Educacion y Futuro--A Bed for Each Child in Bolivia

 Hey, Kids! So, we've done it.  (You have done it, Vicente and EDYFU have done it, we have done it.) From our initial target of $11,000 to renovate the EDYFU shelter for homeless girls in Tarija, Bolivia, when then upped the ante to $14,000 in order to build a much needed security wall. Shiera, Sephie, and I visited the project last weekend, and are pleased to announce that the work is well under way.  Gail of Lantern Projects and I have already transferred $6,700 to Vicente and EDYFU and the rest will be wired in about a week's time. This is not the most profession or engaging of videos, but for those wanting to get a sense of what things like like at the shelter, and/or what the early work looks like can wade their ways through this 14 minute look. Now the big news...we have surpassed the $14,000 goal and as of last night, Lantern Projects has collected ~$18,500.   For this reason, we are declaring the fundraising over.  A new sixteen bed building will be avai...

 So, on Friday Shiera, Sephie, and I are headed to Tarija to drink some high altitude wine and check out the progress on the EdyFu construction project.  Lots of details to come. Fundraising?  Looking pretty good.  Our final budget looks to be pretty solid at $14,000 and as of the other day, here's where we were: We are getting close, but we still have a ways to go. So, please--if you've been considering donating, you could really help this get done.  (And not to sound greedy..but ya know...if you have donated once, there are no state, federal, global, or universal laws to prevent you from doing so again.  Just sayin'...) Vincente has also sent a few photos and I thought I'd share them with you here:                       Roofs that don't leak are...good!                         Rufino the Painter is....painting!   ...

 One of the primary reasons why I like to put energy into projects such as this one is that I know the people who are making it happen.  And with that comes a significant degree of accountability.  Early on in our $62,000 Orphanage Extension Project in the D.R. Congo , a couple of bags of cement went missing.  (To be clear, in such a desperately poor place, this is understandable and almost unavoidable.  But, of course, we can't really ask people to donate if a notable chunk will jut disappear).  However, the force of nature that is Madlen noticed, called in all the workers, and made it clear what could not happen again.  A couple of years later, she brought in a $62,000 building project within a couple thousand dollars of budget.  (To put this in context, a more modest initiative at the orphanage funded by a large NGO cost twice as much and took five years to complete.) I got a detailed email from Educacion y Futuro's Vincente Danhier today, in w...

 The news is all good news...we've gone past the $9,000 milestone and we have still have six weeks to go. The perceptive among you might notice that our "thermometer" was moved from a target of $11,000 to a new target of $12,000. There are two reasons for this. Please allow me to explain...  The first is that the original estimate was pretty spot on, but there are a few items that have gone up in price a little. As in other parts of the world, the Covid slowdown has led to some shortages and that's knocked prices up a percent or two. The other, though, was explained to me Vincente today: "Queria consultarte una cosa... Necesitamos hacer una actividad mas en el proyecto, una actividad que no estaba prevista. Crees que es posible ? Quisieramos mejorar la seguridad en el muro exterior, atras del albergue. Este muro es muy bajo y siempre tenemos problema en este lugar. Varias veces hombres entraron x alli en las noches, para ver las chicas o para robar su ropa que es...

 Sometimes a picture only speaks a few words:     All that's happening here is that a worker is removing one of the old doors from the bathroom.  Whoop-de-flerkin'-do...   Except it does demonstrate that we are actually moving on this.  The word from Gail at Lantern Projects is that we are on the cusp of having raised $9,000 of our estimated $11,000 budget.  As $5,000 of that has already been transferred to Vincente in Tarija, he felt confident enough to begin work.   We still have a ways to go, so your tax deductible donations are still needed.  There's no guarantee that $11,000 will fully cover all costs. And if we end up with a little surplus....well, I'm sure that a shelter that will (with your help) provide safe housing for 32 homeless girls in Bolivia can find something that is needed. :-)   Thanks for making it happen, my friends.  I wish I could invite each and everyone one of you over for a drink tonight.