By Kate Robey | Charitable Trust Operations Manager
Dear Supporters,
We are celebrating!
We have reached a major milestone, we have raised £1, 500, 000 since our inception in 2005! That's just over US$2 million. It’s incredible when you stop to think about it. All that money going to make a difference to communities and environments around the world.
Thank you!
Thank you to all of our donors, volunteers, alumni, staff and project partners who really drive the fundraising efforts. You really are the difference. Without your unending passion and commitment, we would never have been able to reach this point.
Here are some of the highlights over the last 10 years
- The GVI Charitable Trust was set up in 2005 to help with disaster relief following the devastation caused by Hurricane Stan in Guatemala. After an overwhelming response from past volunteers, the GVI Charitable Trust was firmly established. From there things have grown organically and we have set up funds for all of our GVI projects, and extended our help to a number of external partners too.
- The GVI Charitable Trust has helped construct fuel efficient stoves for 120 families in Guatemala and Honduras. These stoves reduce the amount of wood that is burnt and the exposure to smoke inhalation, which is very unhealthy.
- Kenya introduced free primary education too all children, which saw a huge influx of children attending schools. However, secondary school was not free, which meant that most students were dropping out after their primary education. During 2008 the GVI Charitable Trust was able to provide full scholarships to 12 secondary school students in Mkwiro, Kenya. We are still supporting a feeding program and assisting in salary support in Kenya.
- In 2010 we partnered with a project in Brazil that offers a day care facility to the at-risk and street children of Salvador, Brazil. Our partner, Grandma Clara’s Educational Dream, provides daily meals, a safe environment and access to qualified and dedicated teachers to the children. Since its inception this project has raised £132 226.
- Thailand was devastated by massive and devastating floods in 2011. We raised an incredible £155 746 to help distribute relief packages, assist the clean-up operation and help rebuild schools, community centres and temples.
- In 2011 we launched our ‘Transitioning to Low Carbon Operations’ project. Many of the projects that we support work towards positive and environmental practices. The first project that we worked on was training communities in Kenya in methods of alternative charcoal production, in conjunction with a reforestation project. Since then we have transformed our base on Curieuse Island in the Seychelles to be as carbon neutral as possible, purchased solar panels for our base in Pez Maya Mexico and most recently started on helping our Jalova base in Costa Rica become carbon neutral.
- In 2012, we opened a community centre in Roncador, Costa Rica in an effort to increase the number of hours that children are able to attend school. The centre is a fun, educational and safe-zone in a community that is rife with drug use and broken family life.
- In Thailand in 2013, the GVI Charitable Trust helped set up an elephant clinic, funded workshops to teach locals about sustainable farming and put mahouts through ethical elephant training. We were also able to support an additional 2 elephants to live freely in the forest.
- In Laos every year the Charitable Trust sponsors at least 16 novice monks so that they can continue their studies at the temple schools around Luang Prabang.
- During 2014 the team in Fiji used funding from the Charitable Trust to add 1 million litres of rainwater harvesting capacity to drought prone Yasawas
- In 2015 we assisted our partners at Karongwe Game Reserve in South Africa in a de-horning the remaining rhinos. It is a controversial decision to make, but due to being heavily hit by poaching during the preceding years, we felt it was the right decision to make in the effort to conserve the rhinos.
- During the course of 2015, the GVI Charitable Trust financed the construction of 14 ‘monsoon proof’ houses, build walkways and constructed a playground in Santhom Slum in India
- We collected £70 154 for the earthquake recovery effort in Nepal.
- 2015 was our most successful year to date and we collected a record breaking £279 884 for all of our projects.
- After the recent Cyclone Winston in Fiji our alumni overwhelmed us with support. We had over 450 individuals donate over £33 000 in just a few weeks, and funds are still coming in.
Thank you to each and every one of you who has shown your support to use over the past 10 years.
You are the difference!
With Immense Gratitude,
The GVI Charitable Trust
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