Self-promotion alert - in spades!
The Ann Campana Judge Foundation Fall 2012 Newsletter
Download 2012_ACJF_Newsletter_Fall
Introduction
2012
was a very good year in terms of things accomplished but less so in terms of
funds raised. We do have about $10,000 in the bank but have collected slightly
under $4,000 so far for 2012. Mary
Frances and I have yet to make our annual contribution, which will more than
double the 2012 total. There are still two weeks left to make your
contributions for tax year 2012. You can write a check or use PayPal for a
secure, online credit card transaction. Visit our website and click
on ‘Contributions’.
Our 2011 990-EZ form was posted on time right before the due date of 15 May 2012; visit our website and click on ‘Financials’. You can see what we’ve done with limited funds. Recall that we have no paid staff and all Board of Director travel is self-funded. Other than fees to the State of Oregon, PayPal for credit-card processing, and our Internet hosting we don’t spend much money for administration. We did subsidize our Honduran friend Rolando López $460 towards his expenses carting yours truly around Honduras in August 2011 on a reconnaissance trip for projects.
So if we’re low on money, what has happened to make me optimistic? Read on!
ACJF Projects
We
continued to undertake our own projects. Following on the heels of our small project
in Brisas de Rio Cuyamel, Honduras [see here and here] we undertook a larger
village water project (c. $25,000) in Los Mejias, a village of about 310
persons and 45 casas in the rugged Sierra
de Omoa that runs along the northwest coast of Honduras. I spent about three
weeks down there in mid-June to early July 2012, seeing the project get
underway and helping the campesinos build
the dam to supply the water. The project is nearly completed. The photo below shows Alex
(right of truck, hand on pipe), campesinos
and a muchacho.
Board member Loring Green and I first visited this area in January 2001 and that’s where we met Rolando López and Alex Uriel del Cid. I have worked in this area with Rolando and Alex since June 2001.
Each of the aforementioned projects is in the Municipalidad de Omoa, a political subdivision analogous to a county. It just so happens that Alex has been elected a councilor, and has convinced the mayor, Prof. Ricardo Alvarado, that he should be ensuring that his people have safe drinking water. The mayor has taken Alex up on this issue and has been helpful to and supportive of our work. In the Los Mejias project, the mayor had his public works people improve the road to the village so trucks could bring up supplies. And vehicles were made available to transport us as well. We thus have an informal partnership with the municipalidad: the mayor benefits because he gains political support, the people gain because they get potable water, and we gain because we are provided assistance we would otherwise have to pay for. Alex tells me he knows of at least six more villages that do not have potable water. So we have our work cut out for us, keeping in mind that we will not undertake any project beyond our capabilities.
Other
Projects Completed/Funded
Agua Para La Vida (APLV) recently submitted
its final report, Informe Final: Proyecto
de Agua Potable y Saneamiento - Caño Seco [Final Report: Potable Water and
Sanitation Project – Caño Seco]:
Download APLV_Informe_Final_Caño_Seco
This project cost about $115,000. Most of that ($84,000) came from a French organization, Res Publica, with the ACJF providing about $15,500 and the rest ($15,500) coming from local sources. We just awarded El Porvenir almost $15,000 for its Sanitation Project in El Rodeo, Nicaragua.
Both APLV and ELP have substantial presences in Nicaragua, employing locals; we have supported them almost since we began in 2002. Partnering with their other donors stretches our dollars.
Our support of Steve Schneider, who produced Water Supply Well Guidelines for Use in Developing Countries, continues. Steve has now produced a second edition and has printed about 200 copies in a spiral-bound, 5”x 8” format. As I mentioned before, we have supported him ($500) and are acting as a collection agent for tax-free contributions. His work is drawing raves worldwide and our logo is right there on the back cover!
Fin
I will be back in a few months with
more news. Enjoy the holidays and the new year! Thank you all for your
continued support! - Michael
'You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality.' - Ayn Rand
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