Winter 2020 Newsletter
Welcome to our 2020 end-of-year newsletter edition. For the latest blog updates and descriptions of all of our active projects, go to our website at http://www.journeysofsolutions.org.
As we all have experienced in our country, the pandemic this year has been a destructive force. No one has escaped the impact in some way and that is especially true for the people and communities we support in Africa, the Americas, and Asia. Jobs have been lost, education disrupted, and food insecurity has increased. The countries we serve have limited resources to help mitigate the situation which makes our support even more necessary and welcome.
Consider supporting a JOS project that inspires you at https://journeysofsolutions.org/make-a-donation/ . Or donate to our general fund and we will make sure the money goes to a project in need. Donations in honor of someone else make great gifts for those people on your holiday list who just don't need or want more stuff. And remember, as an all volunteer organization, virtually all of your donations directly support projects. All checks should be made out to Journeys of Solutions, Inc. The bank won't accept checks made out to individual projects. Designate the project in the memo line.
Other ways you can help:
Does your employer offer a matching gift program? Designate JOS.
Shop on Amazon? Simply go to https://smile.amazon.com/ and designate Journeys of Solutions. Amazon will donate a percentage of the purchase to JOS. The shopping experience is the same.
Did you know that you can set up a Facebook fundraiser for your project? Go to https://www.facebook.com/fund/journeysofsolutions/ . Please make sure to identify your JOS project.
Are you of a certain age that requires taxable Required Minimum Distributions from your IRA’s? Consider gifting a portion to JOS.
Happy holidays and thank you for your support.
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Giving Tuesday - a perfect opportunity to support JOS
If you're looking for a home for your holiday donations, consider supporting JOS's facebook fundraiser on December 1st. On this day, Facebook will match your donations - of any amount. To donate, see https://www.facebook.com/donate/395759221842778/395759231842777/
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Child Sponsorship Program - Tanzania
Thankfully in the midst of Covid-19's spread, all of our students and program partners in Tanzania have remained healthy and safe! Our five full-time students excitedly returned to their courses and school friends after several months lockdown in the Spring: for some, this meant a return to high school, while others continued on in their college and professional journeys. Our goals turn now to meeting our students' complex needs as they transition out of residential care (in Tanzania, individuals cannot live in an orphanage after they turn18 ) to independent living. Our increased emphasis on the students' transition needs presents exciting new sponsorship opportunities for donors: at present, Glory (pictured above) (https://journeysofsolutions.org/glory-ay/) is in need of partial support for this year. Donations can also be made to support bringing long-time CSP friend Yusuf on board to help oversee planning for the students' transition. Contact project lead Elizabeth Kallup (joschildsponsorship@gmail.com) to learn more about sponsorship. More information can also be found on our blog page:https://journeysofsolutions.org/child-sponsorship-program-celebrating-11-years/
Thank you for journeying with us! Onward we go!
Elizabeth Kallop
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Impact of COVID in Tanzania
Our friends in Tanzania that are challenged already have been particularly hard hit by the economics of COVID. Some with AIDS, mental health difficulties or other challenges, are unable to even grow their own food. Others, who have lost their jobs with the drop in tourism have no money with which to buy food. To address these needs, we started two farms in Tanzania as a sustainable way for families to feed themselves. This was coupled with monthly funding for food provided by JOS. As the challenges of COVID continue, hopefully the farms can provide some support as our emergency food funding runs out in January.
Rick French
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Everest Porter Project - Nepal
In economically challenged areas of the world people buy food daily from markets. With the loss of jobs for the whole year our porters and cooks on our Everest treks had no food. In addition, when lockdowns occur, markets are shut so even if you have money, you can not buy food. Markets are the only affordable way people eat in lower income areas of the world. We sent funds to our friends in Nepal. They went out and bought bags of rice and other supplies and delivered it to people who had run out of food in 41 homes in Kathmandu. The need
continues....
Rick French
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COVID creates another school year - Tanzania
There are many unexpected challenges created by this pandemic. One is the girls that are sponsored in school now have to complete one more year of school. We lost several sponsors at $2000 per year. We can not simply tell the girls - "sorry after all your years of hard work, you can't finish this year." So, we are looking for more sponsors for two girls, Helen and Barikiana. This picture is of Mary who is sponsoring Safina again for one more extra year. We are already paying the teachers' salaries at the school as they had not been paid for 3 months when we were last there. They need to be paid so that the girls can stay in school. The girls and their parents are so grateful for this life-changing chance out of poverty.
Rick French
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Four Walls Project - Nicaragua
Despite ongoing challenges, 4 Walls continues to build one new house a month in El Sauce. Thanks to the critically-needed and generous support of JOS donors, families in need are continuing to receive safe new homes - and local staff including 4Walls' project manager, masons, carpenter & welder have been able to stay employed through these difficult times. This month's new home will be the 175th built by 4Walls! To learn more about events on the ground in El Sauce and ways to support 4Walls' work, tune in to our virtual information update and fundraiser on January 14th at 7pm. Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/95188776657
Bonnie Yannie
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Amigos in Accion - Nicaragua
After much consideration and planning, we were able to return to in person classes in October. We have continued implementing a split-session to ensure the safety of everyone involved in the program. We have implemented extra cleaning methods to keep everything sanitized, and require extra hand-washing.
Our students were so happy to return to the program, and we were thrilled to get to see them again and settle into a new routine. November has been difficult, because of two hurricanes that hit Central America back to back. Luckily, we didn’t experience any damage in El Sauce, but there was extensive flooding and damage in many parts of the country. We are so grateful that all of our students and their families are safe and able to continue participating in Amigos en Accion, especially as we gear up for the end of the school year here in Nicaragua.
This year has been difficult for everyone, but even through all of the challenges, we have learned to persevere and adapt.
Ashley Sullivan
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Open for business in Lake Eyasi - Tanzania
This year we have moved from providing secure homes to fostering sustainable living for the women in Lake Eyasi. The new well has created a lot of traffic. Thanks to donor support, we were able to open a new store. We met with the women to discuss their businesses: now we have a tea shop, our new store and a sewing shop. Families' younger daughters are employed as workers and managers. Pretty mind-blowing the change from broken people and broken homes to a green patch of gardens, homes and jobs. We even held a movie night at the store. 200 villagers showed up! We had to hire a generator and hung a sheet for a screen. This year we plan to add solar electric to the houses and plan to build one more house.
Rick French
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Solala Children's Home - Guatemala
The original home school project vision has now been extended to incorporate a medical clinic, library, family-style home for children needing temporary care and learning center. Named the Rachoch Ak'al B'alam (Home of the Baby Jaguar) Community Center, the foundation and walls of the Center are in place and the project - which will enable hundreds of indigenous children and families in crisis to be served and the sacred parcel of Mayan-owned land on which the center is built to be preserved - well on its way to completion. Fundraising continues through these challenging times with $50,000 still needed to cover roofing expenses as well as key furnishing and equipment costs.
Kirsti Shields
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Widows of India - COVID response
The lockdown in India started in March and was one of the most extreme lockdowns in the world. All forms of transportations were halted: airports, schools, colleges closed and businesses shuttered. The country's widows, unable to work, were left in their little tiny huts without running water, food or money in scorching heat to face the worst alone.
Our elderly widows in our Om Shanthi Home were safe: quarantined, but well-nurtured and medically treated as normal by doctors of our hospital and our staff. But our 150 young widows and their children living in the community stood facing the "nothingness" like so many others.
Generous donations from our kind donors were gratefully received and transformed into food. Our dear partner Mangalam Welfare Society (formerly Shanthimalai Handicrafts Development) distributed food, hot meals, soap and masks not only to our widows, but also to hundreds of people in need.
The partial lockdown is still effective and the suffering of the poorest of the poor - like our widows - is huge. The government does what it can, but their supplies are inadequate, so we still give food and financial support to alleviate the worst poverty, wherever it is needed.
For a more detailed update see: https://journeysofsolutions.org/widows-of-india-pandemic-response/
We are very grateful for your donations in these difficult times! Your kind help is greatly appreciated.
Anna Etter
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JOS Board of Directors:
Bob Kuehl, President
Bonnie Dupuis, Treasurer
Linda Artruc
Lisa Bouchard
Lindsay Connolly
Rick French
Jaima Herberger
Kirsti Shields
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