GVI Charitable Trust Blog

New Charitable Trust Website!

2011-05-17T08:18:00.000-07:00

We are very pleased to announce that he new GVI Charitable Trust website is now live! From now on all news will be added to the news section on the website including archives from this blog.

Please bookmark the GVI Charitable Website at www.gvi.org now and check back regularly to see exciting news from the field, our fundraisers and supporters and developments of the trust.

We will also be highlighting ways that you can get involved and as always if you have any ideas, need help or support or simply want to chat about the project get in touch!

All the very best

Ross

Text books in Kenya

2011-05-11T07:32:00.000-07:00

Funds raised for the GVI Charitable Trust have recently been used to purchse text books for our schools in Mombasa, Kenya.

Text books in schools are certainly something many of us took for granted when we were at school but for children in Kenya they can be a precious luxury.

Before GVI CT funds purchased theses books children could share 5-6 children per book or often only the teacher would have a text book. This made lessons incredibly inefficient as everything needed to be written in full on the board meaning lessons invariably took longer and it would become a real rush to cover the complete syllabus before the end of term.

Now the classrooms are stocked with beautiful fresh books and the benefits are already visible. There are now enough books for children to share 2-3 to a book or even one per child. With less time spent writing on and copying from the board more progress can be made in actually teaching the children.

Teachers and volunteers have time to cover subjects in details and also find that there is time to provied extra care to children who are struggling and may be falling behind. In addition high flyers can now stand out and be encouraged to excel.

With increased attention and progress children seem to be noticeably more engaged which is being reflected in monthly test results which are slowly but surely creeping upwards.

To everyone who has supported the projects- Asante sana!

GVI Charitable Trust Fundraising events

2011-04-14T03:20:00.000-07:00

Fundraising events are a great way to support the GVI Charitable Trust projects, raise awareness and have an amazing time. As such we are working hard to create more fundraising events for our supporters to get involved in.

In Central America the Phoenix projects have been running stunning volcano and biking challenges in Guatemala for a couple of years now which have been fundamental in many of the recent developments on the projects for example construction of the brand new school in the community of Santa Maria, Guatemala.

On May 5th a group of hardy challenges will take part in the first Nicaragua challenge, scaling 7 volcanoes in just 4 days! Funds raised from this event will contribute towards construction of the new school in the community of Chiriza as well as teachers salaries and food for the children.

The team in Cape Town are also getting involved in their first fundraising event with a half marathon on May 2nd. Funds raised here will be going towards the recently opened and GVI CT funded Edu-care Hope Centre.

In the UK the team from the UK office will be taking part in a 60k walking challenge across the English countryside on May 7th to support the GVI Charitable Trust. In an effort to boost funds we will be laying our dignity on the line and accepting suggestions for fancy dress on the day. If you make a donation to the fundraising page you can make a suggestion and we will follow the most popular suggestion and take photos to show how silly we look!

If you would like to take part in any of the fundraising events, want to to hear about future plans or make a donation please get in touch!

Join the GVI UK office team on a 60k walk to raise funds for the GVI CT!

2011-04-01T04:17:00.000-07:00

On May 7th 2011 a group of our staff from the UK office are going to take part in the annual Just Walk event to raise funds for the GVI Charitable Trust, we would LOVE for you to join us!

This charity fundraising walk offers participants the chance to experience a breathtaking charity walk over the picturesque South Downs in West Sussex and support the GVI Charitable Trust.

There will be a huge crowd taking part on the day supporting a range of worthwile causes. Come and help us represent GVI and the Charitable Trust.

In the UK office we have opted for the 60k option which in one day is certainly going to be tough work, especially considering our universal lack of training! If 60K sounds too much for you there are 10, 20 and 40K options as well.

There is a fee to take part in the event which, as with GVI programs, helps to make sure that the event is well organised and safe. This also includes food, drinks and a free t-shirt, everybody loves a t-shirt!

If you would like to join us, fantastic! Please contact Ross on ross@gviworld.com or call the office on 0044 1727 250250

We hope to see you there, Ross and the GVI Team

Challenge Doreen biking challenge a huge success!

2011-03-15T06:12:00.000-07:00

An inspirational team of GVI staff and volunteers have completed their 5 day biking challenge from Guatemala to Honduras. This gruelling endurance test was completed by 14 keen challengers including GVI project directors and founders Dom and Doreen.

The aim of the challenge was to raise funds specifically for the Guatemala and Honduras projects, including constructing a new school in the community of Santa Maria, Guatemala.

This was certainly no walk in the park as the team traversed bridges, climbed monster hills and entertained baffled locals with their efforts but they were rewarded with lush views and amazing scenery and of course the knowledge that this event raised funds to support the projects.

We are continually amazed by our supporters and their fundraising efforts, if you would like to raise funds for one of the GVI Charitable Trust projects get in touch, we would love to hear from you!

Japan Earthquake And Tsunami Disaster Relief

2011-03-11T06:19:00.000-08:00

On March 11th Japan was hit by its most powerful earthquake triggering a devastating tsunami. The GVI Charitable Trust have started a campaign to provide emergency relief to victims of this disaster.

At least 1596 people have been killed with the death toll expected to rise significantly. A tsunami warning has been implemented in 20 other countries.

Donations to our campaign will be disbursed to local organisations providing effective relief and emergency services to those in need.

Click Here to donate to the earthquake and tsunami campaign.

Greenhouse is first step towards becoming sustainable at Precious Vision, Kenya

2011-02-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

With thanks to our wonderful and generous supporters our team and communities in Kenya have been very busy recently!

In addition to the food programs at the Precious Vision school to provide vital nutrition to children while they learn the goal has always been to help the school become self sustaining, the first step on this path has taken the form of a greenhouse.

Tess Doogue, GVI Kenya Project Manager, explains: 'The installation of a greenhouse at Precious Vision is the first example of an income-generating project funded by GVI Mombasa and the Charitable Trust. Produce grown in the greenhouse will be sold at a competitive rate to the local community, the proceeds from which will go towards teacher’s salaries. This project is extremely exciting as it is the first step towards Precious Vision becoming financially self reliant.

Importantly, there is a high level of investment by the local team. Madam Jane (Community leader) is an experienced farmer and her skills, knowledge and commitment have been crucial in the formation of the project. A “greenhouse committee” of standard 6 students has also been formed, to support Madam Jane on issues such as water management, and importantly, to teach students some practical food production skills. Families in slum areas such as Shauri Yaku (where Precious Vision is located) have no access to tenable land, so those skills are not passed onto younger generations. GVI has employed a gardener (selected by the community) as an additional support for the running of the structure, on the understanding that once the greenhouse is producing money, his wages will come from there. Although his wage is modest, he is given free accommodation at the school and is provided breakfast and lunch from the school’s feeding programme. The first crop rotation is a ‘learner’ crop of various spinach-like greens, low profit margin, but ideal for the first three months of learning how systems work.'

Tess also explains that in addition to the clear tangible benefits of the initiative the school has also benefited from a huge morale boost due to the increased activity and progress.

Additionally this is the first commercial greenhouse in Mombasa meaning that the Precious Vision site will become a working example of sustainable income generating initiatives. In the future the community will be able to charge others for training so they too can benefit from this initiative and donations to the GVI Charitable Trust.

Challenge Doreen, bike ride from Guatemala to Honduras to build a school!

2011-02-03T05:34:00.001-08:00

Similar to last years Volcano Challenge, Guatemala Director and Co-Founder Doreen Williams is now taking on a huge challenge to raise funds to support the projects through the GVI Charitable Trust.

Doreen and a group of keen challengers will be biking from Guatemala to Honduras to raise funds to build a new school for the Children of Santa Maria in Guatemala.

Visit Doreen's Just Giving page to see the gruelling itinerary and show your support.

School breakfasts in Kenya

2011-01-31T06:05:00.000-08:00

Due to the amazing support of generous donors to the GVI Charitable Trust we have now introduced a School breakfast program at the Precious Vision School in Kenya in addition to the donation funded School Lunch program. Before school all children now receive either a hot cup of nutritious and filling porridge, or a banana.

Introducing a breakfast program was very important as, although the children were now receiving a cooked lunch each day, many were arriving at school hungry and lethargic often not eating dinner the previous night. With the lunch program their energy would pick up after the break but by then half a day of education had been wasted. As well as a huge morale boost for the students and teachers, the daily breakfasts are ensuring that these young minds and bodies have the energy they need to get through an entire day of schooling. You cannot separate nutrition and education; they really go hand in hand. Any investment in education risks being wasted if there are not accompanying investments in the student’s nutritional needs, now the Precious Vision School has the whole package!

In the long term the plan is for the School to be self sustaining and not reliant on donations, as such we have also been using donations to establish sustainable income genertion projects. News on these to follow soon...

Feeding the elderly in Guatemala

2011-01-27T06:52:00.000-08:00

In both Santa Maria and Itzapa, the communities in which we work in Guatemala project staff and volunteers were kept very busy helping families prepare for the New Year. Plan Ancianos, the food and support program for the elderly was first.

As usual we provided this neglected generation with food staples such as sugar, mosh, atol, rice, pastas, beans and soup. This time we have supplemented the packages with Pacaya plants- a fruit plant that will provide older people with vital nutrition once it is ready in four or five years. The recipients of the supplies are the grandparents of the children attending our schools, by supporting the older generation and bringing the community together we also bring focus to the schools and the benefit of educational for the children.

We kicked off the event with a piñata which the old ladies loved. We often have piñatas for the children but this was a first for the old folks. It was a absolute hit and brought much laughter and fun to welcome the year ahead.

Fundraising tips from Australia

2010-12-15T03:49:00.000-08:00

Australian GVI Volunteer Rebecca Perrone is volunteering in Kenya in January. In addition to volunteering Rebecca was keen support the project through the GVI Charitable Trust before she left home and has done an amazing job with nearly £3000 raised through her Just Giving page so far!

Rebecca's success is down to her determination, by thinking about her fundraising and putting the time in she has run a successful campaign. Rebecca says:

'Raising money prior to leaving Australia gave me a real sense of contribution and also created a very strong awareness amongst my social network of some of the issues in Africa and the project I would be involved in. Many people would love to give their time but for a variety of reasons cannot.'

I asked Rebecca how she managed to raise the funds and these were her top tips:

Networking and talking at every possible opportunity
Facebook- personal posts, links to fundraising page, public thanking of donors with a link to the fundraising page to inspire others
Direct marketing via monthly emails which became more frequent as the leaving date approached
Leaving do with farewell drinks and a raffle with a prize

As with all fundraisers for the GVI Charitable Trust we will provide Rebecca with news from the field to show how we used the donations and the impact they made. This can then be passed on to donors to thank them for their contribution and possibly inspire further action.

Thank you Rebecca for you hard work and have an amazing time volunteering in Kenya!

Fundraising in Ecuador

2010-12-09T08:26:00.000-08:00

GVI Ecuador project manager Tracey has come up with a great fundraising initiative for our sustainable community schemes.

Donations are used to purchase cows and guinea pig enclosures. The aim is to empower children by giving them an income stream to make sure that they are not excluded from education due to lack of funds. At the same time they learn a trade such as cheese and yogurt production or raising and selling Guinea Pigs.

The cows and guinea pig enclosures are expensive so to make this option available to more donors Tracey and her team have made artwork to value the different aspects of the cow and the value of a guinea pig and reached out to donors. By breaking a larger goal down it becomes more accessible.

Donors have already responded well to this imaginative campaign. If you would like to support sustainable community schemes in Ecuador you can donate here from the UK or here from North America. .

1st Guatemala Volcano challenge complete!

2010-11-30T02:30:00.000-08:00

Last week a group of enthusiastic and slightly crazy GVI volunteers and staff challenged themselves to scale 5 volcanoes in a week in Guatemala to raise funds for the GVI Charitable Trust projects.

The first volcano was the active and Pacaya volcano which made international news recently it violently erupted and covered half of the country in ash!

Next was the mighty Santa Maria, where after a 4am start the group were rewarded with spectacular views of the Guatemalan countryside and other active volcanoes.

Then on to Tajumulco, the highest point in Central America with views in to Mexico and El Salvador and a freezing summit!

The beautiful Lake Atitlan followed with the San Pedro volcano and finally for those who could still stand the impressive Acatenego which looms over the active Fuego and provides outstanding views.

A second group are tackling the challenge this week while last weeks challenges struggle to stand! This amazing challenge has raised a huge amount for the projects which is going to help us push on in to the New Year with a real buzz and lots of potential for development.

Many thanks to all of the Volcano Challengers and their supporters!

Mustache Party raises vital funds for Kenya!

2010-11-16T02:26:00.000-08:00

GVI Volunteer Peter Holmes was so affected by his experience in Kenya that he set about raising funds for the GVI Charitable Trust to support the program when he returned home to New York.

His mission was to raise funds for the Olives Rehabilitation Centre and the children 'that he misses with all of his heart.'

To do this Peter organised an event in the locally famous Stephen Talkhouse, with live bands and a mustache theme! Putting the time in to organise the event and publicize it well he was rewarded with a great turnout!

On the evening a portion of proceeds was donated and they sold $2 mustaches. Peter managed to raise $2000!

This is truly amazing and will help to bring real progress to the program in Kenya. We have seen lots of generous support recently and with the funds we have received we are making some huge strides on the ground.

Keep reading the blog to see how we put the funds to use! Thank you so much Peter and all supporters of the GVI Charitable Trust.

Donations help children in Kenya earn qualifications for the first time

2010-11-01T05:21:00.000-07:00

With thanks to generous donations through the GVI Charitable Trust children at the Olives Rehabilitation Centre in Mombassa, Kenya will be able to earn the KCPE (Kenyan Certificate in Primary Education) for the first time.

Staff and community members are hard at work building new classrooms which will house children as they progress through to Standard 8 to earn their KCPE.

Donations have also helped build a temporary kitchen to keep the children well fed, providing a balanced diet and helping the children concentrate in school.

The KCPE is necessarily for even the lowest skilled jobs in Kenya, now children at Olives will no longer have this barrier working against them.

Scholarships and Teacher Training in Laos

2010-10-25T07:58:00.001-07:00

Thanks to donations through the GVI Charitable Trust two Novice Monks have been sponsored for one years English classes at the Mekong English Centre. To select the Novices a meeting was held with the Abbot (Head Monk) of the temple who choose the beneficiaries. He chose wisely and the two Novices have been attending classes daily.

We are also going to be funding up to 10 Lao men and women to take part in the Teacher Training Program through the MEC which has a commitment to training Lao Nationals. Over the 6 month training program participants receive a wage and upon completion teachers are guaranteed a job for 2 years.

Rescue Elephants in Thailand

2010-10-13T03:19:00.000-07:00

We have started a new project in Thailand which aims to rescue working elephants.

A group of mahouts and elephant owners want to return to their community in the mountains of northern Thailand and bring their elephants back to live in the forest. These rescued elephants would otherwise be forced to find work performing in circus shows, giving rides to tourists, or begging on city streets

GVI has funded the rescue of a group of 5 elephants and their entry into the forest reintroduction program. With more funds we wil be able to increase the security of our small herd, and also to rescue more elephants and bring them into the program.

Mahouts and owners join our education and alternative livelihoods program along with their elephants to ensure they have a sustainable alternative form of work.

Read about and support this fantastic project here.

Project Aware Day in Mexico

2010-10-11T02:12:00.000-07:00

Despite the wind and the rain, the people of Mahahual teamed up with the GVI Mexico staff on the 25th September to mark Project Aware Day and remove rubbish from the town’s beaches. As part of the SUSTENTA campaign families of the town started to collect rubbish and plastic bottles from the 4th September. One little boy alone managed to fill 40 bags!

The amount of rubbish collected during September was immense, let alone the 2 tons they collected in only 3 hours on the 25th! A day well spent! The Activities finished with a ceremony to award the winning teams (ones with the most rubbish) with a water filter.

A very tough year for Guatemala

2010-09-10T07:44:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately after the brutal damage inflicted on fragile communities in Guatemala the weather has continued to bring destruction with continual heavy rain causing fatal mudslides and further crop damage.

Many people in the Indigenous communities simply don't have food or money to sustain themselves and worry greatly about next year into which they will bring no reserves.

The fantastic response to our Agatha appeal was so greatly appreciated and helped us to supply emergency food supplies, fast growing crops, building repairs and structural reinforcement in preparation for the next time. In the schools we have also been able to give the kids raincoats to help prevent them from getting drenched each time they walk to school hoping to reduce illness.

We will continue working with the communities through these hard times and so thankful for your support.

2010-09-07T09:06:00.000-07:00

Our school meals program in Lake Atitlan Guatemala is continuing as ever. The children receive bread, tamales and atol (a fortified corn based drink) and fruit. The students are also receiving chuchitos which are made from corn meal and filled with chicken. At the moment there are pineapples and melons in the market so we are able to offer these as well.

The children love all the great food we are able to provide them. Many children come to school on an empty stomach and would find it very hard to concentrate without something to eat. We also have more students than ever and we believe the food program is drawing the children to our school and giving them an opportunity to receive an education and a well- balanced diet.

Thank you so much for the support, it's great to see how effective something as simple as this can be.

Disaster Relief for Pakistan

2010-08-25T12:29:00.000-07:00

As Pakistan battles an unprecedented catastrophe the GVI Charitable Trust are supporting local organisations who are effectively supporting and working with victims of the devastating floods.

Monsoons have flooded one-fifth of Pakistan displacing thousands of families and leaving millions homeless. Funds are needed to get supplies to where they are most needed. We have started a fundraising campaign to help.

The GVI Charitable Trust are supporting local organisations UM Healthcare and Shine Humanity who have a medical clinic close to a heavily devastated area and run outreach missions to remote communities. Donations will pay for food aid, safe drinking water, medicines, vaccinations, emergency equipment, ambulance rental, fuel, food, water and logistics to get these supplies through the difficult terrain.

For UK donations please visit our Just Giving page here, for donations from North America please visit our Global Giving page here. Any support will be hugely appreciated and make a real difference to the people of Pakistan during this difficult time.

New School in Nicaragua!

2010-07-26T07:49:00.001-07:00

Thanks to donations through the GVI Charitable Trust we have been able to fund a new School in the rural community of Chiresa, Nicaragua.

The school was officially opened on July 5th 2010 with over 180 students, GVI volunteers certainly have their work cut out for them now!

GVI staff’s "interesting" trek hauling a truck full of school materials such as tables, chairs and white-boards on roads full of pot holes, steep climbs and mud was well worth it. As they entered the community a crescendo of noise could be heard and when they reached the school, parents, children and community leaders applauded at full pitch.

Volunteer skydives for Indigenous kids in Ecuador

2010-07-21T10:22:00.001-07:00

Victoria Allison volunteered with GVI in Ecuador providing educational support for Indigenous children and is now committed to the cause. When she returned home to Australia she wanted to continue the support and decided to raise funds.

Victoria did her dive with The Australian Skydive Company in Cairns and through her Just Giving page managed to raise £1000 for the project. You can see a terrifying video of the dive here!

Fantastic effort Victoria, thanks so much and you know how much this will help the kids.

Agatha Food Distribution Guatemala

2010-06-16T09:37:00.001-07:00

Thanks to the incredible fundraising response from our supporters we have started aid for communities in Guatemala.

In Santa Maria De Jesus, 90% of crops and several houses were destroyed with many other houses suffering structural damage. Saddest of all some family members were killed.

With the funding we distributed emergency food supplies, Maiz for tortillas and sugar to the families of children we teach. The Maiz will be sufficient to provide tortillas for a family for a whole month which will help greatly during this difficult time.

Lack of food, even more than before, is now a huge problem for Indigenous communities in Guatemala.

We are working on mid and long-term strategies and aid, which include will include distributing seeds and reconstruction. This is all thanks to your support, thank you so much!

Recent Achievments

2010-06-10T14:07:00.000-07:00

The GVI Charitable Trust helps to connect you to issues you care about so that you can make a difference. Donations are quickly and efficiently put to use in the field and help us to take great strides. Here are some of our achievements over recent months:

In Latin America we have been able to construct new classrooms providing more children with education, introduce secondary education in the community of San Rafael in Honduras, feed the neglected older generations and employ local teachers.

In Kenya we have been able to assist in the construction of an Orphanage providing materials, beds, sheets, mosquito nets and clothing. We have donated vital funds to help reopen a dispensary, funded the installation of a solar power system for the Mkwiro Primary school and helped fund scholarships, rain water harvesting tanks, waste water recycling projects and land for the Olives rehabilitation centre.

We want to thank you for your help so far and hope that you will continue to support us.

We will continue to update progress here so stay tuned!

New Mexico project

2010-06-08T09:11:00.000-07:00

Help us to Establish a recycling centre in Mexico.

The aim of the program is to encourage community members of Punta Allen, situated within the UNESCO Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, to participate so it becomes an example to the rest of the region.

The grass roots initiative Punta Allen Verde aims to assist the community to start a recycling program. Community members wish to create and build a recycling centre where the recyclable waste can be temporarily stored once separated.

We will set up workshops in town and place containers in the town and school. We will explain the reason for the program and separation techniques.

The program will initially focus on children in the village and then women's groups and co -ops.

All the plastic, metal and glass collected will be sold thus gaining revenue to fund and maintain the recycling centre.

Support this project on Just Giving and Global Giving.

Tropical Storm Agatha

2010-06-07T08:41:00.000-07:00

The GVI Charitable Trust was started in 2005 to help in Guatemala after our communities were devastated by Hurricane Stan, we received amazing support then and now in 2010 another tragedy has sadly struck the communities with Tropical Storm Agatha, we have received amazing support again. Many of you have helped with our appeal and kindly donated over the past few days helping us to near £15000 on our Just Giving page. This is fantastic news and will help us to support the communities during this very difficult time.

We will update on progress as we start to give out some food supplies amid rising food prices due to crop destruction.

Thank you so much for your support and as always more donations are need so if you know anyone that can help please see our page here.