Send OKC Nurse to DR Congo

Financially Sustainable Orphanage Part 3

eintention — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 04:27:37 +0000

About four months ago I started questioning the whole concept of charity supported orphanages. After some discouraging experiences in fund raising I realized that I could not fairly expect others to understand let alone contribute money to my personal passion. I began to develop an idea by which orphanages are able to run small businesses and support themselves. I have considered several business ideas that still might be feasible.

But I have recently read Timothy Ferris’ book the 4-Hour-Workweek and found it very practical and inspiring. He starts with encouraging readers to define the greatest dream of their lives…put a monetary cost on its achievement and then design an internet business from the beginning with the end goal as the guiding focus.

In my case, I want orphans to have everything they need. I want to start with one orphanage and finance them with an online business that can be run from anywhere in the world. Whether I’m at home in the States or on extended stays in DRC I want an income stream for myself and for the children. In terms of time investment I believe it’s more efficient to operate an online business than to plan and execute charity events.

Once I learn how to run the first business and provide for the needs of the first orphanage…I’d be able to move to the next and teach these methods to reproduce the model…and so on. Stay tuned for progress reports and links to the Tim Ferris Network of Forward thinkers.

Financially Sustainable Orphanage Part 2

eintention — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 04:24:18 +0000

Sole Hope (link) gave me an idea to visit one of their programs in Uganda to see how it’s all done. They make shoes for children. Fabric is recycled from old jeans and (upholstery remnants), cut out at group parties in US and shipped to Africa where they are assembled by workers for fair trade wage and sold affordably for children’s use. See photos of children with jigger wounds for why children need shoes. I think older children in orphanages might be taught to make these shoes.

Another idea is for an initial investment in a working commercial kitchen…to produce bread for the children in addition to bread to sell at the marketplace.

There are sound healing machines that kill parasites for a very small fee. These could be used to keep the children healthy and also provide service in exchange for donations from the community.

Similarly, cell phone charging is a lucrative business with little upfront investment. An orphanage sponsor could offer this service for fee to support their expenses. I’m just thinking outloud and very open to innovators with better ideas to leave your comments here. Thanks.

The Financially Sustainable Orphanage

eintention — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 04:20:31 +0000

Fact for Fiction? In a world full of orphans and precious little money, they are often at a loss for enough to feed the children much less address other important needs like consistent and loving caretakers, enough affection, stimulation, clean surroundings and clothing. Orphanages are at the mercy of the generosity of donors. I recently had a whim about how wonderful it would be to create a way that orphanages could be self-sustaining. That’s as far as the idea got for several weeks.

I recently thought of adapting a brilliant idea from Heal Africa http://www.healafrica.org/programs-c-2.html where they offer microfinance loans to groups of pregnant women. This enables the women to start businesses from which come their clinic fees for prenatal care.

I’m imagining groups of women who might want to adopt orphans but are unable to afford caring for children. They could be required to give a specific number of hours volunteering in the orphanage (more hands…more love for the children) and at the same time be observed for their compassion and childcare skills. At the end of that time they could apply for a small business loan. This would require one or more business/loan counselors to oversee the progress of the business and give necessary training to the new businesswomen. This could perhaps be done by a local university student in exchange for some college credit. I’m still fleshing out this idea. But once it is put to practice and proven successful…it could be duplicated everywhere. And children who deserve a home would receive one.

Floating in a stream of miracles.

eintention — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 04:00:16 +0000

Trying to put words to my feelings is limited from the start. It’s like trying to describe the beauty of water flowing over a 400 ft cliff with the spray hitting your face and reducing this exhilarating experience to the word, “waterfall”? After living most of my life in one form of loneliness or another, I find in recent months that I am in a predominant state of overflowing love and joy. It’s that amazing condition of being in love all the time without a real person as its inspiration. This condition of being in love with no one special but all of life is the place where miracles are born. Filling up and spilling over with gratitude and joy is the birthplace of the next wish for submission to the universe (Creator/God). A requisition as it were for wherever in one’s future our dreams take us. This birthplace is a refined state of consciousness that travels far beyond my body causing people and events to coalesce into amazing moments that fulfill my most heartfelt dreams. Try it!

During my meditation I was told that my passport that had been missing for two years would be returned to me as a sign it was time for me to return to Africa. Last week I received the honor of an invitation from His Eminence, the Bishop , national leader of U.EI.C an organization. This invitation is for myself and 4 of my guests to travel to DRC for strategy meetings and touring of many of the member churches humanitarian aid programs. All ground expenses are to be paid for myself and guests including accommodations, restaurants/meals and ground transportation (except airfare). This is an extraordinary honor and generous offer given the impoverished conditions in DRC. Within twelve hours of receiving this amazing invitation I found my long lost passport! 48 hours later I was pledged the price of my airfare. Our recent inclusion in the International Directory for Global Volunteers started me thinking about the necessity for a very informative and visually amazing website for each of my represented organizations. This would require a camcorder I do not own and special photographic talent I do not have. Within another eight hours the very talented filmmaker/photographer Robert Garner (see his site) who was on our last trip in 2009 has jumped at the chance to provide all the visual coverage needed for these two websites.

UGADEC’s Mission Statement

eintention — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 18:49:12 +0000

The Union of Associations for Gorilla Conservation for Community Development in the east of the DRC,( UGADEC ), is a platform of seven association reserves dedicated to community conservation. (See Map)
The UGADEC mission is to protect the great apes and other animals protected under Congolese law and their natural habitats and to strengthen the capacity of local communities in managing natural resources for sustainable use.
Since forests are to contribute to the welfare of people, community conservation advocated by UGADEC ensures the promotion of development of the local populations living around these protected areas

UGADEC aims

- to promote the socio-economic development of local communities living between the National Park of Maiko and Kahuzi Biega .
- to participate in the conservation and protection of great apes and their natural habitats in eastern DRC
- to create an ecological corridor between the two parks

- to reach eco-tourism within the corridor.

Alexis KALINDA SALUMU

UGADEC Executive Secretary

In 2008 I Did Not Know Where Congo (DRC) Was

eintention — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 03:24:10 +0000

Receiving this little map made me feel so good. In 2008 before my trip I didn’t know where DR Congo was. Now a portion of the country that protects gorillas and has too many orphans has a very important place in my heart. This is a map of the UGADEC region in Eastern DRC. All of the green portions are currently protected habitat for gorillas and 250 other species of mammal and bird. I am giving UGADEC a voice via Social Networking until I can offer my services more directly while living there. These Nature Reserves are vulnerable to the populations that desperately need a way to survive. I can’t say I would do any differently if I was lacking enough to eat or feed my children. So, the answer to establishing long term security for these forests is in service to the human communities nearby. Each small blue box containing a white “H” is the location of a clinic or hospital. I don’t know the conditions of these places but they are likely in poor repair, unstaffed or in desperate need of supplies and medicine. The “H’ in the upper right is Mulinde, the clinic I visited in 2009 on an incredibly beautiful mountaintop. In context the nearby Lake Edward is a good landmark if you want to see this area on Google Earth.

Due to the very remote regions inhabited by these communities they are often overlooked by charitable organizations already at work in DR Congo. My goal is to move there and work at an orphanage. But in the meantime I am reaching out to potential partner NGOs who might help with reforestation, orphan care, microfinance, support clinics, offer feeding programs for malnourished children, train midwives, build or refurbish clinics, drill clean water wells, prevent malaria, HIV/AIDS, pneumonia, Typhoid and so on. Whatever a single volunteer or NGO has as a focus…it is needed in this region. Any act of service here serves multiple purposes including the preservation of gorilla habitat. This area is unique in all the world. Please meet what is called the UGADEC Corridor.

Financially Sustainable Orphanage Part 2

eintention — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 17:58:22 +0000

Since I will be the only US trained Nurse within a hundred miles…I expect a line of people outside the orphanage that need medical care. I thought of a barter system by which patients when feeling better can donate one hour of time to the orphanage in exchange for one treatment session. They would have a card that recorded treatments and volunteer time. By the honor system…those who kept up with their volunteering would go to the head of the line. Orphanages need all kinds of volunteers; carpentry, cooking, cleaning, cuddling, mentoring, playing with kids who otherwise don’t get enough attention. This is a way I could expand my service into something more for the orphans. Everyone has something to give. Sometimes they just don’t realize it.

The Power by Rhonda Byrnes

eintention — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 05:34:45 +0000

I highly recommend the audiobook, The Power by Rhonda Byrnes for anyone attempting to achieve the impossible…or at least the very improbable. It is a five CD series that I’ve listened to dozens of times. I spend perhaps an hour a day as a discipline. Ms. Byrnes is known for the movie she produced called, The Secret. The gist of her message is that God or the force of love is waiting and wanting to satisfy all of our desires. But instead of a pleading type prayer..this Force of Love only understands and responds to our most focused radiation of love and gratitude ourselves. She encourages aspiring to an emotional state of constant gratitude and appreciation method to Attract the future events and circumstances we hope to bring forth in our lives. At first, I attempted to achieve that “feeling” just once everyday. And now after some practice I find I can spend most of the day in this state of happiness, love and gratitude. As I have grown in my practice I have seen some really amazing movement forward in my goals. And I’m beyond grateful for this teaching that has made a tremendous difference in my life.

Obama Sends Forces to DR Congo!

eintention — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:40:25 +0000

In 2009, Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton visited Goma, DR Congo: about the same time I was in Congo on my first trip.

Since then, I’ve had high hopes that someone, anyone would take a stand against the devastating acts of violence carried out by the Lord’s Resistance Army’s (LRA) reign of terror in DR Congo.

Earlier this week, President Obama announced 100 Special Operations troops to the Congo and other areas to serve as advisors to the countries military forces. Africa’s mission is to defeat the rebel militia and the leadership of the LRA.

One hundred servicemen doesn’t sound like much. I can’t help but question why Special Ops would be publicly announced before the launch? I won’t be picky, I’ll take it. I am so happy for this military intervention and official US recognition of the humanitarian problems in DRC.

The Power of Internet

eintention — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 01:16:06 +0000

The Internet is a powerful tool for humanitarian non-profits, and I have barely scratched the surface. Last month, Twitter and Facebook was the catalyst to help facilitate the delivery of Medical Textbooks from my house in Oklahoma City to Kampala, Uganda.

It also strengthened the links in a chain necessary to fill a 40-foot shipping container full of donated medical supplies (See the list of items and my personal “thank you” here). The internet and social media has enabled me to initiate partnerships with two very promising non-profits. The first is a conservation organization and the second is a solar energy group called Solar Sisters dedicated to empowering women.

After two years I am finally in touch with the Secretary of the UGADEC (Union of Associations for Gorilla Conservation and Community Development in eastern DRC) puts a whole new vista of potentially rewarding projects at my doorstep. Since my infancy of having a presence on-line, I can foresee the great need that UGADEC has to be represented worldwide. With their permission, I will make a Youtube video about the Gorilla Conservation Project and it’s many human communities in need. And then follow up with video content once I’m living there. I am a visionary capable of contemplating projects that are way beyond my personal reach. But that doesn’t mean they can’t be achieved with the help of partnering organizations.