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Friday, August 28, 2009

Project Jatropha is Branching Out!

Hello everyone,

This is Callie Roberts, Finance & Fundraising Coordinator, and leader of Project Jatropha's Branching Out Movement. We want to spread awareness and knowledge about more humanitarian causes, as continue to pursue our original goals of helping the environment, as well as the impoverished! While Adarsha and Apoorva were visiting Southern India, this summer, I stayed here in California and started collecting shoes, especially flip flops. Throughout the summer, I collected 2 crates of both new and used shoes and flip flops from my swim club, which I will give to The Flip Flop Fleet, which distributes the shoes to children in Haiti, so their parents don’t have to choose between feeding their children and getting them shoes.

Along with shoes, I have collected about 8 large bags of clothing, which will also be donated to the children in Haiti.

Lastly, through out the summer, I have gathered children’s French books, for Sirona Fuels’s literacy project in Grand Goave, Haiti, which will eventually go in a new library that will be built at the Mission of Hope School. (Exciting Newsflash: Michelle Lacourciere of Sirona Cares has just begun to get the new school and library set up!) In addition, I earned $250 from teaching swim lessons this summer, which I will use to acquire new children’s French books.

It is our goal to continue collecting flip-flops, French children’s books, and clothing throughout the school year to be delivered to India and Haiti next summer. I have also been collecting reading books and workbooks for elementary children for distribution in local areas where there is also a need. I have collected over 300 books and workbooks over the past year.

Project Jatropha has plans to spread news about our project and the issues we are working on with local schools and businesses in hopes of generating more support. We are continuing our Project Jatropha website and this blog, so please leave comments or suggestions! Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much for following our blog. We hope that we have inspired you to take action, too. In the end, our goal is to spread awareness about action that needs to be taken, and hopefully take several positive leaps toward tackling the problems.

Much Love,
Callie

Some Pictures:
Callie with some of the clothing she collected this summer!


Callie with one of the crates of flip flops and other shoes! Sincere thanks to my swim team for their generosity!


Callie with 2 boxes of French children's books!

3 comments:

  1. Hi Callie,
    It is great that you are expanding the project into different areas to raise funds. Are you going to sell the collected items to discount stores for very minimal price? That is a great way to raise funds.I know an organization which will buy these items from you. They also distribute to various NPOs all over the world. Please let me know if you need help in connecting with them. I have lots of experience in this area. It looks like Project Jatropha is coming along very well.

    Mrs. Andorra

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  2. Hi Mrs. Andorra,

    I am expanding Project Jatropha, not to raise funds, but to spread awareness about other issues that the world must address. I want people to understand that Project Jatropha is still focused on saving the environment, helping poor farmers, and delving into the science of the Jatropha biofuel, but also that we are aware that help is needed elsewhere too. I am going to donate the French books, the flip flops, and the clothing to Sirona Cares, and they will be taking them to children in Haiti. Also, I am spreading Project Jatropha into the local area as well. I have been collecting English reading and work books to donate to unpriviledged schools in the local area. Thank you for offering your help. We greatly appreciate it, but right now I think we are doing pretty well.

    Thanks for following,
    Love,
    Callie

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  3. Hi Callie,
    I am sorry, I think I got confused. As your title says you are fund raising coordinator, I kind of assumed this is a fund collecting tactic. I have some very good ideas for fund raising. May be I will contact Apurva and see if she is interested. Great work overall!
    God Bless You All
    Mrs. Andorra

    ReplyDelete