By Dom Williams | Founder and Director
Latin America continues to struggle to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic with cases remaining stubbornly high, hospitals close to breaking point and a slow vaccine rollout delaying a return to some sort of normality. Classroom-based teaching, apart from staggered teaching in Ecuador, has not been permitted in the countries where we work since March 2020 and the students have been unable to receive virtual classes due to lack of internet or devices. Our local teachers continue to make regular visits to the communities to hand out homework and answer questions individually. Due to their parents’ lack of education or basic literacy, in most cases non-existent, these visits are the only opportunity for the students to ask questions and get feedback.
We have started a communal sustainable plan in Ecuador, involving chickens, guinea pigs and chanchos (pigs) which will provide regular income for emergency supplies over the coming months, particularly for the elderly and vulnerable. We will be making substantial investment in more sustainable plans for the families this year and into 2022.
The Easter Fanesca (traditional bean and potato-based soup) was somewhat different this year due to bans on communal meetings. We purchased the ingredients so the Fanesca could be made in the school by our local teachers and some mothers which was then taken back home in pots so the families could enjoy it together with their elderly relatives.
The sewing business we implemented last year in Guatemala continues to be a success and we have added more single mothers over the past few months, including mothers of the recipients of our scholarships. We even have some elderly members of the community keen to learn new techniques to be able to generate their own income.
As we implement more sustainable income plans over the coming months, a percentage will be going towards the elderly for emergency supplies.
This year’s GlobalGiving Bonus Day will be celebrated is on 14th July where donations between $100 and $1,000 will be matched at varying levels whilst funds remain from 9am Eastern Time. The following matching structure will apply:
Donations of $100 - $499 will be matched at 15%
Donations of $500 - $749 will be matched at 30%
Donations of $750 - $1,000 will be matched at 50%
With fundraising events having been put on hold for the past year and half this is a fantastic way to help us raise the extra funds we need to keep the projects and education going in all our countries. If you can, please do donate early from 9am ET on 14th July to take advantage of the matching bonusses as the extra funds tend to go quite quickly and thank you so much in advance!
We are also looking for partnerships with businesses as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility programs as we look to implement more sustainable income plans in all our communities over the coming years. If you know of a company looking to expand their own CSR program and wanting to support projects in Latin America, please do email me on info@thephoenixprojects.org By using the tax benefits for all US taxpaying companies by donating through GlobalGiving it is a CSR program which is beneficial to all parties, especially if the donation is made on the July 14th Bonus Day!
Thanks again for all your support and all the best for the second half of 2021
Cheers
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By Dom Williams | Founder and Director
By Dom Williams | Founder and Director
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