Posts Tagged ‘africa’
LIQUA AND LEAPINGSTONE
Friday, March 11th, 2011
Liqua and Robbie
We are happy to report that Liqua is now sending us weekly reports from Dédékè. She has sent two reports, and here is what she has to say. The children are very happy with the first three classrooms and the new desks and chairs.
There has been a issue with the gutter to the cistern, this was news to us. We have passed this information on to the contractor who will fix the problem. The cistern is just a start for this village. They really need a proper well. Once the well is dug, the cistern can act as a back up should the well need repairs.
The contractor has started digging the latrines. We expect to get weekly reports and photos from them as the work progresses.
Claire
There is a lively Thursday market happening in Dédékè! Yeah!! Lots of good things happening. With Claire’s help, the women have opened their bank account. They have been selling corn. The oil used for the soap making has taken a big jump in price, so they are holding off making soap until the price drops again.
On a completely different note, — we want to ask those of you who have yet to “like” us on FaceBook, please go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/LeapingStone/136338933055735 and click the thumbs up sign. Please tell just one friend about what we are doing. Ask them to “like” us. We are working as fast as we can to raise the funds to finish the school. If you have any ideas about how to help, we would love to hear from you. Our supporters have been so great, and we know lots of you are full of ideas. Please don’t be shy about making suggestions. We would love to hear from you. Cheers!
Finally, Fotos!
Thursday, March 3rd, 2011Not exactly the photo we expected! Here are the finished desks and benches waiting to be loaded onto the truck for delivery.
These desks have been delivered and are being used now. We are hoping to get pictures of the children and the desks in the classroom soon. Paul, our Liaison Officer, is away from Togo on business. When he returns in April, he has promised to send us more shots.
The three larger desks and chairs are for the teachers.
We also wanted to let you know we received the largest check yet from our S.H.A.R.E.S. card program — $45.11!! This is such a great program because it allows people to donate by just doing their regular grocery shopping at no additional cost to the shopper. If you shop at Lucky, Food Maxx, Save Mart, or Smart Foods, you can help us. Let us know, and we will send you a card that you swipe each time you shop. The store then sends us up to 3% of your total purchase price. If you want to participate, please let us know by email at Natalie@leapingstone.org or leave a response below. Thank you. Cheers!
Leaping Over FRUSTRATING Hurdles
Friday, February 25th, 2011
We have been dealing with some frustration here at LeapingStone. The desks and chairs are finished and delivered to the school, but we won’t have pictures to show you until sometime in March. Our Liaison Officer, Paul Agboglo has been out of the country. He returns on February 28. Hopefully he will have time to send us some pics before he leaves again.
We have also been delayed in starting Phase II of our project — latrines and hand-washing stations — because of having to deal with Togolese bank fees. Because we feel so strongly about being the guardians of your donations, we have been trying to work out a way to deal with the bank fees for the transfer of funds. Although it will be impossible to avoid all bank fees, we have managed to design a plan that will at least minimize them for Phase II.
The contract has been signed and sent as of today!! We plan for the funds to be transferred next week. The contractor has 7 days to start the work after receipt of the funds. We should be good to go. We will keep you posted.
We are always looking for ways to let people know what LeapingStone is doing. If you know of a group who needs a speaker to make a presentation, please leave feedback below. We would love to spread the word.
