime and manga to music and culture aline) is not as well accepted and understand how rare it is to find someone who finds it interesting in local places and not just on the internet. We want to protect this place as it is a type of sanctuary, a place where we can gather and be tolerable toward one another, play games and learn together, discuss about things we love... we choose to come to this place instead of staying isolated at home feeling unaccepted by people around us (as personally and speaking for many friends, we were teased, bullied and mocked for our own interests we love). We want to keep Sakurabna and Japanizam alive as much as we can, even if it means giving our own effort and money to make it so because we love our "second home".

In the video, I will explain what Sakurabana means to me and how much it saved me, not even joking here.

THIS IS WHAT YOU CAN DO:

• If you wish to donate, so far we have this current working paypal e-mail:

  vortodox@gmail.com

  (please keep in mind this is an e-mail I used to get my commissions payment but it is no longer used for that, it belongs to the founder of the Sakurabana, Vortodox, who earlier kindly offered to help me earn something using his paypal. THIS E-MAIL IS NO LONGER USED FOR COMMISSIONS. It is now primary e-mail used ONLY FOR DONATION TO SAKURABANA CLUB FOR THE MENTIONED GOAL). Yes, this means I no longer have an e-mail for personal commissions but that is fine because Paypal will be in full function in our country (meaning we will be able to get and not just send money through it) starting October 8th. I will be getting my own paypal next month but this is not what is important now.
• Despite mentioned above, I WILL BE DOING COMMISSIONS ONLY TO DONATE TO THE CLUB FROM NOW ON. Yes, it means cutting off my only way of earning something and giving it all to Sakurabana. THAT is how much this means to me! If you want, you can always commission me under current prices OR you can wait for a bit until I make a special event where I could make art giveaways for given amount of money you donate to Sakurabana. If you can suggest anything that can work for us both do comment and leave that suggest, I'm happy to consider anything that can help.

• Donate on INDIEGOGO site!

• For the locals, there will be a bank or a drawing account where you can donate money via deposit slip.
• And finally, as mentioned above, SPREAD THE WORD! I will be honest, our country is a deep shit with economy as it is, all our hope is poured mostly from international incomes we can get as a donation. If you spread awareness (by copying or linking this journal, reblogining, posting on fb, your art pages, anything what works for you) then you can help us gain some more interest of other people who are willing to help even just a bit. Anything goes. I know this is hard as barely anyone reads about things that probably has nothing to do with them but at least keep this in mind: WE ARE DOING THIS FOR THE SAKE OF KEEPING SOMETHING THAT IS BARELY NOTABLE HERE ON BALKAN. WE WANT TO MAKE IT BIG SO ANYONE FROM ANY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD COULD COME VISIT OUR CONVENTION AND HAVE FUN INSTEAD OF KEEPING THE SPACE LIMITED AND SMALL DURING JAPANIZAM. WE ALREADY KNOW PEOPLE FROM VARIOUS EUROPIAN COUNTRIES COME HERE EVERY YEAR TO ENJOY A CONVENTION THEY PROBABLY DON'T HAVE IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY. THIS IS WHERE WE GATHER TO ENJOY SOMETHING WE ALL LOVE. PLEASE SUPPORT IT!