Back in NZ

Hi everyone,

After 5 amazing weeks in Tanzania and Kenya, I am now back in New Zealand. It's been a bit hard to readjust to my 'normal' life here but the good news is that I'm full of renewed motivation to raise even more money this year to support the amazing projects I visited.

As I mentioned in my previous blog, my goal in Kenya was to identify good practices in orphanages and put together an orphanage development framework. This framework will be used to help shape our future funds distribution as well as provide a way to evaluate the success of our grants.

The key to the framework is that it's flexible. We want to build on the creativity and appropriateness of local responses rather than impose our own beliefs or bureaucratic requirements. . The framework therefore focuses on the children’s needs as the central goal of our work and highlights the importance of a strong foundation of sustainability and management/staff. It is hoped that the framework will highlight the variety of issues that orphanages face, but will allow each orphanage to tackle issues using their own creativity, knowledge and skills.

I am still finalizing the framework and report but plan to put it up on our website once it's been reviewed by the projects involved in the research. I will let you know as soon as it's up and ready! Meanwhile if you have any questions or comments, please let me know.

A huge thank you to GVN Foundation for involving me in such an interesting project and also to Irene from VICDA for making it possible.

Eliza

ESTC Hosts Making News!

I am so excited to tell you about some of the remarkable achievements of two of our fantastic ESTC hosts who continue to make a difference in the world.

Firstly, congratulations to ESTC Host Cat Ross who was awarded the 2009 Peace Medal by the YMCA this week for her efforts in helping others. Cat has volunteered with Nine Circles Community Health Centre, Global Volunteer Network in Kenya, with Children International, and as a UNICEF Global Parent.
(Source: Winnipeg Free Press)

Cat has also taken part in Eat So They Can every year since the campaign began and says she plans to continue to be an ESTC host for years to come.

"My commitment to those in need will continue to remain endless. I believe that you have to make every moment count and that when you have the dedication to creating change, you will! Not only will you feel the personal reward that comes from within, but your passion in what you do will create ripples and these ripples will spread to other individuals who will open their minds to creating change as well. When we work together, the possibilities are endless!"

Well done Cat! You are an inspiration!

Congratulations also go out to ESTC Host Shelley Bragg who recently made it to the top of Mt Kilimanjaro as part of GVN’s fundraising trek. What an amazing effort! All funds raised through this trek go towards helping children in schools, orphanages and IDP’s camps in and around Nairobi.

Shelley hosted an ESTC event for 70 guests at the Grand Mercure Hotel in Hongqiao, Shanghai and raised over $1800!

You can read all about Shelleys ESTC experience in GVN’s brand new book - Ripples of Difference, visit: http://www.ripplesofdifference.org/

If you are an ESTC host and have a story to tell us, please drop us a line at info@eatsotheycan.org

Have a great weekend everyone!