By Ric Poolman | Co-founder and Board Member
Dear Friend,
As this year draws to a close, we find ourselves reflecting with heartfelt gratitude on the journey we’ve shared. We are deeply thankful for this year's training activites and for the steadfast support of individuals like you who have walked alongside us.
This year, our training efforts have made a meaningful impact. We were able to train 78 individuals so far (still hoping to reach about 100 this year), including enthusiastic youths aged 10 to 18, a dedicated group of women, and many people with disabilities. (pic 1)
We’re pleased to share that our three recent apprentices have successfully completed their program and are now working together at the same company. Their fellowship continues beyond the workplace as they regularly attend an outside event together. Additionally, our very first apprentice remains an integral part of our global team, contributing his skills as a freelance web app developer. (pic 2)
This month there were trainings for a children's home and at the government foundation for disabled people. (pics 3&4)
Our HR web applications have also provided lasting benefits to The Family Connection Foundation, streamlining staff information management and simplifying reporting processes, particularly for foreign staff members. (pic 5)
Your generous contributions through the years have made touching these lives possible.
Final Chapter
However, alongside these accomplishments, we must also share some difficult news. Despite it being our most active year for training, DigiServe will be closing at the end of this year. A significant decline in donations over the past two years has made it challenging to meet our financial commitments. While we borrowed funds from our parent foundation to support payroll, we eventually faced the hard decision to reduce staff to manage expenses. Even with our current lean team, we have been unable to fully repay the debt incurred.
Additionally, finding participants for our IT training programs has become more challenging. Changes in partnerships and financial constraints have affected our ability to sustain the apprenticeship program. Despite these obstacles, we are grateful for the many participants we’ve had the privilege to train this year. However, we don’t believe that we will have the same opportunities next year.
After thoughtful consideration, the Board has decided to conclude our operations and ministry by year’s end. Though this is not the outcome we envisioned, we believe it aligns with the path we are meant to follow.
As we approach our final chapter, we aim to conclude with integrity by settling our outstanding debt. If you feel led to support us in this effort, please consider a special gift to help us finish well:
Your support throughout the years has truly made a difference. Thank you for standing with us through times of growth and challenge. If you have any questions or would like more details about our plans and remaining needs, I would be honored to connect with you.
With sincere gratitude
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
