April-May 2014 PDF

NEWSLETTER
April / May 2014
Welcome to The Golder Trust for Orphans Newsletter, where you’ll find the latest
information about how your contributions are helping improve lives. You will also
find out what employees around the world are doing to help, and how you can get
involved in helping us create sustainable solutions that make a difference!
Golder Associates employees make a difference in Zimbabwe!
In March 2014, the GTO held another successful volunteer
trip, this time in rural Zimbabwe. This group of colleagues
(right) came together from around the world to join the
GTO to help ACET Zimbabwe, an organisation that helps the
children and community in the rural area of Matopos. ACET’s
team coordinates a large group of community volunteers who
provide many services to uplift the community including daily
feeding programs for almost 3,000 children, home based care
for child headed households and palliative care for terminally ill
patients.
1st GTO Volunteer 2014 Team:
•
Cameron Clayton – Burnaby
•
Maeve Murphy – Burnaby
•
Sue Longo – Calgary
•
Kelly Maher – Markham
•
Kristen Myers – London
•
Duncan Saunders – Bourne End
•
Justin Galae – Edmonton
•
Christoph Armstrong - Brisbane
Upon arrival, the team settled into what would be called
“home” for the week at a base camp set up on the ACET
Zimbabwe grounds. A group H&S briefing was conducted
and then everyone jumped right into a series of basketball
games; playing against teams of older children from the local
community. This was a great way to introduce our group into
the community as quite a large crowd gathered to watch
our volunteers put up a good fight…but the children were
victorious each time!
The pre-determined main task for the week with the team was
to build a 2,000 bird chicken house. This is the first chicken
house to begin the rural egg production enterprise for ACET
Zimbabwe. This income generating project has been set up to
incorporate a partnership with Ebenezer, a local out-grower
operation and agricultural training facility. This organisation
will assist in the purchasing and distribution of whatever eggs
are not sold locally by ACET. This project has been strategically
developed to generate profit that will provide sustainable
support towards the ongoing operating costs of ACET’s
initiatives.
To ensure that the volunteers understood the entire picture, the
group paid a visit to the Ebenezer Training facilities. They met
and received a presentation from the Ebenezer staff along with
a tour of the facilities. As the GTO has recently invested in the
expansion of the Ebenezer facilities it was a great opportunity
for the team to see first-hand yet another way the GTO donor
dollars are working to make a difference in a sustainable way.
Local members of the community were hired to help with the
construction of the building. This not only provided jobs for
the week but it also provided an opportunity for training and
transferring skills that can be used to gain future employment.
It also allowed the GTO volunteers to work alongside these
local members of the community to gain a better understanding
of what life is like for them.
Due to the poor health in the area and high HIV/AIDS rate,
there any many children who have been left living in childheaded households (CHH). Another aspect of ACET’s support
is providing care and multi-layered support for the almost 300
children living in CHH in their region. Our volunteers hosted a
special day for these children and those living positively (with
AIDS). The children were very excited and over 150 of them
came from all over the region to share in a special lunch of beef
and rice. After lunch the volunteers played games with the
children and handed out some sweets. Good times were had by
all!
Another critical service that ACET provides to the rural
community is a feeding program in the schools. Each day
some of the 202 ACET volunteers visit local schools to make
and serve a meal to the children. This meal of porridge, with
a small amount of peanut butter for protein, is the only meal
that some of the children will have all day. Our GTO volunteers
spent a morning working alongside the ACET volunteers
and helped out at 2 of the schools. They were able to gain a
better understanding of how critical this program is to the
children and the community. Through discussions with the
ACET volunteers, school staff and the children themselves our
GTO volunteers got to see just how big of an impact ACET is
making and how necessary it is to ensure their efforts will be
sustainable.
One afternoon, the GTO volunteers gathered together with
ACET’s volunteers, who are a group of people committed to
supporting the local community as ACET’s representatives.
After a few special welcome songs, the ACET volunteers
explained their efforts, outlined their main struggles, listed the
main challenges of the area and shared their desires for ways
people can help them. .After this exchange, both groups came
together to in celebration and shared a special moment of
dancing together.
Thanks to each of the Golder volunteers who worked hard to
make this trip such a success! It is thanks to their efforts that
the GTO is closer to helping ACET becomes sustainable in its
efforts to help children.
Our second trip of 2014 is scheduled for late October. Interested
in being a part of this or another future trip? Check out
information for our 2nd trip later in this newsletter and email
[email protected] to have your name included to be
considered.
Updates from our Projects
GTO’s Third NGO Workshop Builds Community and Skills
In March, leaders from each of the charities
that receive support from the GTO were
brought together to share best practices,
learn enterprise development skills and build
a stronger sense of community. The GTO
hosts this gathering every two years to spark
new ideas and create the opportunity for
each organisation to learn from each other
through sharing experiences and key learnings,
ultimately improving everyone’s capabilities to
help children.
This year the 2 day workshop was held in
Tanzania at Rhotia Valley Tented Lodge and
Children’s Home, with a group visit to Food
Water Shelter only a few hours away.
This event also provides an opportunity for the
GTO to further strengthen our relationship with
each of the NGOs and our key contacts within
the organisations.
Here is the feedback received after the workshop from some of our NGOs:
“I just wanted to say a very big thank
you for the fantastic few days that I
had the privilege of spending with your
team and the other NGO’s that you
support. It was an extraordinarily
humbling experience for me to see
what the other organisations are
doing, often with so few basic
resources at hand, and yet they are so
enthusiastic and committed to helping
their communities.
“ I picked up lots of ideas and areas
where we can improve.”
…. “GTO has been a huge part in
supporting us and helping us to
grow towards sustainability. Each
conference has challenged us to be
better organised, more efficient and
achieve more. GTO has added huge
value to our work and calling. We
are very grateful.”
- Andrew Wartnby, Hope Farm
...Everything went so smoothly because
you are such an efficient team but it is
your unmistakable passion that shines
out of all of you which makes being
part of the Golder family so
rewarding.”
- Lindsay Owen, Nokuphila School
“Well, I am very thankful for the
precious assistance provided By GTO.
It would be quite difficult to provide
for our orphans without your
contribution.”
- Carlos Vilanculos
“…I feel there is much more that can
be done in terms of
entrepreneurship for sustainable
support for children rather than just
clinical support. Personally now I feel
so empowered towards beginning a
home for OVCs and running
sustainable projects for support. I
also know that if projects can be
initiated and managed well, then
OVCs have a secured future.”
“Now we feel part of the GTO
family. Unlike before where NGO’s
were scared of reporting the truth
even if it’s a genuine failure, NGO’s
discussed their challenges openly
and GTO encouraged and supported
them. I wish to thank GTO for
extending such great warmth to
NGO’s. Please keep it up.”
- Lydia Korir, Kijabe Hospital
“I personally experience an open
helpful relationship with the GTO.
They are there to help where they
can with technical information and
financial support without taking the
project out of your hand to
manage.”
- Tobie Vermaak, Jireh Development
Updates from our Projects
New cheese factory up and running at Lewa Children’s
Home and Baraka Farm
you are looking for the best Gouda in
1994 IfKenya,
look no further than Baraka Farm
2009
at Lewa Children’s Home. Baraka Farm
has been an income generating enterprise
established to provide a sustainable source
of funding to support the children’s home.
The farm is involved in many things, one of
which has been making cheese. Over the
past 10 years they have grown from a very
small operation to recently producing their
first batch of cheese in their new cheese
factory, which was funded by the Golder
Trust for Orphans. With high demand for
this top quality product, and now the means
to mass produce their cheese, Lewa is
moving forward to ensuring they are set up
sustainably to continue with their efforts to
help the children.
2014
Lewa begins training course for local farmers.
Lewa Children’s Home and Baraka Farm
have recently developed the “Practical
Dairy Training Centre” and begun a
training course for small scale farmers.
This additional income generating
project for Lewa provides local farmers
with the opportunity to spend 5 days
exploring a variety of topics and key
learnings gained from the development
of Baraka Farm; another excellent way to
uplift the community and gain much
needed funds to support the children.
Stories to Inspire Us
Golder volunteer inspires tourists to support the GTO
Cameron Clayton, a GTO volunteer participant, met up with a group of tourists
after the volunteer trip had ended and shared a moving experience. Being a
huge GTO supporter, and having just finished up the trip, he spent quite a bit of
time talking about the GTO and answering questions on a cruise he was invited
to join. Cam joined the group again for dinner and, out of gratitude for their
kindness, covered the bill.
The group pooled together over $200 USD and all twelve agreed that the money
should be donated to the GTO.
“...a donation from 3 Americans, 2 Germans, 1 French, 2 Norwegians,
an Australian, a Zimbabwean, a Swiss, and a Belgian – all on vacation,
but inspired by the work that GTO does.” Cam Clayton
Many thanks to Cam for continuing to be such a wonderful ambassador for the GTO!
Fundraising News
The passion, creativity and hours of volunteered time given by our employees to the GTO is very much
appreciated. Every dollar goes a long way in helping improve the lives of children in the projects we
support. Sincere thanks to each and every one of you who make the decision to help in some way.
Here are some fundraising stories from around the Golder world:
Calgary’s WAAMStock Makes
Music for the GTO
Big Achievement for
“Biggest Loser 2.0” Campaign
For the past few years the Calgary office has
hosted an annual musical event called
WAAMStock, where talented Golder staff
provide an evening of musical entertainment for Golder colleagues, friends, family
and clients. This year’s WAAMStock was
another success, raising almost $9,000 CDN
for the GTO.
The Walnut Creek office put their money where
their stomachs were to help the GTO. Fifteen
employees asked friends and colleagues to
sponsor them as they lost the holiday bulge.The
participants jumped on the scale and collected
donations for their pounds lost. The total
weight lost by the group was 112lbs, with the
biggest individual winner losing 23 lbs, which
raised $1,000 USD for the GTO. Way to go
Walnut Creek!
Fundraising News
Golder Excellence Award is excellent
for the GTO
Each year Golder Associates celebrates and recognises
outstanding technical achievement through the annual Golder
Excellence Awards. In 2013 a total of ten projects, nine external
and one internal, were selected and awarded. In addition to
demonstrating technical excellence, the winning projects made
a significant difference to Golder’s clients and the community. A
donation in the amount of $10,000 USD has been made to the
GTO on behalf of the clients involved with these projects.
For more information about the projects and award winners,
please see the official GoldNet announcement 2013 Golder Excellence Award Winners
Messages to Staff
2013 was our Greatest Fundraising Year YET!
The GTO’s 10 year anniversary resulted in our greatest
fundraising achievement to-date with a total of
$617,458.26 USD raised in 2013!
On behalf of the GTO team, Board of Trustees, the NGOs
and most importantly the thousands of children we help
to support, we would like to say thank you for all of the
support! Every single donor dollar received is valuable and
does really make a difference. As a reminder, we are also
very proud to say that 100% of each donor dollar received
is passed on to help the children!
Spectacular Swedish Easter Fundraiser
Golder employees in Sweden decided to put together a campaign to support
the GTO. They established a month long campaign to raise awareness and
raise funds within the Swedish operation (offices: Stockholm, Gothenburg,
Luleå and subsidiary office of Geometrik) .
At the end of the campaign, each employee in the office that raised the most
funds per employee received an exclusive GTO
coffee cup that says “We are supporting the GTO!”.
Salary deductions and online donations were
excluded with only cash donations made in cash
containers to be counted in the campaign. Some of
the fundraising activities included office flea markets
of donated items, recycling of metal cans and PET
bottles (cash deposit reimbursement donated), raffles and auctions with
donated prizes (including the use of an employee owned sea kayak for a
week). A total of over $2,000 USD was raised with Gothenburg being the
winning office.
Messages to Staff
2014 GTO Volunteer Trip – One more to go….are you interested?
One of the objectives of the Trust is to provide
Golder staff with the opportunity to be involved
with our projects first-hand. By volunteering
to participate in one of our projects, you will
be included in the growing group of Golder
employees involved in helping us achieve this
objective. Past volunteers have come together
from all over the world to share the experience
of working together to help make a difference
for the children and the projects we help to
support.
We still have one more trip to go this year!
Please note that there has been a change in
location. We had originally advised that it
2012
would be held in Botswana however, based on
the needs of the NGO, we will be going back to
Zimbabwe to help the ACET project. The dates
remain the same and the trip will take place
between October 17th – 26th, 2014.
In addition to the cost of the ticket, the fees to
cover everything will be $1000 USD. If you are
interested please reach out to
[email protected] by the June 20th
deadline to have your name included on the
“interested” list and ensure that you are
considered to join the group.
2013
We have another trip planned for 2014.
2013
• Zimbabwe – ACET project October 17th – 26th, 2014
2014
2010
2011
2009
Messages to Staff
Introducing the New Canadian Trustee – Sue Longo
Calgary Trust Champion team and volunteered
in Mozambique in 2013 as well as most
recently this past trip in Zimbabwe.
The Golder Trust for Orphans is pleased to
announce that the GTO Board has appointed
Sue Longo as the new Canadian Trustee. Sue,
who is based in our Calgary office, has been
with Golder for 10 years and was selected
after extensive interviews with five candidates
across the country. In 2012, she spent 12 weeks
volunteering at Rhotia Valley Tented Lodge
and Children’s Home in Tanzania as part of her
sabbatical. She is also an active member of the
“I am very happy to be part of the team and
excited to help build our Canadian GTO team,”
says Sue. “I hope to bring some of my personal
experiences to help educate our Canadian
colleagues about the amazing things that
the GTO does and in turn bring the Canadian
operation to the next level in terms of support.”
Sue takes over the role from Lea Chambers
(now based in Atlanta) who has been and will
continue to be heavily involved in supporting
the fundraising and communications for the
Trust. Lea will remain as a Trustee for the next
several years, focusing on external partnership
building and promotion for the GTO.
Both encourage you to sign up as a monthly
donor if you haven’t already done by enrolling
into payroll deductions.
Congratulations to Sue and
warmest welcome to the GTO
team! We are very excited to have
her join the board and look forward
to her valuable contributions
toward the GTO in general and
in growing the support in the
Canadian region over the years to
come.
We want to hear from you!
We would love to hear how you feel about the
GTO , why you think others should get involved,
and what you are doing to help both personally
and in your office!
Messages to Staff
We are at 1,240 Monthly Donors!! We need your support to help the children!
The GTO is predominately funded by the support from
its monthly donors. We are grateful for all the donations
received. The regular monthly donors allow the Trustees
to make long-term strategic decisions and is critical to the
sustainable success of the GTO itself.
We are now at 1,240 regular monthly donors enrolled in
the program.With over 8,000 employees we have room
to continue to grow and gain more support. If you are
not already a monthly donor, please consider joining
the payroll program - we need your help! As a reminder,
there is NO minimum donation to be pledged and 100%
of all donor dollars is passed on to directly help the
children. If you are already a monthly donor, thank you for
your support and we ask that you help encourage your
colleagues and friends/family to enroll in the program.
Together we are making a difference!
Current vs Goal monthly donors.
Total Employees
Donors
% Participation of Total
Employees in the Region
Africa
399
116
29%
Asia
222
7
3%
Australia
1124
282
25%
Canada
3796
391
10%
Denmark
15
1
7%
New Zealand
158
21
13%
Norway
24
1
4%
South America
877
5
1%
Sweden
128
18
14%
UK
231
50
22%
USA
1512
341
23%
GivenGain
N/A
7
N/A
TOTALS*
8865
1240
14%
Region
*Final total employee count includes regions that currently do not have any monthly donors and therefore are not featured in the list above.
General Information
What is the Golder Trust for Orphans?
As part of our commitment to sustainable development, Golder Associates’ employees formed the Golder Trust for Orphans in 2003 to provide support to
children and families in Africa who have been orphaned or displaced by the AIDS pandemic.
The Trust, which to date has received over US $3 million in donations from Golder staff and operating companies, provides one-time donations and investment
funding for capital projects to organisations based in, and working with, local communities to address specific needs. To date the Trust is helping to support 14
projects in 7 countries in Africa, collectively helping to improve the lives of over 2,500 children.
Where can you find more
information about the Trust?
The Trust is currently helping to support 14 projects in 7 countries in Africa,
with a vision to expand this number as our financial resources grow.
›› GoldNet: Go to Corporate Services / Enterra
SOUTH AFRICA
1. KwaSizabantu Schulzendal/Malelane (Malelane)
2. St. Joseph’s Care Centre (Bronkhorstspruit)
3. Nokuphila School (Midrand)
4. Hamba Ekukanyeni/Walk in the
Light (Pietermaritzburg)
5. Lily of the Valley (Eston)
6. Thembisa Embo Community
Project/ Hope Farm (Durban)
Holdings Ltd. / Golder Trust for Orphans
›› The Golder Trust for Orphans web site at:
www.goldertrust.org
›› Social Media:
Golder Trust for Orphans
@GolderTrust
Golder Trust
GolderTrust4Orphans
How can you get involved?
›› Donate monthly through: Payroll deduction,
GivenGain online payments, bank draft
›› Help us reach our goal of having 1500 monthly
donors to the Trust. Sign up on the GTO CWS
Corporate Services / Enterra Holdings Ltd.
/ Golder Trust for Orphans
›› Become a Trust Champion for your office
›› Promote the Trust in your workplace
›› Organise a fundraiser in your office
›› Encourage other staff members to contribute
›› Get involved in fundraising events in your
office, operating region, or globally!
SWAZILAND
7. Bulembu Ministries (Bulembu)
MOZAMBIQUE
8. Mission Station of Carlos Vilanculos
(Vilanculos)
TANZANIA
9. Rhotia Valley Tented Lodge and Children’s Home
(Arusha)
10. Food Water Shelter (Arusha)
KENYA
11. Lewa Children’s Home, Kip Keino School and
Baraka Farm (Eldoret)
12. Kijabe Hospital - HIV Program (Kijabe)
ZIMBABWE
13. ACET Zimbabwe (Southwestern Zimbabwe)
11
12
13
14
1
2
8
3
7
4
6
5
BOTSWANA
14. Jireh Development Project - Xere (Rakops)
Golder Trust for Orphans Trustees
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9
Nico Bezuidenhout (Chairman - Africa)
Graham Scholey (Australasia)
Lea Chambers (United States)
Brian Conlin (Canada)
Sue Longo (Canada)
Pending (Europe)
Tim Griffin (United States)
Trust Manager - Jon Howcroft
Communications Manager - Kelly Robinson
Trust Assistant - Kim Llyod
Your feedback about this newsletter is welcomed! Please send your comments to: [email protected].

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