The Millennium Development Goals and Women’s Empowerment

GVN Foundation has Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, so we thought we would do a blog post on each of our Eat So They Can causes and explain how they link up with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. 

The UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are eight international development goals that all 192 United Nations member states and 23 international organizations have agreed to achieve by the year 2015. It is the most widely accepted guideline we have for measuring impact and monitoring progress. 

By aligning our vision and the goals of our partners with the MDGs we can provide context for the work Eat So They Can and our partners are doing and integrate this into the wider goal of finding solutions to some of the problems facing many people worldwide. 

This week I am focusing on Women’s Empowerment. This cause ties in with the following MDGs:

Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger- this goal aims to half the proportion of people whose income is less than a dollar a day and halve the proportion of people who suffer from hunger and achieve full and productive employment for all, including women and young people

Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women- aims to eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education, and in all levels of education

The basis of this cause is to enable women to have a brighter future for themselves and their families by providing assistance in practical ways. This is something we feel really passionate about because according to UNICEF, women perform 66 percent of the world’s work but only earn 10 percent of the income. Furthermore the UN Capital Development Fund has found that women are more likely than men to spend their profits on household and family needs. Assisting women therefore generates a multiplier effect that has a positive impact on their whole family and community. The funds raised for this cause go towards supporting grassroots community projects that are empowering women through training and education. 

An example of one of the projects we are supporting is Huchuy Yachaq in Peru. Huchuy Yachaq is a community center located in the Andes region of Peru, near Cusco. According to the World Health Organisation, 69 percent of women in Cusco have suffered violence; this is a region where poverty continues to undermine health, education and development. The community center aims to improve the lives of everyone living in the community through a library and tutoring service for the kids, and through projects aimed to empower women and reduce domestic violence. 

Furthermore, with the funds raised from ESTC in 2010 we funded a jewellery workshop. This workshop will provide training to mothers in the community so that they are then able to produce and sell jewellery. By giving these mothers a new way to earn income, this project will improve their status in their families and it will also allow them to work in a safe environment with their children close by. Providing training for these women will help them assert themselves as community leaders which can be transferred to the rest of the community.

If you would like to donate to the Women’s Empowerment cause click here or to learn more about the eight MDGs check this out.

 

-Lydia and the ESTC Team

Grant Distribution!

This week is an exciting one here in the Eat So They Can office, because this week we are sending out grants to many of our partners. This is from the money raised from the 2010 Eat So They Can campaign, and it is great to see it being put to good use! Some of you may have read about some of these grants in our latest newsletter, but we thought we’d give you a full update. Some of the grants include,

• A $5,000 grant to Huchuy Yachaq community center in Peru. The funds will be used to fund a jewellery workshop to empower women in the community and give them a new source of income for their families.

• A grant of $14,359.50 to Peruvian Hearts to fund the first year of the Peruvian Promise Program. The grant will be used fund scholarships, school uniforms, textbooks, school supplies and experiential retreats for 16 girls. In addition this ESTC grant will fund a breakfast program at Lamay school for 360 students for one year.

• A grant of $2,476.56 to Maximo Nivel in Costa Rica. These funds will be used to support a soup kitchen in La Carpio shanty town in San Jose, Costa Rica.

• A $2,000 grant to Antardristi, our partner in Nepal, which will go towards operating the residential centres they run for vulnerable children in Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Hetauda.

• A $2,000 grant to Sunshine House, our partner in Thailand, which will go towards vocational training for women in the area.

• A $4,884 grant to FVA, our partner in Rwanda, which will be used to support a chicken project in Mpore Pefa Orphanage.

• A $5,000 grant to Grassroots Development Trust, which will fund teacher salaries at Springs of Hope High School in Uganda.

• A $5,000 grant to The Real Uganda, to complete a goat project at Johnson Nkosi Memorial School which will support the community, and to set up a piggery at PACE, an orphanage and education centre in the Mukono District.

Once again, we would like to say a huge thank you to anyone who raised funds in 2010. It is only through your fundraising efforts that these grants have been made possible. Thank you so much, and keep up the great work! 

 - Luke and the ESTC team.

You've signed up to be a host... now what?

Whether you’re a repeat eater joining us from last year, or a new host for 2011, here’s some tips on how to get started and hold a successful event!

The video below outlines the first few steps you need to take as an ESTC host but read on if you’d like to hear our tried and true tips for holding a fun and successful event.

1. Sign-up as a host! Done it already? Congratulations! If not, you can do so here.
2. Spread the word! Blogs, websites, facebook, twitter, email – these are all great ways to spread the word about Eat So They Can. Use your networks and let your friends, family and colleagues know about the great work you are doing in support of Eat So They Can.
3. Find your inspiration! Visit our past events gallery and get inspired by the previous events hosts have held for Eat So They Can. We’ve even got two events up already for 2011 – thanks to Emma Thompson and Anita Zayghami, two of our ESTC Ambassadors.
4. Create an event page on our website with all the info about your event. Include a snazzy picture, the important details like date and time and a way for potential guests to get in contact with you. Don’t forget to post this link anywhere and everywhere to max out your guest list.
5. Get organised. Check out our online resources for organising your event or to spread the word. Our resources include a power point presentation, flyers, invites, posters... the list goes on! Something missing from our resource selection? Let us know by sending us an email!
6.  Keep your eyes on your email inbox – we’ll be emailing you to request a postal address to send your ESTC Party Pack. Your Party Pack will contain some essentials to help you run a fantastic event for 2011 – but it’s only for registered hosts, so make sure you sign-up.
7. Still stuck? Send us an email – we can help with anything from ideas to sponsors to letter templates.

Stay tuned - we'll be posting more tips and tricks, including ways to top up your donated funds to $500 to enter yourself in the grand prize draw!

- Fiona and the ESTC Team

The Last Installment of Intern Introductions

This week we are introducing our last intern, Luke Fitzmaurice.

Luke is originally from Taupo which is about 5 hours from Wellington but after moving to Wellington in 2008 for university, he now considers himself a Wellingtonian through and through. In 2010, Luke completed a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations at Victoria University and is now working towards his Law degree. Luke is also an avid sports fan and always makes sure he gets caught up in the action. One example includes when he was hit in the leg with a javelin which went right through his leg and came out about 6 inches on the other side, right in front of his shin bone. He is also a man of luck; this all started when he won a bike in a supermarket competition before he could speak. Since then he has had good luck with winning things, although he claims this is never through his own skill. Not only is Luke a fan of action on the sports field, he also follows action around the world- or does it follow him? Every time his family travels overseas there seems to be some minor natural disaster or civil unrest occur nearby. So far the list includes riots in East Timor, a coup in Thailand, a small meteor falling in Peru, and two volcanic eruptions in Iceland and Chile.

How did you end up working here at GVN Foundation?
I volunteered in Ghana for twelve weeks over summer, and wanted to do something more after I got back. I saw the internship advertised a few weeks after I got home and jumped at the chance to be involved.

What drew you to Eat So They Can?
I love the idea that anyone can make a difference, and I think that Eat So They Can encapsulates this really well. I think it’s great that hosts not only make a difference themselves, but get to spread the word by getting their friends and families involved. I also think it’s an innovative way to raise money, especially for those of us who cannot necessarily make large donations themselves, e.g. students.

What do you actually do here at Eat So They Can and what’s your favourite part of the job?
I am campaign development co-ordinator, so I do things like write the newsletter and keep the website up to date. I am also the co-ordinator for all of our African partners. In between doing that I seem to spend my time searching the internet for fun facts and sweet deals on flights. My favourite part of the job would have to be the regular foosball battles with Graham. They are intense. (Luke just came back to the office victorious after beating Graham twice)


What is your ideal way to spend a day?
It would start with a sleep-in and finish with a Wellington Phoenix (football) match at the stadium. In between I probably wouldn’t do much at all. Lazy days are the best.

If you could go anywhere in the world right now where would it be and what would you do?
Probably India, I’m planning to go there over the summer. But if I won the lotto I would probably never stop travelling. Other places on my travel wish-list are Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa, Ireland, England, Spain, Switzerland, Canada, and Argentina. 

If you could be any kind of animal what kind would you be?
Probably a penguin, because then I could pretend that Morgan Freeman was narrating my life, just like in March of the Penguins. Actually, any animal whose life Morgan Freeman narrates would be pretty alright.

And lastly what kind of pie would you be... and why?
Steak and Cheese. It’s everything a pie should be – no frills, meaty, and delicious, which are three qualities I admire in both pies and people.

Luke is our Campaign Development Co-ordinator and Africa contact person. If you have any questions relating to these areas, you can contact him here.

-Lydia and the Eat So They Can team