2009 has continued to be an amazing year for GHA! We are still building & nurturing relationships here in Panama from city mayors to government offices, private donors, service agencies & religious organizations. GHA has proven to cross all lines & simply assist with “getting the job done”.
For 2010, GHA will have an even greater impact. Volunteers are already signing up for the year & we are strategizing with various partners to implement much-needed programming & support. In partnership with Dead Wheat Foundation Intl. we will be extending GHA volunteer expeditions throughout Costa Rica & Nicaragua.
We recently launched our “Spring Break Panama” Expeditions. Leading off these trips for 2010 is Columbia University’s Global Health Organization & Susan Aldrich, Dir. of Bibliotecas 4 Ben. Columbia U. has organized 25 students to assist with the Red Cross’ Aids/HIV Awareness & Education Campaign. Susan Aldrich, following up her recent visit, already has a group coming to help furnish a much-needed library & learning center in an impoverished neighborhood in David, Panama. We greatly look forward to working with these groups & many more.
As you can already see, we are well on our way for 2010, but we NEED your help NOW to finish 2009. With all the work that has been accomplished, we still have a little fundraising to do. GHA needs a little push to the New Year. If you are able, please consider GHA for a tax-deductible donation this year. There are a couple of ways that you can help: MONTHLY SUPPORT SINGLE DONATION
(GHA is a non-profit organization that relies on your financial kindness.)
Our main points of focus for 2010 will be high impact:
Volunteer Recruitment - GHA volunteer recruitment has been greatly increased for 2010. Our global recruitment focus is being implemented through – Web Marketing, Social Networking, Civic Groups, Religious Organizations, Corporate Human Resource Departments & University Marketing Campaigns. GHA’s mission is to provide its volunteers with the most empowering experience. We accomplish this by focusing on the volunteer experience & by partnering with service agencies to implement programs.
Dead Wheat Foundation Intl. - We have prepared an aggressive Logistical & Volunteer Support Plan to distribute molds for building cleaner burning cooking stoves throughout indigenous regions in Central America. GHA volunteers will be heading into the highlands of Panama or across the border to Costa Rica & Nicaragua. “Smoke inhalation and burns from cooking over 3-rock open stoves in enclosed huts is reported to account for 90% of all health issues for women and children in Panama’s Comarca. Along with Dr. Maria Ruiz (Ruiz Coffee) we have been researching and developing a high-efficiency wood burning stove that releases no smoke and uses approximately 10-15% of the current wood fuel consumption.” Source: www.deadwheat.com
GHA’s partnership with the Panama Red Cross will allow for much broader distribution here in Panama & we are working to present the program to the International Federation for the rest of Latin America. When you combine Dead Wheat Foundation Intl. with GHA’s volunteers & donors, 2010 will see dramatic changes in air & life quality for the indigenous people of Panama, Costa Rica & Nicaragua.
$30 = cost of a single mold
150 = # of molds to be distributed through Panama, Costa Rica & Nicaragua in 2010
250 = # of stoves produced from a single mold
1,500 = # of persons benefitting from a single mold (conservatively based on an average indigenous family size of 6)
225,000 = # of persons benefitting from cleaner air in 2010 because of this GHA+Dead Wheat+Red Cross Partnership.
For more on how you can join one of our expeditions in 2010 email us today at info@goGHA.org
Casa Hogar Trisker - Nutrition has been a long-standing problem for this local orphanage. With a sparse budget there is little room for much more that rice & beans. GHA is introducing a long-term solution to this basic necessity. Again, we will utilize technology from our partnership with Dead Wheat Intl. Foundation. We will fill the nutritional void these children face every day through an aquaponics system managed by GHA & dedicated to Casa Hogar Trisker. We will be able to provide the nutrition that these 40+ children need with fresh produce, eggs, poultry & fish. For more about aquaponics, CLICK HERE (GHA is in the process of seeking a grant for this Nutritional Program.)
Bibliotecas 4 Ben – This is an initiative started by Susan Aldrich. With GHA’s coordination, Susan has already supported multiple education programs here in Panama. Her current focus for 2010 is a feeding center in David, Panama that provides approximately 170 children with a daily meal. Susan has joined with Father David to further provide these children with a much-needed Library & Learning Center. In this area, most homes are without electricity not to mention a suitable space to study. Susan’s passion for books & Father David’s passion for providing a future for these children is an excellent opportunity for ALL. Susan has honored the Pickett Family by memorializing her initiative for Benjamin Seth Pickett.
Red Cross, Disaster Management - We have all seen how planning can drastically change the outcome of a natural disaster, how simple things can be the difference between life & death. GHA is working both locally in the Boquete area, as well as nationally with the Panama Red Cross to create & implement Disaster Preparedness Plans. We have already started training classes for the local community & are working with numerous organizations to create the most effective plan possible. We will continue to work with the National Red Cross Headquarters to provide the country of Panama with appropriate & effective solutions. Our focus is on communications, planning & logistics.
Search & Rescue - Panama, as beautiful as it is, still poses countless dangers. From the mountains to the rivers, Panama’s untamed jungles are nothing to be taken for granted. This past year, we have experienced this all too often with missing hikers. (Including ill-fated outcomes.) GHA has been involved with a number of these incidents. We have celebrated some outcomes, while others have left us searching for answers.
We are working with the Red Cross, SINEPROC & local communities to ensure that “Search & Rescue” operations are as effective as possible. We are in the process of designing a hiker safety campaign, “The Adventure Begins Here, Don’t Let It End Here”, that our volunteers will implement in the areas surrounding the Baru Volcano (where the majority of these instances take place).
Monthly Pledges - monthly support from donors like yourselves ensures that GHA is able to continue providing these critical programs. GHA is founded on the basis that if you take the big picture & break it into parts, then we will all have our piece of the puzzle. Goal for 2010 = 250 supporters to give on average $25/month. – generating $75,000 in life-changing donations.
We are ALL stronger TOGETHER! Join & support GHA today!
In addition to building our monthly pledges, we will raise funding through: GENERAL DONATIONS, GRANTS, FUNDRAISERS & CORPORATE SPONSORSHIPS. For more on how you can support GHA, feel free to email us at donations@gogha.org
At the close of 2010, GHA’s partnership initiatives will have provided food, water, safety, shelter, & education for over 250,000 people throughout Panama, Costa Rica & Nicaragua… and, these are just the bi-products of our mission! (Not to mention our impact on Panama’s National Disaster Preparedness)
GHA will have coordinated nearly 250 volunteers from around the globe, giving a combined total of approximately 2,500 days of service. The long-term impact of GHA, our donors & our volunteers will be nothing less than life changing for everyone. The ripple effects will never be fully realized, for that we are grateful & confident that we changed the world for more than a few.
GHA encourages & provides incentives for volunteers to continue their service as they return home. Our goal for 2010 is that our volunteers will duplicate their time in the field when they return home, providing a minimum of 2,500 more days of service in their own communities for 2010. (Not to mention the years following!)
To sum things up, a few words from a recent song by Nickelback, “If Today Was Your Last Day”.
“…against the grain should be a way of life
What’s worth the price is always worth the fight,
Every second counts ’cause there’s no second try…
So do whatever it takes
’cause you can’t rewind a moment in this life,
Let nothing stand in your way…
If tomorrow was your last day
Would you live each moment like your last?”
PLEASE join with us today as we change our perspectives, the lives of thousands & the world for many more.
Why GHA? Because…“we are leaving things better than the way that we found them”.
Thank you for supporting GHA this Holiday Season & throughout 2010.
We NEED your HELP today, CLICK HERE
With great appreciation,
D. Robb Pickett
“If you’re not making a difference, Do Something Different”
